news
Adelaide CBD Towers Advance: Market Square, City East Projects Move Forward
Construction activity around Gouger Street and North Terrace continues to alter the city centre profile as multiple mixed-use builds reach key stages.
How we reported this
Multiple high-rise projects in the Adelaide CBD are progressing through mid-2026, with the Market Square redevelopment on track for completion later this year and the City East towers advancing on land between Pirie and Flinders streets.
These changes matter now because several sites have moved from planning to visible construction in recent months, affecting daily movement for residents and workers who pass through the central area. The Post SA outlined the status of these builds in its April 8 report, noting that what began as scattered hoardings has become a series of rising structures that will add apartments, hotel rooms and retail space within the existing city grid.
Market Square and Grote Street activity
Around the Adelaide Central Market, the $500 million Market Square redevelopment combines retail, offices, a hotel and apartments on sites at Gouger and Grote streets. The office tower there is nearly finished while the 40-storey residential and hotel tower continues upward. The project will restore classic red brick arches on the market frontage and add childcare facilities plus public spaces intended for use outside market hours. Nearby, the $200 million Victoria Tower on Grote Street has reached completion as a 37-storey building with close to 300 apartments along with office and shop space.
Further along Franklin Street, the $200 million Franklin Tower project remains under construction as a 23-storey apartment building. The Post SA report noted that both towers form part of efforts to increase housing supply directly in the CBD core.
City East and North Terrace scale-up
The $900 million City East development will deliver more than 700 homes across four towers reaching up to 39 storeys, including around 200 affordable homes developed through a partnership involving the state government and community housing providers. At the western end of the CBD, the $400 million 88 North Terrace project is planned as a 33-storey tower on the site of a former car park behind Adelaide’s oldest church. The Post SA article also flagged student accommodation towers rising along North Terrace as another contributor to the changing skyline.
People living or working in the Adelaide CBD can check project websites listed in the April report or visit the sites during daylight hours to observe current progress, with Market Square expected to open its first public areas before the end of 2026.