Gabba expands skyward and downward
MARISSA CALLIGEROS
July 19, 2010 - 1:00PM

Article (http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/gabba-expands-skyward-and-downward-20100719-10h21.html)

http://images.brisbanetimes.com.au/2010/07/19/1701708/Gabba-redevelopment-600x400.jpg

An artist's impression of the planned commercial and high-density living centre just one kilometre from the Brisbane CBD. Click for more photos
Forty-storey tower planned for Woolloongabba

An artist's impression of the planned commercial and high-density living centre just one kilometre from the Brisbane CBD.

Skyscrapers up to 40 storeys high have been given the go-ahead to tower over Woolloongabba's new underground railway station, brisbanetimes.com.au can reveal.

The towers are a feature of the government's master plan for the Gabba precinct between Vulture and Stanley streets, which would see it become a transit-oriented residential and commercial hub.

Premier Anna Bligh said the proposal would allow for high-density living and commercial office space, with easy access to public transport and shopping and dining facilities, directly opposite the Gabba.


"This plan details an inner-city community of residential, retail, commercial, employment, recreation and community facilities, with unparalleled access to public transport and for pedestrians and cyclists,” she said today.

“It's a glimpse of the future for this part of inner city Brisbane.”

Under the proposal, the precinct would also house one of four new underground rail stations as part of the Cross River Rail project, to add transport options to the existing busway.

The 10-hectare site, one kilometre from the CBD, is currently home to the government's Go-Print and Lands Centre buildings.

The plan allows for a 40-storey tower to be built over the underground rail interchange, and 20- to 30-storey buildings on other parts of the site.

Construction could begin as early as 2012, with the final development scheme set to be approved next April.

Ms Bligh declared the site an "Urban Development Area” in April following the Queensland Growth Management Summit, which identified the need for more transit-oriented developments in Brisbane.

“This new Gabba Precinct is a prime example of that,” she said.

The precinct, bordered by Main, Vulture, Stanley and Allen streets, would also include a public park the size of Anzac Square, pedestrian boulevards, a plaza, restaurants, bars and cafes.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe said new units would be geared towards middle-level income earners, like teachers, nurses and emergency services workers.

"The range of housing choice provided within the Woolloongabba UDA will respond to housing affordability pressures being faced by key workers employed in the Mater Hospital Precinct and nearby Brisbane CBD,” Mr Hinchliffe said.

"This will also be a great place for commercial businesses to be based.”

Urban Land Development Association CEO Paul Eagles said the metropolitan precinct would also benefit sports fans.

"With the Australian cricket team, the Queensland Bulls and of course the Brisbane Lions all playing matches at the Gabba, the local area is often awash with patrons looking for dining venues and entertainment before and after the big game," Mr Eagles said.

Although full development of the Gabba precinct was expected to take up to 20 years, the ULDA was expected to release the first parcel of land for development late next year.

The Woolloongabba Draft Structure Plan is now available for public comment through www.ulda.qld.gov.au.

It makes perfect sense, i suppose the best comparison would be to north sydney

I've been waiting for this to happen. The area will take off in the next few years with the new Underground station. Also Logan Road precinct will be amazing in a few years. I predict a lot of ground level action around that area.

If we get One One One's - yes

If we get another admiralty - no

^^
Lets hope Council planners have learned their lesson. No more ugly salmon coloured concrete slabs...

More artists illustration pics:

http://www.brisbanedevelopment.com/images/stories/Article_Images/Gabba/PreviewScreenSnapz004.jpg

http://www.brisbanedevelopment.com/images/stories/Article_Images/Gabba/PreviewScreenSnapz005.jpg

http://www.brisbanedevelopment.com/images/stories/Article_Images/Gabba/PreviewScreenSnapz006.jpg

http://www.brisbanedevelopment.com/images/stories/Article_Images/Gabba/PreviewScreenSnapz007.jpg

The location of the tallest/landmark building is very interesting, a real challenge for the engineers. It will be built over the off ramp from the pacific motorway onto Vulture street, and there is some pretty big height differences as well to cope with. I imagine it will end up being one of the last blocks to be developed, but I could be wrong. Seems like the only building of notable size on the block currently (excluding the heritage Morrison Hotel) is going as well, as the land use plan has the current Landcentre being a site of predominately residential land use.
I don't agree with having internal roads either, its a small enough area that it could and probably should have been avoided.

