Upgrades have started at Gilberton’s Bentzen Court to improve safety and security.
Work has kicked off to renovate and modernise a Gilberton Housing Trust complex notorious for crime.
Demolishing outdated external laundries is the first stage of a $9.68m upgrade to Bentzen Court, followed by upgrades to the first two buildings.
The layout of the 32-unit site at 61 Walkerville Tce will also be improved to increase visibility, enhance visual appeal and provide better living conditions for tenants.
There will be fewer concealed areas under the new layout, making it harder for people who should not be there to loiter, as well as better lighting to make it feel much safer.
Google Street View image of Bentzen Court.
Units will also be revamped, with new kitchens, bathrooms and internal laundries, improved lighting, upgraded fencing and pathways, and better security measures.
The state government announced plans to renovate the SA Housing Trust site last year.
The property is renowned for its crime, with Freedom of Information data revealing last year police attended to deal with domestic disturbances, mental health incidents, drug offences, property damage, assault and trespass hundreds of times in a two-and-a-half-year period.
News of the police call outs came following a woman being arrested and charged after a 65-year-old man was found dead inside one of the site’s units.
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Member for Adelaide Lucy Hood has worked with the Gilberton Working Residents Group and SA Housing Trust on planning the project.
“This upgrade is about improving safety, security and amenity in the area and bringing our community together to achieve a positive outcome,” she said.
“I established a working group to hear directly from residents and seeing works now underway is testament to their invaluable feedback.”
The site is well know for its crime. Picture: Brett Hartwig.
Gilberton resident Jan Beasley said the upgrades will create a safer environment for the whole community.
“A combination of hard work from community, government, the Housing Trust and The Town of Walkerville has delivered a great outcome for 61 Walkerville Tce to refurbish units, the landscape and secure the complex,” she said.
Housing and Urban Development Minister Nick Champion said the outcome will be a site that both tenants and neighbours will be proud of.
“This project has been shaped by Gilberton residents who have worked collaboratively with government and the Housing Trust to deliver an outcome that will benefit the whole neighbourhood,” he said.
Almost all tenants of the site have been relocated to other suitable Housing Trust homes.
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