Well Its been under construction now for a few weeks so I'd better start a thread about it.

Does anyone have any recent info or pictures?

I noticed that there is now a massive platform hanging over Queen Street. It has been there for about a week and the crane has been there for about 5 or 6 weeks. Looks like the Office tower part of the development is well under construction.

I am actually quite interested in this one as it will "canionise" that part of Queen Street and its considerably taller than the old Macarther chambers building on the corner. I like the Green Glass too.

JayT

I have a feeling that they may be altering the tower design, as nothing has been released since the shopping centre was completed and the tower started construction. I found these pics on ML Design's website, which does not give anything away. Also, they do not have any information on their site about the tower, but they have heaps on the shopping centre and other very recent brisbane towers that did not proceed (which I posted in another thread), so they are keeping something secret:

http://www.mldesign.com.au/what/images/twa_ret01_b01.jpg

this view has a much taller tower than what was posted on the construction hoardings ages ago, and steps inward:

http://www.mldesign.com.au/what/images/twa_ret01_b03.jpg

This is the design from Leightons website, but the renderings are pretty old:

http://www.leightonproperties.com.au/images/macarthur1.jpg

http://www.leightonproperties.com.au/images/macarthur2.jpg

All very mysterious!!! I did hear a rumour that they had increased the tower from 18 to 35 storeys, but who knows.......

If it was 35 storeys would that mean 120 metres on top of the existing shopping centre?
That would make it a little taller than the CBA building over the road :)

Depending on the sort of roof decorations and floor-to-floor heights, a 35 storey tower could potentially go over 150m. I will be praying the 18 storey concept has been changed. But if it has, why the hell hasn't anyone heard anything about it?

My God, Brisbane is a city of Mysteries. This tower is already under construction and yet we know nothing much about it. If it were Melbourne, Sydney, Perth or Adelaide we would know everything right down to how many metres hight, how many floors and - well EVERYTHING!

So are we just going to watch it rise and hope for the best? Watch it rise and get a surprize if it is 35 stories??

Who knows - this is Brisbane, anything could happen.

JayT

BTW fountainhead, thanks for the photos:D

jt

maybe its gone the other way and has been down graded to like 10 stories?????? i certainly hope not, that would be a complete waste of space although it seems the proposed tower is aswell

JayT - I am also amazed at the lack of information about this tower. Even the lowliest little suburban office block has more information. Any other tower in the city that gets to this stage at least has a website for leasing and general information, but there is nothing. Even on the developers own website it is listed as "an office tower the size of which has yet to be resolved"

http://www.leightonproperties.com.au/macarthur.htm

unbelievable, what the f**k have they got to hide??

Perhaps they already have a secretive tenant lined up.
Yeah I agree Chris, if it did turn out to be 35 storeys it would be great if they added some sort of decrative spire or feature on the roof to build the height up a bit.

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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Mr MacPhisto </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Perhaps they already have a secretive tenant lined up.
Yeah I agree Chris, if it did turn out to be 35 storeys it would be great if they added some sort of decrative spire or feature on the roof to build the height up a bit.</td></tr>
</table>

I thought it was already fully leased by the Department of Veterans affairs or something?

That could be why there isn't much info.

jayt

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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by JayT </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Mr MacPhisto </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Perhaps they already have a secretive tenant lined up.
Yeah I agree Chris, if it did turn out to be 35 storeys it would be great if they added some sort of decrative spire or feature on the roof to build the height up a bit.</td></tr>
</table>

I thought it was already fully leased by the Department of Veterans affairs or something?

That could be why there isn't much info.

jayt</td></tr>
</table>

I also read that, but the tower was not fully leased. They were taking only about 1/4 of the 18 storey scheme

Maybe they are waiting to see what happens with Queens Square, and whether Suncorp might like to take a chunk in MacArthur??

I thought Veterans Affairs were only taking 5000 SQM leaving a hell of a lot of floor space for another major tenant.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Mr MacPhisto </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>I thought Veterans Affairs were only taking 5000 SQM leaving a hell of a lot of floor space for another major tenant.</td></tr>
</table>

exactly........I think the lettable area for the 18 storey tower proposal is 20-25,000SqM.