Great, great, great idea!! If this proposal is carried all the way through, Woolloongabba will not just be a sporting hub but a real commercial, residential and recreational hub for Brisbane and its residents. This will spell the end of the Gabba as we know it...it will set it on the path to becoming a sophisticated inner city community with plenty to see and do, a quality alternative to South Bank and Fortitude Valley!

It makes perfect sense, i suppose the best comparison would be to north sydney

I don't think Woolloongabba will have the commerical clout of North Sydney, but let's hope it leaves it for dead in terms of residential, shopping and nightlife activities. North Sydney is a bit of a dead spot and Woolloongabba can be a whole lot better.

I don't think Woolloongabba will have the commerical clout of North Sydney

Indeed only 3 of the approximately 15 buildings are intended to be predominately commercial.

Great proposal, and if these pics are anything to go by it may end up looking fairly good :)

Much needed. Lets home we have some well articulated towers. God if only we could re-clad Telstra Exchange!

Much needed. Lets home we have some well articulated towers. God if only we could re-clad Telstra Exchange!

Or knock it down! It's a total eyesore!

Or knock it down! It's a total eyesore!

it's actually half empty.. the type of equipment they use these days is different and they don't need as much space. i wouldn't be surprised if it was knocked down in the medium term.

If we get One One One's - yes

If we get another admiralty - no

you must be delusional if you think that anyone would build a 111-style building in the 'gabba..!!

Yes it must be knocked down asap and have something awsome put in its place :D

^^
Lets hope Council planners have learned their lesson. No more ugly salmon coloured concrete slabs...

You mean the same city planners who presumably ok'd the purple and spew Clem7 tunnel vent thing to happen just a few hundred metres from this site...yeah right....

They would have been different planners ;)

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/bcc-slams-40-storey-high-rise-development-plan-for-wooloongabba/story-e6freoof-1225942949781

BRISBANE City Council wants 10 levels trimmed from a proposed high-rise development at Woolloongabba amid claims traffic studies and further evaluation of the site are yet to be done.

BCC has sent a 20-page submission to the State Government outlining numerous concerns about the 40-level building, proposed for the 10ha government-owned site located between Vulture and Stanley streets.

It was particularly critical of the planning scheme for the property, which has come under the wing of the state's most powerful planning body, the Urban Land Development Authority (ULDA).

The ULDA scheme was designed to increase density in the area while also providing affordable housing. The BCC's development assessment committee chairwoman Amanda Cooper, however, said the building was too big for the former Go Print site.

``(It) is just way out of step with what the community's expectation is and we think it is just too much development on that site,'' Cr Cooper said.

She said the development scheme would adversely impact on plans by council and Translink to increase public transport to accommodate population growth and accused the state of failing to undertake adequate traffic and infrastructure investigations.

``They are proposing to make big changes that we are concerned is going to cause traffic chaos,'' Cr Cooper said.

``They have done nothing. They have just rushed this through.''

She said she was also concerned about the impact on the heritage-listed Morrison Hotel.

Infrastructure and Planning Minister Stirling Hinchliffe defended the proposal. ``This is about the right density in the right location,'' Mr Hinchliffe said.

``As soon as the Woolloongabba Urban Development Area was declared, a transport working group which included BCC representatives was established to undertake traffic analysis.''

Mr Hinchliffe said further detailed analysis would be undertaken in relation to the proposed cross-river rail station, which would ``inform'' the design of intersections and revised freeway on-ramps.

``Development adjacent to and over the existing bus station will not begin until (a transport) investigation is complete and the exact location of the new bus station is determined,'' he said.

Mr Hinchliffe denied the Morrison Hotel's heritage values would be compromised, saying the area would be opened up to encourage residents to enjoy the hotel.

Do they suggest more green space knocked down for more suburban sprawl?

probably just a bit of political tit-for-tat in response to the state govt pulling 5st off the riverside south precinct... no need to get your knickers in a knot and write a crazy blog post about it ;)

poor bbc.

BCC and state gov will be like this forever. They hate each others guts.

That is until the state gov is voted out.

The Council seems to be caving into self interested NIMBY groups all over the place. One way to stay popular I guess.

Yea, I really do hope it's a political strategy - ie make a noise about this, knowing it isn't going to change and look better to the nimby's rather than actually, seriously want shorter buildings.

Who'd know.

Cr Cooper and the Dev assessment Boards declares that it "is just way out of step with what the community's expectation is and we think it is just too much development on that site".

