Apartment Plans Filed for Brisbane Olympic Precinct Infill Site

Plans have been filed for an eight-storey apartment tower a stone’s throw from The Gabba, the home of the Brisbane 2032 Olympics.

Earmarked for a 1366sq m site at East Brisbane, the proposal has been lodged by Ecokos Pty Ltd, an entity linked to Jennifer Economidis.

It comprises 42 two-bedroom apartments as well as ground-floor retail and office space and will be capped by a rooftop garden. Two basement levels will include 52 carparking spaces.

If approved, the development will replace a single-storey industrial building that occupies the site at 67 Wellington Road, which has views towards The Gabba to the west.

“Under the Kangaroo Point South Neighbourhood Plan, it is intended that new infill development for the purpose of mixed-use and high-density residential development will replace the existing low-impact industrial uses, particularly along the major arterial corridors of Vulture Street, Stanley Street and Wellington Road,” a planning report noted.

“Such development is reflective of the strategic location of the subject site and surrounding areas given its proximity to the Gabba Cricket Ground and major public transport interchanges, including the future Cross River Rail and Brisbane Metro.

“It is not anticipated that development associated with the 2032 Olympic Games will impact the site given that all major arterial routes surrounding the Gabba ... contain newly developed high-rise residential apartments.”

According to the report, the proposed building has been “architecturally designed to complement the scale and character of surrounding development and to improve the overall streetscape of the area”.

“The development has been orientated to the street frontage with ground floor non-residential uses activating the streetscape,” it said. “This includes provision for outdoor dining areas, which are protected from the elements by a cantilevered awning.”

▲ The site at 67 Wellington Road, East Brisbane, earmarked for the eight-storey apartment tower.

The proposal incorporates a rooftop garden in conjunction with communal recreation areas, which comprise an outdoor swimming pool, gym facilities, barbecue and seating areas.

The lodgement of the development application follows the recent unveiling of plans for a nearby large-scale multi-tower, mixed-use development.

Trenert Group’s mixed-proposal for a $1.2-billion five-tower development would span almost an entire block with the long-dormant landmark heritage-listed Railway Hotel—previously also known as the Chalk Hotel—as its centrepiece.

In February, the Queensland and federal governments reached a $7-billion-plus funding agreement to supercharge preparations for the Brisbane Games along with a decision to expand the Gabba Olympic Priority Development Area.