I thought the DVA were meant to be part of the whole new BCC administration thing, or at least that is what they said when the tender process was started (which queens square won). They have definately signed up for macarthur, but there is a lot more space left in the tower. 25% of a building does not sound like much of a precommitment. Still does not explain why there is not much information ou there about the macarthur tower though.

Walking past the site today, I did notice they had a big plywood sign board hanging over the entrance on queen street, so it looks like they will have a banner out there soon.

WHen i rand them up and asked about the height they got all shitty with me and wanted to know why i wanted to know. I suspect they are hiding the true height of this tower. Hopefully its 150m+

That's interesting Fountainhead.
I would have thought the Department of Veterans Affairs would be a Federal Government Department.

So much space....
Could it be Suncorp are weighing up this option too?
I guess there's nothing to do but wait and speculate.

.......well, I walked past the site on the way into work this morning, and the familiar little box that is an excuse for macarthur tower has a new rendering on Queen Street. It is the same old dissapointing 15/16 storeys above podium, although they seem to have developed the facade treatment a bit more than the last series of renderings (no green glass JayT!!)

DAMN!!! It was nice to have hope for a while.....

Fuck!

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Fountainhead </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>.......well, I walked past the site on the way into work this morning, and the familiar little box that is an excuse for macarthur tower has a new rendering on Queen Street. It is the same old dissapointing 15/16 storeys above podium, although they seem to have developed the facade treatment a bit more than the last series of renderings (no green glass JayT!!)

DAMN!!! It was nice to have hope for a while.....</td></tr>
</table>

Hope in Brisbane? LOL you'll only get dissapointed :)

I wonder when Tays will put in a "Quick link" to this and other Brisbane projects?

There are a few missing.

jt

Damn :(
I think we all had "Higher" hopes for this site :(

saw the sign a today, what a let down

There are now two cranes on this tower.

I think it should rise pretty quickly from now on.

jt

the second crane has been up for about a month, and it looks like they have poured the first office floor

ill post a really nice render of the tower tonight! Museumb gave the pic for me to scan!
watch this space>>>

heres a rendering i scaned for Museumb today! its a descent sized tower probably 80m high!


http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid53/p8023798818305f1b5419fdd3d6372b2a/fc8ce7c4.jpg

it looks okay, though i thought there was talk of a huge tower ?
seems like a waste of a prime site !!

i was already expecting something of this calibre already so it doesnt come as any huge dissapointment. we'll just add it to the rest of the density

Hmmm...

:baaa:

dissapointing, all things considered.

Nevermind, hopefully the Queens Plaza shopping Centre would be nice.

This would still be a great tower to work in due to it's location.

C'mon ya bunch of negative nellies. It looks like good modern architecture with plenty of shapes here and there. The 2 blades making the pinnacle are quite nice features too.

3 storeys of retail and 16 levels of office.

I would be more concerned about the mega-huge bland and blank wall @ its base on the other side on the corner of Liz St.

....and somebody who thinks this is "disappointing, all things considered" is hangin' out for the droopy low-rise Queens Plaza Shopping Centre. Huh? Where's the logic in that one?

BTW Thanks CULWULLA :okay:

Well at least you can shop in Queens Plaza, and hopefully it'll be better than the Macarthur Central shopping area, which is pretty small and pretty suckey (Crazy Clarks and Woolworths - whoopee!;)).

At the end of the day the tower is well and good, but what's it mean to me at street level? Nothing, the shops and streetscape stuff is what I'm be visiting, so if they do a good job with that at least the main thing is taken care of, thing is, with Macarthur the shops were a let down, hopefully Queens Plaza will be better:)

Unless you actually work in the tower, or live in it, it's just a tower at the end of the day! Does'nt do anything!

Fair enough - Crazzzzzy, Whacky, Zany Clarks!! lol

What else is included around at MacArthur's base blank 'n bland wall - Big W - lol :|

As far as the tower is concerned, it's all personal taste.

Sorry mb, we're nowhere near finished pining about macarthur central yet. But you're right, @least it's better than queens plaza. Perhaps yall missed the dissapointing renders of queens plaza!

Why Mac-central is a bad thing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1.) Prime office space is in demand here for the first time in ~15 years. Hence our first opportunity to build a major office tower in ~15 years. And we are delivered a tower of enormous...GERTH - an entire city block!

