since the northerners insist on having a thread for each building approved instead of all in the one standard thread, I think the toowoomba projects should each have their own also :p

11 stories at 41meters
will be somewhat mixed use with retail at ground level, then 1 level of comercial office space then the remaining 10 floors will be residential.
construction to start mind 2006, finishing end of 2007

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/danubiis/PAGE1_09christ.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v499/danubiis/romanesque.jpg

story from the chronicle -

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/stor...condsubsection=

Unique project to bring old church back to life
10.02.2005

AN HISTORIC Toowoomba church is set to be brought back to life as part of a unique inner-city development.

The proposed $13 million Margaret Street project would create the city’s first combined high-rise residential, commercial and retail development.

Building contractor and project manager FK Gardner & Sons plan to restore the former Church of Christ chapel and construct an outdoor bar and restaurant as well as a nine-storey residential and office space building.

"It is a first," FK Gardner & Sons managing director Gary Gardner said. "It’s bringing an old building back to life, providing a use for it."

Formerly the Trades Hall building, the century-old Romanesquestyle chapel at one stage faced the prospect of demolition when it could not be sold.

Mr Gardner said the company intended to restore the church, including its historic ceiling, with part of it to be a foyer into the multi-storey building. Part could also be a display area for local wineyards and producers to showcase their wares.

A development application has been lodged with the Toowoomba City Council and Mr Gardner said the company hoped to start construction in September. Construction would take around 12 months.

The nine-storey complex to be built behind the church comprises two floors of office space and seven floors of units and overlooks the retail section on Margaret Street.

Business Development Manager Heather Gardner said the development would have character, incorporating the historic church, with luxury units to have views across Queens Park.

"The feedback has been very positive. A lot of people like the flexibility of having office space in a residential development," she said.

Mr Gardner was confident about demand for quality office space and also believed the unit market in Toowoomba was picking up.

The Church of Christ building at 133 Margaret Street was built more than a century ago by the Congregational Church.

Considered an unusual example of a Romanesque revival-style church, with belltower and turrets, it is on the Heritage Council’s register of the national estate.

FK Gardner & Sons, originally based at Brookstead, has been in Toowoomba for 15 years.

The company is currently building a new medical centre in Toowoomba as well as a three-storey office block in Kitchener street.

All praise $13 million project
29.06.2005


EVEN the lone opponent to a $13 million development, which includes the restoration of the old Church Of Christ church, last night agreed it was a good outcome.
The F.K. Gardner & Sons plan has the church in the foreground and a nine-storey residential, commercial and retail develop- ment at the rear.

Cr Sue Englart had resisted plans to penetrate the eastern wall of the building to allow access to a planned restaurant.

Last night Toowoomba City Council unanimously supported the revised plans for the project which incorporated an extra 15 car parks.

since the northerners insist on having a thread for each building approved instead of all in the one standard thread, I think the toowoomba projects should each have their own also :p

Lol, there was nothing stopping you, you could've done it at your own discretion ages ago, but anyway its a good idea you did, so The rest of the forums could see Toowoomba's great projects happening :).

ive been told there is a crane up on this site... anyone from toowoomba that can confirm?

will have to check . i think it has been pushed back to early 2007 start.

still early 2007... ive got an awful feeling that if any projects are given the flick in toowoomba, this would be the first to go.

yeah just keeps getting pushed back , no sign on site of any development.

Gardencity tower development has been pushed to end of november start, the builders are finishing up a project just across from this which is supposed to be finishing mid november, so hopefully should see some action in a couple of months. Good to here its still going ahead thou:)

that is great news leothelion, cant wait for it to start. finally the toowoomba skyline is going to get more buildings to it.

was starting to think the project had died... lets hope theres enough water up there to mix the cement when they do finally start contruction

Is it selling?

That's definatley going to be interesting...
are there any websites with info on it?

Not that I am aware of, info for this project is pretty quiet, site may come up closer to construction not sure although you would think they would have one by now!! I know trilogy and kitchener have there own sites!

Hard to find info on the project. leothelion is correct in saying that it may be after the project across the road. both to be completed by fk gardener and sons

This project was mean't to start over a month ago, have seen the FK gardener trucks around site, not sure what that means though everythings moving so slow up here:-(

Yes have seen the trucks around but no news

well at least that is a littlebit promising lol

Not that I am aware of, info for this project is pretty quiet, site may come up closer to construction not sure although you would think they would have one by now!! I know trilogy and kitchener have there own sites!
hi there do you have a web site address for the Kitchener buildings at all, thanks

Kitchen st parklands address has been closed.

Is this building still going ahead, it is hard to find nay info at all, cheers

Think that we have lost both garden city and kitchener st parklands.

This building is set to start in February, only thing though is that it's 4 stories shorter which is a lot considering it was only 11 stories prior, so that just sux, at least we know its definitely going ahead FK Gardener reckons he's just going to build and is not looking for presale, which sounds good to me....

