Redevelopment plans unveiled by the South Australian government indicate that almost a third of the existing Royal Adelaide Hospital site in the centre of the city will be returned to parklands.
Heritage structures will be retained, Domain reports, although some buildings will be demolished to make way for the relevant work.
A research facility is planned, in addition to related tourism and accommodation precincts - and work on the site is due to start once the hospital's operations have been fully transferred to the new Royal Adelaide site.
The new hospital is due to open some time next year and the redevelopment work on the park is expected to take up to 15 years - so it may not be finished until the 2030s.
Negotiations with the preferred bidders are due to be started by the government soon - and the plans allow for features such as an open plaza, a series of laneways and a new entrance for the Adelaide Botanic Garden.
The size of the garden's lake will be increased as a means of serving a dual purpose as stormwater retention from the site.
Premier of South Australia Jay Weatherill said the plans should be welcomed by groups who have been advocating for a large proportion of the site to be returned to open space.
"The old Royal Adelaide Hospital site is one of Adelaide's most prominent locations and provides a rare opportunity to transform and enhance the city's East End for the benefit of all South Australians," he commented.