Suffice to say that once complete, the demand for commercial space will have dwindled again. Atleast we'll have the magnificent Macarthur central to show for it.

2.) Yes, it will add more density, but why right there? Why cut right through the middle of our heritage buildings (GPO, macarthur, manor apartments).

3.) Except for the blades(which are becoming passe now anyway) the design is bland. BLAND I tell you!!

Ultimately though, anger is a mask for a Brisbanite's true feeling here. We all saw the potential of the site, and became foolishly carried away by the hope that some day we'd be rewarded for our patience.

Macarthur central dissapointed us. It broke our hearts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now If you'll excuse me, I'm off to quietly brood over what might have been. A moment's silence, if you please.

http://www.secretary.state.nc.us/images/rip.jpg

Well oztraelian summed it up perfectly and I do see your RIP:)

but.....to put it in a Sydney context - imagine this scheme being built on the site of World Tower and then think about how much of a let down that would be!! After years of speculation about this site - from the Johnson & Burgee 80's massive postmodern vision to being a vacant wasteland for a decade, it has ended up being a scheme that would be more at home in Milton or Toowong or Bondi Junction, rather than the best prime location in a very small CBD. Also, it is the last of the 80's "Grands Projects" style sites that have all ended up pretty much the same way. They all had massive world-city style schemes by international architects, and ended up being reduced to infill crap. Now, that was the 80's and the misguided economic optimism from that era has evaporated. But still, given the hugely important location of the site, all I see in this scheme is wasted potential. After so much time and pain, this site deserved a much better building. Given the right developer, and a better architect, this could have been a truly world class scheme.......

........but this is Brisbane, and we are used to being disappointed!

I do empathise....i'm not an insensitive git!! We do get disappointed in Sydney too ya know. It is not a uniquely Brisbane thing. I just innocently wanted to share what i thought was the latest nice render of this project that i found.

Frankly, personally, i would love it in my (Sydney) neighbourhood....and please nobody reply "Well, take it then" lol ;)

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<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by Fountainhead </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>it has ended up being a scheme that would be more at home in Milton or Toowong or Bondi Junction, rather than the best prime location in a very small CBD. </td></tr>
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yeah i was just about to say that it would look lovely in toowong

Lol @mb, I didnt mean to offend. The render you supplied is the best i've seen to date and we appreciate it, but I stand by my comments.

..and i respect your comments and the others too. It's all about personal taste as well. I just happen to like the design, apart from the Big W base. I wasn't offended BTW - just used colourful language.

Gosh, we could write encyclopeadia sets on Sydney's disappointments in design modifications, height cut-backs and project cancellations.

Regardless of its height though, it was always going to cut through those great heritage buildings.

bump

Hey .. has anyone noticed that the construction has involved them building something that looms over the entrance of the shopping centre. Can anyone see what i mean.
But that render has the tower beginning where the shopping centre ascends.
maybe they have altered the design yet again, maybe a big tower is back on the drawing boards. maybe they are wanting to keep this tall tower a low profile becuase of the negativity from Emerald etc.
Or maybe im being a little bit to hopeful

I think those massive covers that "loom" over Queen street are just there for safety while they build the tower on top. That way if something falls it won't crash to the street and kill hundreds of shoppers below.

I imagine they will remove them but it is a little claustraphobic in that part of town - like being at the bottom of a well or something.

jt

it is actually pretty cool what they have done with the hoarding

and yes waerom, you are being too hopeful.....shine on you crazy diamond:D

I actually think that McArthur tower is quite a good looking tower (even though its small) but what gets up my nose is the fact that this is the PRIME site for a huge tower. It's almost in the centre of the city.
That tower would be awesome if it were 250m.

I am still amazed that given the apartment market in Brisbane when Macarthur was proposed and designed, that they did not do something similar to Riparian, and propose say 25-30 storeys of units above the office component. That would have produced a really diverse mixed use project - shopping, offices, heritage apartments + high rise apartments!!

I'm thinking alot of people share that opinion.

How convenient would it be to jump in an elevator and walk out in the middle of the MacArthur centre with the Mall over the road.

You could walk out of K-mart and a minute later you would be in your kitchen.
I'm sure it wouldn't have taken much marketing to make a residential component of this tower a raging success.

