Developer Submit Plans for $150m Lamington Markets

A new development known as the Lamington Markets aims to transform a 7333sq m site in the Brisbane inner-ring suburb of Lutwyche, subject to approvals.

The development application submitted to the Brisbane City Council includes two Conrad Gargett-designed towers, comprising 134 dwellings as well as healthcare services, a hotel, cinema, respite and retail offerings.

The architect describes the project as “one of the first integrated, future-thinking developments” also built to accommodate Queensland’s increasing ageing population.

“The development began inception as a typical transit-oriented mixed-use development,” Conrad Gargett’s John Flynn told The Urban Developer.

“Level two includes an urban farm. The project incorporates market retail, SoHo housing, cinemas, commercial spaces, and a residential apartment mix, we see it as becoming the heart of Lutwyche.”

The architect's plans, on behalf of a proprietary company Meridian Property Holdings, show the project includes a 12-level north and south tower.

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Meridian Property Holdings director James Rennell, who says the project has a $150 million value on completion, described the project process to date as “a long, arduous and complicated journey.”

With the site also going through a resumption process by the Queensland state government in recent years for the construction of the Airport link and the Northern busway.

“I then sat on my hands in 2018, and 2019, pretty unhappy where the market was at,” Rennell said.

“But I see a massive opportunity from 2020 and onwards, and so decided to lodge the application.

“I think there’s some amazing opportunity in Lutwyche, the inner-north area. We have a busway directly below us, and that gives us public transport connections.

“Being a retail hub, the site is a code assessable DA, and it can have a number of different outcomes, it's not restricted by the amount of retail, so we’ve got a large component of retail in there.”

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The development spans the properties of 612 Lutwyche Road, 53 and 57 Lamington Avenue.

Plans for another Lutwyche development submitted by retirement operator RetireAustralia in late 2018 has since redrawn its development application for its proposed eight-level project, labelling it as “under review following feedback from the market” on its website.

And in the nearby suburb of Albion, development approval was last week granted to the Albion Exchange, a $750 million transit-oriented project, backed by Geon Property.

Lutwyche has been a suburb “in transition in recent years”, with upgrades including the $55 million redevelopment of the local Lutwyche shopping centre led by Abacus Property Group.

Lutwyche, which sits eight kilometres from the CBD, has grown from a population of 2801 in 2011, to 3455 in 2016 according to census figures.