The biggest shake-up of riverside Brisbane since the re-development of the Teneriffe Woolsheds 20 years ago will get underway on Tuesday as Brisbane City Council begins to drip feed details of its plans for a billion dollar revamp of South Brisbane’s Kurilpa Point.
West End/South Brisbane’s Riverside Drive – directly opposite Milton’s Coronation Drive - is set to become a “slow moving retail and food boulevard” under the plans.
Now, it is a riverside parkland with a road that is very popular with cyclists, however the broad-brush details obtained on Monday night call for it to be “re-imagined”.
Fishing platforms could be built out into the river facing Toowong and water taxis could be used to cross the river.
An advertising pitch to be released on Tuesday says: “The master plan will carefully consider the future of Riverside Drive.
“Either as slow-moving, but active retail and food boulevard along the river shared by cars and pedestrians, or through the full or partial conversion to activate riverside public open space.”
A master plan for more than 25 hectares of industrial land, stretching one kilometre along the river from the Gallery of Modern Art around the Brisbane River past the Go Between Bridge to riverside Mollison Street will be unveilled at a $150 a head property development lunch next month.
A new CityCat stop opposite the Milton CityCat stop will be built near Mollison Street and the City Glider bus service could be re-directed as new apartments are built at South Brisbane.
There are preliminary plans to take traffic off Montague Road.
One highlight will be the future for the Parmalat Milk Factory site on Montague Road, shown as “a mixed-use landmark for Brisbane with high quality open space” with “enhanced connections” to the river.
A mall or a “public space” between Melbourne Street and the Palmalat site – under the South Brisbane rail line – is one widely-canvassed concept.
It is included in the South Brisbane Neighbourhood Plan of 2011.
In the 2011 South Brisbane Neighbourhood Plan, residential apartments can be built to 15 floors, while closer to West End along Montague Road commercial and retail development can reach eight storeys on large sites.
Lord Mayor Graham Quirk confirmed those plans included new apartments, new commercial areas, cultural opportunities, and new public parks.
“The project provides the largest urban regeneration opportunity with more than 25 hectares of land and one kilometre of river frontage to be leveraged for new accommodation facilities, public space, cultural developments and culinary experiences,” Cr Quirk said.
“The possibility of new and enhanced public spaces along the banks of the river with recreation and commercial opportunities including accessible in-water facilities such as water taxis, non-motorised watercraft, fishing platforms, play and river viewing areas will be explored,” he said.
Ultimately this area of riverside South Brisbane could house 11,000 residents and employ 8000 people, he said.
Today it includes some abandoned older factories, the still-running ACI Glass factory and the high-profile Parmalat Milk Factory, which successive state governments have encouraged to move.
The previous Bligh Government wanted to build a second South Bank-style facility on the site, while Premier Campbell Newman has eyed changes to the site since he became Brisbane’s lord mayor in 2004.
High-profile private sector business developers have begun to investigate the region, with many sources pinpointing Crown Casino’s James Packer as having an interest in at least one property.
Mr Packer’s company said in October 2013 it had no interest, though Crown is a contender for the entertainment re-development of Brisbane’s George Street, known now as Queens Wharf.
Cr Quirk will, with Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney, on Tuesday announce that the detailed master plan for the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal – which has been underway for six months – will be released next month.
Mr Seeney – also Queensland’s State Development minister - said the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal wanted to encourage “business and leisure” opportunities to the land which is close to GoMA, Suncorp Stadium, the State Library and La Boite Theatre.
“My department will continue to assist key industry in the area through this planning process to create the opportunity for a range of world class leisure and business outlets to establish in close proximity to Brisbane’s cultural destinations,” he said.
Earlier in 2014, the Queensland government announced futuristic plans for the revamped Cultural Precinct, which includes the South Bank area opposite the CBD.
That included plans for a new 1500-seat theatre and hotel over 20 years.
Mr Seeney said the two plans would together see the growth of the inner-city South Brisbane area.
“When complete, the Kurilpa Riverfront Renewal Master Plan will complement the state government’s Cultural Precinct Master Plan, which guides future development and investment in South Bank’s Cultural Precinct over the next 20 years,” Mr Seeney said.
A final plan for the Kurilpa Renewal area is planned to be ready by late 2014.
On Wednesday – the community’s view