I was speaking to my manager here @ Suncorp who has been with the company since the beginning of time. He knows nothing about any new Suncorp building, or any move by Suncorp into Macarthur Central. The new CEO wants to decentralise our operations....:bash:

Recent pic of Macarthur tower rising amongst the density.
http://www.realestate.com.au/objects/props/5059/1755059al1054792945.jpg

jt

The first cladding has gone on today and its just the same style as the Hall Chadwick center.


jt

Photos taken from Elizabeth Street today

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay/21junmacoff1.JPG

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay/21junmacoff2.JPG

Note the first cladding at the bottom of the tower just behind the "van thingy";)
jt

Photos from Queen Street today.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay/13julmaccentral.JPG

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay/13julmaccentral2.JPG

Hey Duke, we were both out taking photos today. Some good pics of Macarthur. The glass facade looks pretty good.

<table cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=98% class="quoteBox">
<td align=left valign=center> <smallfont> <b>Quote</B> <I>originally posted by brissyThomas </i></b> </smallfont> </td>
<tr><td align=left valign=top>Hey Duke, we were both out taking photos today. Some good pics of Macarthur. The glass facade looks pretty good.</td></tr>
</table>

I'm surprised we didn't bump into each other! Dueling cameras at high noon!

Progress at August 1. I hope that this does not become a large blank wall facing the GPO >(

http://loa.ausgamers.com/Images/mcarthur.jpg

Found this on propertylook.com.au

http://www.propertylook.com.au/listings/JLL/JLL_46/300/JLL_46_24808_14614.jpg

The site neighbours the Brisbane GPO and existing Macarthur Chambers Building. Leighton Properties and Seymour Group have commenced construction of a mixed use development comprising of four levels of basement car parking, three levels of retail and sixteen levels of commercial office accommodation. The commercial development will provide approximately 24,800sqm of office space.

What a waste that it's not taller on such a central site.

There was an article in Prime Site a few weeks back about the mooted scraper for that site in the 80’s. A Chicago firm designed it, 80 stories I think, had a real Deco look to it, very nice!! Plus it would have been prefect for that central part of the city in keeping our skyline “balanced” ;)

Shame about the original building there, was very nice as well.

That was the proposal by Johnson & Burgee, who are actually New York based architects. It was actually 60-something stories, not 80, and was very similar to a building the did in Houston in the early 80's. Here's the drawing, scanned from that article, which shows the current scheme compared.... very interesting:

http://fountainhead.50megs.com/other%20images/pieinthesky.jpg

I have lots of problems with the current building, not just that it is a short puny "tower" on a second rate shopping centre. For such a prime site, I was expecting something "World Class". Something of the standard of Brisbane Square at least would have done this site justice. I give this complex 15-20 years before they demolish and start over, hopefully! Pity that Brisbane's market seems unable to support any commercial towers above 20-25 stories, except when they are pre-committed by the council;)

Originally posted by Fountainhead
Pity that Brisbane's market seems unable to support any commercial towers above 20-25 stories, except when they are pre-committed by the council;)

Well, either pre-committed by council, or the other alternative - mixed-use (i.e. Riparian)!

They could have done some good with the Macarthur site if they had included 300 apartments, or maybe a hotel (or maybe both! ;)) on top of the office component! Ah well, as you said, this site's time will come...eventually!

There are plans to pull down a 12 storey office building in Goulburn St Sydney and replace it with a taller tower, and that building was only completed in 1992! So with luck you mightn't even have to wait all that long for Macarthur to be replaced! :)

whilst you guys are talking about knocking things down what about the T&G building? is it ever going to get a face lift?or a face off?
i heard next door the NAB and old cinema were becoming a new shopping complex.

Originally posted by Fountainhead
That was the proposal by Johnson & Burgee, who are actually New York based architects. It was actually 60-something stories, not 80, and was very similar to a building the did in Houston in the early 80's.

Not to mention Johnson & Burgee's Comerica Tower (1992), in Detroit!

http://www.detroitpreservation.com/photos/comerica_tower.jpg

There was also another proposal on this site, it had 50 stories and 228m.

