Developer Proposes a 28-Story Commercial Tower in Brisbane

The commercial tower will hold 44 meters of frontage to Wickham Street and to Warner Street of approximately 27 meters Image: bureau^proberts

21 August 2020 | Brisbane, Australia

Brisbane-based developer Cornerstone is pushing ahead with a major commercial project in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley, lodging plans for a high-rise commercial tower alongside the landmark McWhirters building.

The development is slated for a 1,357-square-meter site running between 251 to 253 Wickham Street, together with part of 47 Warner Street, currently occupied by a derelict and dilapidated former building.

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The 28-story development will be known as 251 Wickham Street and, if approved, will add 14,500 square meters of net lettable area to the fast-growing fringe office market, north-east of the Brisbane CBD.

The scale of the development would be a considerable increase on the preliminary approval currently available for the site which would green-light an 11-story proposal.

The design for the proposed A-grade office building is led by Brisbane firm Bureau Proberts, with development partners James Project Management and Robert Bird and Partners also overseeing the project.

Bureau Proberts director Liam Proberts said the building offers stepped floor plates, which would create commercial tenancies of varying sizes and needs.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has brought into sharp focus the value and importance of this design approach,” Proberts said.

The proposal features meeting and recreation spaces on levels 15 and 27, a gym with lap pool, sky terraces and balconies.

In the development application, Cornerstone said there had been a renewed focus on council’s “buildings that breathe” guidelines, with the impact of Covid-19 increasing the importance of workplaces that promote mental and physical health.

The building features 55 car parking spaces across three basement levels as well as 108 bicycle spaces and end of trip facilities.

Its proximity to Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley station, currently undergoing an AUD$500 million (US$358 million) revamp, is expected to be a drawcard for prospective tenants.

One of the developer's most significant projects was the revitalisation of an 18-level B-grade tower in Brisbane's CBD after acquiring it in 2012.

The fully-refurbished building, located at 310 Ann Street, offers 18,360 square meters of space designed around a central core and is home to tenants including Allianz Worldwide Partners and the Queensland government.

Cornerstone also has plans in its pipeline for a 2,850-square-meter site under its control at 301 Wickham Street in Fortitude Valley, where it has approval for a 25-story, 36,000-square-meter office building.

For more on this story, go to The Urban Developer.