Health Update: Multi-level wellness hub to anchor Bowden’s latest development • Renewal SA – What Experts Say

A cutting-edge, multi-level health and wellness centre will anchor Bowden’s newest apartment complex, transforming one of the precinct’s most prominent corners into a lifestyle and wellbeing destination.

South Australian developer Otello will deliver market-leading health and wellness facilities, a dedicated centre with Pilates, hot and cold pools, saunas, physical therapy and healthy food and drink options beneath more than 100 new apartments.

To be known as FLOWE Bowden, Otello’s vision was selected by Renewal SA from a competitive field for the purchase of Lot 2002, one of the last remaining development sites in the city fringe precinct.

Shane Wingard, Acting Chief Executive at Renewal SA, said the new mixed-use building would add to Bowden’s vibrancy.

“The new retail and recreational uses will contribute to a highly active area in the precinct and will frame the beautiful Bowden Park,” Mr Wingard said

“FLOWE Bowden will complement the existing community and offer a significant extension to the amenities already available. ”

Mr Wingard said Otello’s projects deliver high-quality apartment communities, with retail spaces that enhance the lifestyle of residents.

“This is the type of development that is driving a rise in the popularity of apartment living in Adelaide,” he said.

The new development will feature a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments, with more than 100 carparks for residents and guests spread throughout the basement and ground floor.

Otello has committed to 20% affordable housing through HomeSeekerSA, exceeding the 15% planning requirement. Sixteen of the apartments are earmarked for specialist disability accommodation.

The project includes ground floor hospitality, a resident workshop with tools and large benchtops, and space to park and store about 150 bicycles.

Designed by award-winning Melbourne architects Fieldwork, the building will be one of few in the precinct to frame Bowden Park , the community’s central meeting place, and activate frontages on Third, Fourth, and Gibson Streets.

Its design incorporates the use of natural materials built around a mass-timber frame.

Concept drawings of FLOWE Bowden show the 10-level, $80 million development, overlooking Bowden Park, with some areas enjoying views of the CBD, hills, and the coast.

“The master planning for Bowden is centred around the activation of Bowden Park, so I am pleased that Otello’s vision, in addition their other development on its western edge, will complete the framing of this key community asset,” Mr Wingard said.

“Residents and visitors already enjoy great hospitality and retail at Plants 3 and 4 and this development will continue Bowden’s evolution by adding more residents and further amenity to grow the precinct’s success.”

The new development will neighbour another Otello project, Muse Bowden.

Muse offers 36 apartments above new food and beverage offerings across nine levels, due for completion this year.

Thirty-four of the 36 apartments at Muse, which offer a blend of affordable and premium styles, sold within months of hitting the market, with the remaining two apartments being held as display suites for their latest Bowden build.

Otello is gaining prominence across the state, with a pipeline of projects in Unley, Kent Town, Tonsley and Hutt Street, combining apartments, hospitality and retail to meet local needs.

“Otello have demonstrated their ability to deliver market leading developments across Adelaide, offering individuality, personality, and vibrancy,” Mr Wingard added.

Daniel Harris, Director and Founder of Otello said this latest project had aspirations to be Otello’s premier development.

“We’re incredibly proud of our current projects but this one has the potential to be our best yet,” Mr Harris said.

“It represents a culmination of everything we’ve learned to date, not just about urban design and sustainability, but also how to meaningfully connect with local communities and create places that people are proud to call home.”

Lot 2002 went on sale in 2024 as part of Renewal SA’s $2 billion sales and investment campaign, which unlocked state government land to private developers.

Currently home to Renewal SA’s Bowden Discovery Centre and sales office, the site is the first of the final three development land parcels within the precinct to be sold, edging the Bowden project one step closer to completion.

The site is also used by the Adelaide Bike Kitchen, who have operated with an ongoing understanding of future development plans and were formally notified of the sale in 2024.

The State Government will continue to support the Adelaide Bike Kitchen in finding a new home and have extended their lease until April to allow them extra time to relocate.

Otello will begin seeking expressions of interest for apartments soon, with sales set to begin in March, ahead of construction beginning in mid-2026.

“We have demand from people who missed out on an apartment at Muse Bowden, so we have a pipeline of serious buyers who can’t wait for this new project to start,” Mr Harris said.

They have also committed to achieving a 5-Star Green Star rating and will target environmental initiatives including electric vehicle charging infrastructure, double-glazed windows and sustainable building products.

Once underway, Otello will join a wave of construction activity delivering more homes for South Australians and more amenity for Bowden residents, completing Renewal SA’s vision for the precinct.

Otello expects to create up to 70 ongoing jobs across the health, wellness and hospitality sectors.

Around 200 direct and indirect jobs will also be created during construction spanning trades, material suppliers, consultants and local contractors.

In combination with MAB’s adjoining Brompton Gasworks site, Bowden is on track to be home to more than 5,300 people upon the project’s completion, estimated for 2035.

For more information about FLOWE Bowden, visit flowebowden.com.au