Hopefully there is a name change cause its hardly a tower now 7levels.

^^Yeh i read about this in the paper. shame about the height though:shocked:

bugga :(

It may well not be 7 stories . Because if you read on it says trilogy is 8 stories ... so we all know it is 10s . The picture in the paper is about 10s for garden city but could be an old picture... we will have to wait and see. There has to be a big demand at the moment as Trilogy has sold all of its units. I am not ready to call it toowoomba central plaza yet.

^^lol I think Trilogy sounds so much better 2 joe.. hopefully 7 stories is a missprint, its not like the chronicle have been wrong before, kidding haha...it was 11 to start off with and the paper says it was 9 originally, so 9 levels maybe right I guess will just have to wait and see. I reckon they would'nt have any trouble at all with sales if Trilogy is already sold out so the demand is definitly there.

Lets hope that is right, 9 floors sounds a little bit better.

ya, would you even need a lift with 7 stories :P just a larger then usual walkup hehe

that sucks, 7 stories. . . . If it gets any smaller it wont even be a tower:lol:

^^ Agreed - not much to get excited about

This building is set to start in February, only thing though is that it's 4 stories shorter which is a lot considering it was only 11 stories prior, so that just sux, at least we know its definitely going ahead FK Gardener reckons he's just going to build and is not looking for presale, which sounds good to me....

Has this building started yet as it was set to start this month?

I haven't seen any construction at the site as of a couple of weeks ago when I was driving past - not sure what's going on

Any toowoomba locals heard anything on this or any work on site?

Not sure . But will head down tuesday for some updates ...

Not sure either about this 1 . There's a FKG fence around the old kitchener st parklands site, have to do some digging and find out what's going on there...

Just a question on a totally different subject, where are the night clubs located in toowoomba? Around Margeret street?

Off Subject- The only true nightclub in Toowoomba is Tombas which is in Russell St, near the Condamine Centre. I have heard the restoration of the High Court hotel will see a dedicated club too but can't confirm that yet.

I too noticed the FK Gardner fence at the old Kitchener St Parklands. The design of those units was fantastic. I wonder what FKG will do with it. No sign of construction for the Church yet, although FKG website has it in their current projects still.

Just a question on a totally different subject, where are the night clubs located in toowoomba? Around Margeret street?

Yeah Margaret Street is ok, got the Tattersalls hotel (upstairs is the club section), The High Court, Fibber Magees.

Tombas is definately the dedicated 'club', other than that you have The Gladstone, Shamrock, Rumours & Spotted Cow on Ruthven St. Irish Club, National on Russell and a few others in the area. My pick of the bunch would be The Courty (High Court) for early hours of the night - but it's under renovations so closed at the moment. Rumours after 1am, it has plenty of space to stretch out and make a fool of urself.

NOW POSSIBLY ONLY 6 STORIES!!!



FK Gardner's business manager Graham Secombe is confident the development company has got the heritage balance right in its planned $16 million project on the Church of Christ site in Margaret Street.

The plan has been submitted to the Toowoomba Regional Council for approval.

The construction company has owned the site since 2004 and had preliminary approval from the Toowoomba City Council in 2005.

“It is quite a different project so we could balance the heritage of the church with commercial viability,” Mr Secombe said.

“Toowoomba is in a prime position to capitalise on the boom in the Surat Basin.”

Mr Secombe said the project was expected to create 100 jobs in the region and, with council approval, work should begin in March.

The project includes converting the church into a fine dining restaurant which includes a cafe and a basement cellar function room, as well as a six-storey office complex behind the church.

Mayor Peter Taylor said the application had only recently been lodged with council and was yet to be assessed.

the should leave it alone for the next boom.... and this time, try and get on it! lol

Well at least there is a bit of action in Toowoomba, haven't heard even a peep for a while...

Definately been dead for the past 12 months. Agreed Danubis, you get the feeling if council would fasttrack some of these applications the buildings would begin well and truly before the end of the boom.

supposedly still going ahead... any action on site?

ssl have some different pics ->

http://www.skyscraperlife.com/regional-queensland-subforum/1139-approved-garden-city-tower-12f-office-toowoomba-4.html

Okay, here is a render of the new proposal from the Toowoomba Cronicle
article: $16m project keeps a heritage balance (http://www.thechronicle.com.au/story/2008/11/28/16m-project-keeps-a-heritage-balance/)

http://i42.tinypic.com/2l9o377.jpg

church of christ?! lol.

I never seen a building like this with old church! Sounds good aye?

church of christ?! lol.Yeh, the latest article doesn't make any reference to the name Garden City Tower so I'm guessing thats no longer current - just says the Church of Christ site. Plus you'd have to have some real balls to continue called it "tower" now that its been cut down to 6 storeys :)