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files/transfer/6/2003/01/177725.jpg

Originally posted by Orodreth
There was also another proposal on this site, it had 50 stories and 228m.

http://www.skyscrapers.com/files/transfer/6/2003/01/177725.jpg

That proposal did not get very far. It was designed by McKerril Lynch, and never got council approval. I heard that the heritage council would not approve it because it overpowered the adjacent heritage buildings (of course, a 20 storey tower still "overpowers" those buildings). Now, back in the 80's, the Johnson & Burgee tower would probably have had the full support of good ol' Joh....

There was also another proposal by Baulderstones I think, of two short fat towers beside eachother, one along Elizabeth Street, and another where the current tower is going up. I have a presentation CD of it, but it was even uglier than the current building.

Originally posted by finn
Well, either pre-committed by council, or the other alternative - mixed-use (i.e. Riparian)!

They could have done some good with the Macarthur site if they had included 300 apartments, or maybe a hotel (or maybe both! ;)) on top of the office component! Ah well, as you said, this site's time will come...eventually!

There are plans to pull down a 12 storey office building in Goulburn St Sydney and replace it with a taller tower, and that building was only completed in 1992! So with luck you mightn't even have to wait all that long for Macarthur to be replaced! :)

They're not pulling that building down in Goulburn Street, they're adding to the top of it (AFP Sydney Headquarters). The foundations were built with exactly that in mind for down the track.

Actually, the footings for Macarthur were designed to support a 35 storey tower, so they may be able to drop a few more stories on top later on. There were two different versions of the current tower proposed, and they did not finalize which would go ahead until the shopping centre was under construction. The 35 storey version had the additional floors set back further from Queen Street.

im suprised how big an impact this building has on the skyline as you go over the story bridge... even tho it isnt very high, its very noticible addition to the skyline...

Originally posted by Fountainhead
Actually, the footings for Macarthur were designed to support a 35 storey tower, so they may be able to drop a few more stories on top later on. There were two different versions of the current tower proposed, and they did not finalize which would go ahead until the shopping centre was under construction. The 35 storey version had the additional floors set back further from Queen Street.

gowha? I viddied a couple of renders that proposal, but didnt know that the foundations were laid. Another 17 levels of office would push it to the 500 ft mark!

Originally posted by Danubis
im suprised how big an impact this building has on the skyline as you go over the story bridge... even tho it isnt very high, its very noticible addition to the skyline...
Yeah I know, it is surprising. I was thiking exactly the same thing yesterday when I went over the S Bridge.

Taken today, 27/09/03

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sdlennon/macarthur2709031.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sdlennon/macarthur2709032.jpg

Nice pics Orodeth. I don't know if it looks taller than I thought it would or what but it definitely makes a bigger difference than I expected. It surprises me how visible it is from the Story Bridge. Higher would be better but it could have been worse!!

Originally posted by Orodreth
Taken today, 27/09/03

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sdlennon/macarthur2709031.jpg

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sdlennon/macarthur2709032.jpg

we'll all hold our breaths this week, cause if it is indeed only 18 stories, then they should pour the last floor this week. lets hope it is all part of some marketing ploy to sneak in a 35er

Taken today from City Hall Lookout 06/10/03

http://home.iprimus.com.au/sdlennon/mactower.jpg

May not be as tall as we would like but it still looks pretty nice

Anyone have a copy of last Friday's Prime Site in the Courier Mail? I'm sure it referred to the Macarthur Office Tower as having 24 storeys. A typo? A Revised height? Hopefully the latter.:?

Originally posted by Brizbane2
Anyone have a copy of last Friday's Prime Site in the Courier Mail? I'm sure it referred to the Macarthur Office Tower as having 24 storeys. A typo? A Revised height? Hopefully the latter.:?

Yes I saw that, 24 stories instead of 19.

I hope they just keep going:)

It also said that by the time its finished construction it will be fully leased.

jt

well i read in the courier mail that another law form had just moved in, and so theres not much space left anf a fair amount of demand. it would be awsome to have the building fully leased by the times its finished.

Originally posted by Brizbane2
Anyone have a copy of last Friday's Prime Site in the Courier Mail? I'm sure it referred to the Macarthur Office Tower as having 24 storeys. A typo? A Revised height? Hopefully the latter.:?

The Courier Snail is not the most accurate source at the best of times....anything to do with facts is always dodgy with those guys. They probably meant 24 storeys including the retail and underground carpark - 16 office plus LMR / plant, 3 retail and probably about 3-4 storeys of cars sounds about right.

