Build-to-RentChris ThomsonFri 17 Jul 26
Sentinel’s SA BtR Scheme in Bowden Renewal Precinct Moves Ahead
Sentinel Australia is about to start on a 12-storey tower of 240 built-to-rent homes at the former headquarters of electrical accessory giant Clipsal in the inner-Adelaide suburb of Bowden.
The local platform of global property company Sentinel will build South Australia’s first single-owner, long-term rental project at Bowden’s Lot 53.
Sentinel has appointed Commercial & General’s construction division Tandem Building to lead the project.
The 12-storey development will have shared amenities, in-house maintenance services and a mix of apartments, it said, to support the varied and evolving needs of residents.
The tower will be managed by Sentinel Australia’s subsidiary Kinleaf, which operates two build-to-rent sites in Australia—The Briscoe at West Melbourne and The Elements at Subiaco in Western Australia.
Bowden, 2.5km north-west of the Adelaide CBD, is a major urban renewal project by state development arm Renewal SA on the site of the former headquarters of the electrical accessory giant.
Renewal SA executive director of residential projects and assets Peter Gatsios said the operating model and mix of apartment types in the Sentinel project would make it easier for residents to move within the building as needs changed over time.
The pet-friendly Bowden development will include studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments, 250 car parks and 87 bicycle parks, and a small retail tenancy.
Floorplans range from 40sq m for a studio apartment to 104sq m for the three-bedroom homes. Renewal SA anticipates the project will be completed in late 2028.
Shared amenities will include a swimming pool, fitness centre, lounge, barbecue area and two landscaped terraces at podium level.
Meanwhile, next door to the Sentinel site, work is advancing on a further 80 affordable rental apartments, delivered by Renewal SA, that will be sold to a community housing provider.
That project, at Lot 51 and under construction by Hindmarsh, includes four terrace homes for private sale and a 221-space multi-deck car park, with 170 spaces reserved for visitors to Bowden.
Linking the two projects, a revamped Field Street laneway will provide a direct connection from Bowden Train Station through to the town square and popular Plant 4 restaurant, retail and hospitality area.
Architectural designs incorporate reclaimed bricks from the former Clipsal factory, repurposed into pathways featuring First Nations artwork, increased tree canopy and feature lighting.
Clipsal moved from Bowden to a new plant at the northern Adelaide suburb of Gepps Cross in 2009.
