Westfield Marion is a waste of space

Literally. It's a huge site with a mass of open-air car parking. It's less than 14km away from the city centre with a train-station within walking distance and only a short bike ride to the beach. It should have been zoned for mixed use from the get-go but surely the state government could do some sort of deal with Westfield. Seriously, Bury those car parks between the shopping centre and the swim centre and place a residential tower (or two) of similar height to the commercial tower that's already there. A little more green space could surely be slotted in as well.

Who would it hurt? Westfield would get more shoppers, Marion would get more rate-payers. Make a bunch of the apartments affordable so us plebs could afford to live a reasonable distance from the city. There used to be some night clubs and bars at Marion. Having a bunch of people living close by could prompt the return of some entertainment venues as well. There's a bunch of schools nearby and Flinders Hospital and Uni just down the road. Everything is already there, In a few years you could create this vibrant, walkable community.

Sorry just been day-dreaming about this for a little while and had to vent.