But what community? The local suburb community? If you rely soley on locals for feedback then you won't build a successful integrated city. Most local residents will reject development, because of the "fear of the unknown" about how it may affect their property prices. But in reality a lot of these fears are unfounded and purely reactionary. Community consultation should be factor in decision-making, not a base for it.

The Council seems to be caving into self interested NIMBY groups all over the place. One way to stay popular I guess.

i wouldn't agree with this..

* they are pushing for 12st at west end but have been rejected by state govt
* they are building the northern link despite nimby protests
* they installed citycycle despite nimby protests
* they are proposing heights of 20st at indro, mt gravatt and other places

if anything BCC is pro-development.. but they are being careful to take the residents with them on the increased density journey. they are not racing ahead and aggravating their oponents. but it seems they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

i wouldn't agree with this..

* they are pushing for 12st at west end but have been rejected by state govt
* they are building the northern link despite nimby protests
* they installed citycycle despite nimby protests
* they are proposing heights of 20st at indro, mt gravatt and other places

if anything BCC is pro-development.. but they are being careful to take the residents with them on the increased density journey. they are not racing ahead and aggravating their oponents. but it seems they are damned if they do and damned if they don't.

Are you in the PR department at the BCC?

Still scratch my head about putting height restriction in the Gabba and the turning of the Milton Tennis Centre site into a park???

Are you in the PR department at the BCC?

Still scratch my head about putting height restriction in the Gabba and the turning of the Milton Tennis Centre site into a park???

not in PR or at BCC, but i do like dealing in facts rather than fiction!

i don't think the residents of brisbane are ready for every site and suburb to be zoned for highrise, and i think BCC is doing a pretty good balancing act.

parts of the gabba are planned for some decent height, so i don't know what your problem is?? and the milton site was never zoned for big height and the developer had no intention of settling for what was allowed on the site. if council just bent over and allowed every developer to do as they pleased then everything would go to shit. they need to exercise a certain degree of control.

My opinion is, if a site adjacent to a freeway, on top of a busway and the future location of a CRR station is not good enough for high rise development like this, then what is good enough

My opinion is, if a site adjacent to a freeway, on top of a busway and the future location of a CRR station is not good enough for high rise development like this, then what is good enough

30st is highrise. Lets get a little perspective, yes?

Anyway, until someone posts the critique document BCC wrote so we can have a look at what they actually wrote instead of what the local journos think they wrote, I'm reserving judgement. Sounds to me like all they wanted was more information before they accepted the (very early stage and clearly rushed) site plans for this very recently acquired ULDA site.

Site note; anyone know where the landcentre staff will be bumped to?

not in PR or at BCC, but i do like dealing in facts rather than fiction!

i don't think the residents of brisbane are ready for every site and suburb to be zoned for highrise, and i think BCC is doing a pretty good balancing act.

parts of the gabba are planned for some decent height, so i don't know what your problem is?? and the milton site was never zoned for big height and the developer had no intention of settling for what was allowed on the site. if council just bent over and allowed every developer to do as they pleased then everything would go to shit. they need to exercise a certain degree of control.

I'm not saying everything the Council does is bad, I'm just saying I disagree with the above decisions (while you seem to agree without question with everything the Council does). Milton is the perfect spot for increased density, as is the Gabba in my opinion.

i wouldn't say that i agree without question, i would rather say that i accept they can't make everything perfect or everyone happy

yeah I seem to agree with BNE01. While i would prefer increased density in the suburbs as well, I could understand more if it was a suburban highrise that was reduced in height, but this project it seems, is ripe for high density. And the media have reoprted from the Councils comments that "its way out of step with the communities expectation". So it seems that Public Opinion is a major concern for BCC. But the media love to pull out statements out of context, and this in fact may be a small contributing factor and perhaps the traffic issue is the big issue. I think Geko is spot on and we need to see more information about the BCC's critique.


Still I would think with all the public transport available to this project, it should get a green light with those densities. The use of public transport really needs to be pushed in brisbane, reducing reliance on cars. If the traffic becomes really congested around the development because of its density, then perhaps that may be the push residents need to take advantage of the PT options in this area. It may be marketed as such so potential residents are aware of it before buying. I know that is not the way to approach all developments, but for Brisbane, this site seems unique with so many PT options available, so I am just raising a point.

30st is highrise. Lets get a little perspective,
What?

Morrison this morning, don't think there are any issues at all with building as tall as you can go around here.

http://img594.imageshack.us/img594/5816/pa280006.jpg

Any words with how this project is goin?