Traders in Purple Rework Woody Point Tower Plans

Tower plans have been toned down for a waterfront former pub site north of Brisbane where chartbusting brotherly trio The Bee Gees played their first paid gig.

Sydney-based developer Traders In Purple’s revised proposal reduces the height of its approved 15-storey development at Woody Point—about 30km from Brisbane's CBD—by five levels.

The new scheme designed by Ellivo Architects splits the previous greenlit single tower proposal into two scaled-down buildings of 9 and 10 storeys with a slight increase in yield from 158 to 175 apartments.

It would be developed in two stages—the first tower comprising 104 two, three and four-bedroom apartments and the second tower 71 one, two and three-bedroom apartments.

The 6917sq m site spanning three lots at 2 and 8 Gayundah Esplanade was partially occupied by the landmark Filmer’s Palace Hotel until it was demolished in 2014 after a fire caused structural damage to the building.

Built in 1909, the pub—owned and operated by Harold and Lillian Filmer and later managed by their son Ken and his wife Mavis—earned a place in musical history as the venue where three young local lads performed their first paid gig in 1959 before becoming recording superstars as The Bee Gees.

The brothers Gibb—Barry, Robin and Maurice—reputedly each received a bottle of Coca-Cola for their singing efforts and their parents, Hugh and Barbara, were poured a beer.

▲ The Bee Gees in the 1950s.

Traders In Purple’s original plans for the Woody Point site were given the nod in 2020 after the Planning and Environment Court upheld the council’s decision to approve its tower proposal despite community backlash and receiving more than 100 objections.

The change application filed with the Moreton Bay Regional Council is aimed at delivering a project with improved housing diversity that is more in harmony with community expectations and post pandemic lifestyle changes

“Everywhere we work, we always try to do the right thing by the community,” Traders In Purple director Charlie Daoud told The Urban Developer.

▲ Renders of the revised plans (left) for the Woody Point site and the previously approved proposal.

“Even though it didn’t impact them from a privacy and overshadowing point of view, the problem the community had by and large was the quantum of storeys or the overall height.

“And they were afraid what it would do was set a precedent in the precinct.”

Daoud said the redesign was initially prompted by Covid construction cost escalations and the desire to introduce more product diversity into the project due to lifestyle changes.

“It was kind of responding to accommodate for people who are now working from home as well as the need for diversity—not everybody wants or can afford a three-bedroom apartment,” he said.

“And as part of that process, we’ve also taken on board the community commentary and used that to inform the design … the height, bulk, density and scale of the project moving forward.

“We believe the revised design will not only produce a superior outcome for our future residents but also the broader community.”

The new two-tower plan includes a 20m separation between the two buildings to provide a view corridor through the site as well as allowing improved natural light into both the apartments and ground-level communal recreation space featuring swimming pools and landscaped gardens.

Each of the buildings would have two basement levels accommodating a combined 325 carparking spaces.

“The development is architecturally designed to respond to the high scenic amenity values associated with the local coastal setting … [providing] housing that meets the market demands for a wide group of buyers/tenants, to help improve the housing supply shortfalls currently experienced in south-east Queensland,” a planning report said.

“The built form at the proposed height of nine and 10 storeys contributes positively to the unique coastal landscape character of Woody Point, at a scale which is generally consistent with the established character of the locality.”

Development activity has ramped up in the waterside precinct in recent years. 

Traders In Purple has undertaken several other developments on the Redcliffe Peninsula and, if its revised plans are approved, the Gayundah Esplanade proposal would be its third at Woody Point.

Meanwhile, Lewis Land Group has poured millions of dollars into the renovation and expansion of the century-old Belvedere Hotel—affectionately known locally as “The Bel”—as well as Redcliffe's Mon Komo Hotel.