Prominent Hindley Street site for sale as ‘development opportunity’
A Hindley Street building that once hosted an iconic Adelaide live music venue is being sold, with agents advertising the “significant development opportunities” to would-be builders.
The Manera Building on the corner of Hindley Street and Morphett Street in the CBD is for sale, with agents Adelaide Commercial Specialists (ACS) highlighting the site’s prime development potential.
In a video posted on the building’s Real Commercial listing, ACS shows an apartment-style tower appearing in puff of smoke on the site that housed the now-defunct Enigma Bar.
The Manera Building takes up addresses from 165-177 Hindley Street, and is directly next to wine bar Nearly and live music venue Jive.
ACS said the site was “one of the Adelaide CBD’s most significant development opportunities – a premium, permit-approved site strategically positioned on the corner of Hindley and Morphett Streets, right in the heart of the vibrant west end”.
The Manera Building sits on 1794sqm and features dual frontages over 86 metres combined.
Current tenants include New India Restaurant, Phonatic Restaurant and Seoul Express.
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The Manera Building is being sold as a prime “development opportunity”. Photo: Adelaide Commercial Specialists
A large part of the building used to be hardcore music haunt Enigma Bar, which closed in November 2023.
At the time, Enigma Bar owner Eric Ott cited “increasing challenges posed by rising running costs, including rent, electricity and insurance”.
The bar’s collapse was the first in a string of late-2023 live music venue and nightclub closures including 1000 Island, Wnderland, Super California, Super Bueno, Fat Controller and Dog and Duck.
The Enigma Bar space has remained vacant since the venue closed in 2023.
ACS notes the building has no heritage overlay, “enabling full redevelopment or adaptive reuse”, and vacant possession is available “ready for activation by developers or owner occupiers”.
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The building is near UniSA City West – likely making the site attractive to would-be student accommodation builders ahead of the Adelaide University merger – and the Royal Adelaide Hospital.
ACS also notes the site will benefit from the $15 million Hindley Street Revitalisation Project.
“Surrounded by institutional growth, cultural attractions, and major infrastructure projects, 165–177 Hindley Street represents one of the last large-scale redevelopment opportunities in the Adelaide CBD,” ACS said.
“Its Capital City zoning, commanding footprint, and flexible use potential make it a prime site for investors, developers, or visionary builders seeking to leave their mark on the city’s skyline.”
The sale of the Manera Building follows the listing of Whitmore Square venue Mismatch Brewhouse.
Both the freehold and leasehold for Mismatch Brewhouse were put on the market, noting the listing was an opportunity for a new operator to take over the venue.
Two Waymouth Street venues were also put on the market in March, months after the planning authority approved an apartment behind one of the historic pubs.
Both the Cumberland Arms Hotel and The Gallery were listed for sale, with agent JLL selling both freeholds individually or as a combined investment.