Originally posted by Fountainhead
The Courier Snail is not the most accurate source at the best of times....anything to do with facts is always dodgy with those guys. They probably meant 24 storeys including the retail and underground carpark - 16 office plus LMR / plant, 3 retail and probably about 3-4 storeys of cars sounds about right. LOL @ the "Courier Snail"

In regard to Orodreth's last pic posts, yes, it is already proving to be a fine Brisbane CBD nice mid-riser. In earlier posts in this thread I was put down (for want of a better word/s), as this will prove to be a reasonable addition to Midtown Brisbane's CBD. I still beg to differ. Despite the previous plans for this particular site for this to be much, much taller.

IMHO I'm sure in the medium-term, it will prove to be a reasonable additon to Brissy's Midtown skyline. :okay:

Muse, I never meant to put you down.

Why want for better words when you can invent your own, better words?;)

Anyway, I've cooled my attitude to this tower in the time that has passed so swiftly since that post - look at the size of it now!

Nevertheless, I know I speak for other forumITES here when I say it is confounding that more was not done with the site.

The tower itself is quite attractive, but given the unique position, skyrocketing real estate values and the integrated services (shopping centre, car park) it's quite boggling that a residential component was not envisioned.

As another forumer remarked, with this opportunity it wouldnt take a marketing genius to make a taller tower a rousing success.

So true, and even more true in the wake of festival towers blistering sell-out.

Originally posted by oztraelian
Muse, I never meant to put you down.:? Were you referring to page 2 of the Macarthur Office Tower thread? @ http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=23792&perpage=20&pagenumber=2. I did post something to the extent of "no offensive taken". Long forgotten until now. I never saw you i.e. oztraelian as putting me down. LOL.

Anyway, even though this mid-riser hasn't topped out as yet, it is already proving a nice addition to Brisbane's skyline.

Got some mindless useless trivia the two cranes you see on Macarthur office tower are the same two that were on the Commonwealth Bank directly opposite also constructed by Watpac,1st time the two have been on the same site since then Commonwealth Bank was finished in 89 i think, a friend of mine was driving the crane where the sling broke dropping the precast awning through the hoarding covering the sidewalk killing those people

This one has topped out. One of the cranes (on the Queen Street side) was being taken down today.

A guy I was talking to who works on the Queens Plaza site said that the two cranes from Macarthur are destined for Queens Plaza.

Here's a photo taken yesterday from the Queen Street Mall.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay3/15novmacarthur.JPG

That would be an awesome building to work in, cos it's so close to everything.

Looks almost finished, the finish of the building is great, nice clean facade, shame it's so damn short.

Oh well.

I agree, I actually quite like the facade of this building, if it was about 2 or 3 times its actual height I think it would have looked quite good - they really could have gone higher on that site as well, would have been great for a number of reasons. And yes, would be a nice one to work in. All I know at this stage is that the Department of Veterans Affairs made a pre-commitment to move in. (Hope no-one's said that already)

The Courier Mail today reports that Bank Of Queensland will be relocating its head office to around 5 floors in this one in 2004 and will also get naming rights - hence Bank of Queensland Centre!

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8193958%255E3122,00.html

The reason for this is that when the Bank outsourced is Back Office and IT areas it did not need all 9 levels at 229 Elizabeth Street. EDS will be the major tennant when BoQ move in 229.

Originally posted by duke
The Courier Mail today reports that Bank Of Queensland will be relocating its head office to around 5 floors in this one in 2004 and will also get naming rights - hence Bank of Queensland Centre!

http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8193958%255E3122,00.html

I read in that story that it was the largest commercial lease signed in 2003. Does anyone think that it might be signalling a slow down of the commercial office market in 2004? (Which might lead to the cancellation of other office projects like the Austcorp mixed-use tower).

There was a report on Today Tonight about the workers on the project. They are complaining of mistreatment by tenants in the shopping centre because they do not resemble the type of people whom the tenants are targeting, mainly high spending white collar workers who seek upmarket goods. The workers claimed they are told to move on by security when they enter the complex to buy lunch etc. This is plain stupid :bash: to judge people like this. It's probably the construction workers themelves who are keeping the stores afloat.

