Bold bid to build hundreds of units and a hotel on flood-prone city site

Three residential towers containing 381 units are proposed for a riverside block of flood-prone industrial land at Teneriffe.

Kokoda Property plans to build the towers with a range of one-, two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments, as well as a hotel, on the block at the corner of Skyring Terrace and Commercial Road.

An overview of Kokoda Property’s planned three-tower development in riverside Teneriffe.

The company has also proposed a 220-metre river walk and a skywalk connecting two of the buildings, with 50 per cent of the site to be open space.

The land, across the Brisbane River from Bulimba, was recently owned by Riverside Coal Transport Company Pty Ltd, with Riverside Industrial Sands operating a sand storage and processing business there. A single-storey community centre also sits on the site’s southern corner.

However, Kokoda Property, working through a company called Skyring Terrace Developments Pty Ltd, says the site must be cleared of industrial contaminants before any work can begin.

“The site is not included on the [state government’s] Contaminated Land Register, but is included on their Environmental Management Register,” the development application notes.

“On this basis, it is expected that a reasonable and relevant condition requiring a site suitability statement to be prepared prior to commencement of works will be included in any decision for the application.”

Kokoda Property, which has been meeting with Brisbane City Council planners since March, describes its proposal as the next stage in Teneriffe’s evolution, on “underutilised” riverside land.

“The proposed development is a catalytic project which will revitalise and reinvigorate an underutilised site within Teneriffe to provide a new iconic riverside lifestyle precinct that celebrates the importance of the Brisbane River and offers a key destination hub for the area’s growing population,” the application says.

The proposed 220-metre river walk would be serviced by the Teneriffe ferry terminal.

But it notes that the land is affected by storm surges and subject to “coastal erosion, permanent inundation due to sea level rises at [the year] 2100, as well as medium and high storm-tide inundation”.

The development will include 252 underground car parks across two levels, beneath a “false” ground floor that will provide a courtyard.

Designers Cottee Parker Architects propose eight storeys of hotel accommodation in one 30-storey tower – the tallest of the three – and communal space for long-term residents.

This means 160 of the 381 apartments from levels six to 13 would be high-quality hotel rooms.

The yet-to-be-named development would be built in two stages.

The proposal in a nutshell

• A total of 381 units would be built across three residential buildings from 12 to 30 storeys.
• A 220-metre river walk would be serviced by the Teneriffe ferry terminal.
• Industrial contaminants from the bulk sand business would need to be removed before construction could begin.
• Brisbane City Council would need to change the site’s zoning from industrial to multi-use accommodation, retail and commercial.
• The plan includes a hotel, bars, a retail arcade, indoor sports facilities, short- and long-term accommodation, conference facilities, car parks and showrooms.

Stage one would include work along the river, including 58 apartments, the river walk, ground-level retail outlets, a residential lobby, car spaces, and landscaping along Commercial Road.

Stage two would include the rest of the development, along Skyring Terrace. This would entail the second tower, including 105 apartments and a residential lobby, and the remainder of the car spaces.

Kokoda Property’s planned mixed-use development on a 17,612-square-metre site in Teneriffe.

The formal application, prepared by Urbis town planners, has been received by Brisbane City Council but not yet approved.

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