I'll have to boycott that shopping center for my next lunch if they are behaving that way for what difference it won't make lol.

I go there occasionally, and think it has been a very successful development considering the crowds I usually run into. I don't think the shops would notice if all the construction workers went somewhere else to eat lunch.

This seems like a bit of a joke. Macarthur Central is okay but it isn't that upmarket - the main stores are Woolworths, Big W, Crazy Clarks (who could possibly be too down market for them?)and Dimmocks (bookstore). The upmarket part of the centre is on the outside, with the shops opening off Edward Street - Polo Ralph Lauren, Oroton, Morrissey etc.

My favourite part is the restaurant/bar Chill on Queen which is on the first level overlooking Queen Street.

The last crane is coming down today should be all dismantled by early tomorrow morning.:)

Labourers dirty over being told to move on
Jason Gregory
22jan04
BATTLELINES have been drawn in the heart of Brisbane between a band of construction workers and management of upmarket MacArthur Central.
Centre management have asked the labourers, who work on the site next door, not to loiter outside the $100 million shopping complex because it is "not a good look for the tenancy and for retailing in general".
Despite the centre motto being "everything for everyone every day" MacArthur Central centre manager Michael Hoey made the remarks in a fax to construction company Watpac's project manager Richard Norris after "offenders" had been seen near and around the tower entry.
Many of the 200 people labouring on stage two of the MacArthur development – an office tower due for completion in coming weeks – also slogged away on stage one, the three-level retail complex on the corner of Edward and Queen streets at the centre of the controversy.
One retailer allegedly told the workers "they lowered the tone of the area".
Lord Mayor Tim Quinn last night defended the right of workers who wanted to frequent any part of the CBD – despite their appearance.
"I think the areas in front of shops are public property and there for everyone. Construction workers play a vital part in the building of this city and I fully support their rights," he said.
The issue came to a head after centre security staff allegedly told the workers to move on because "vagrants, undesirables and construction workers" were not allowed outside the centre.
The fax sent by Mr Hoey also said each time "offenders" had been noticed outside the centre they had been asked to move on but had made "a big deal about it".
Mr Hoey told The Courier-Mail the workers were welcome to use the food court and other areas of the complex but would not comment on the fax.
Construction worker "John" said the workers may "smell and look filthy" but retailers should not exercise double standards when men in suits were not moved on.
"They don't like our dirty boots . . . what are we supposed to do come here and look pretty – we are construction workers," John said.
Seymour Group, former owner of the retail centre and current owner of the tower site, managing director Kevin Seymour said he would not give Centre Management "one inch" if they complained to him.
"The workers do the hard, manual, dirty jobs most of us do not want to do. They work in the heat of the day and I am right behind them," Mr Seymour said.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,315679,00.jpg THIS could get ugly ... construction workers outside MacArthur Central. They claim they were told they lowered the tone of the area. Picture: Glenn Barnes.
http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5936,8456126%255E3102,00.html
jt

It could get very ugly indeed. Gosh, they have every right to be upset. There would be no MacArthur C. if it wasn't for these 'blokes'. (Good thing perhaps? ;) ) So close to it nearing completion too. Ouch!

Gee, some people really don't think, like you knoooow........!?! We also know that construction workers can be prima donas at the worst of times, esp. in groups....and this is a 'worst of times'. A low point for industry relations for sure.

LOL @ the slogan "everything for everyone every day"...yes, as long as you look the part and play the part i.e. appropriately pump $$$s into Maccas. :|

Get a grip sleazoid Centre Management! *Damage control mode*

Well said:D

Yes, well said Muse - I think this has been a ridiculous situation - lets just hope construction workers don't start sabotaging managers offices as they build them lol! Next time something like this happens, half the building might 'accidently' collapse the next day j/k.

anyone got a recent pic of the completed tower?

Originally posted by CULWULLA
anyone got a recent pic of the completed tower?

Taken today.

http://members.optusnet.com.au/johnthay2/21feb04macarthur1.JPG

thanks duke. looks great!

I don't think it has changed it name to the full "Bank of Queensland Centre" just the abbreviated "BOQ Centre"

Anyway here is the official website http://www.259queen.com/

http://extranet.emporis.com/files/transfer/6/2004/03/253562.jpg