Brekky Creek pub sandwich: Another tower planned near famous hotel

The Breakfast Creek Hotel could have another big neighbour, with plans lodged for a new residential development 40 per cent higher than local zoning allowed.

A week after a 199-unit development was proposed for the famous pub’s immediate west, Industry Corp lodged plans to Brisbane City Council for a 14-storey tower about 150 metres to the hotel’s east.

Industry Corp has applied to build a 14-storey tower at the mouth of Breakfast Creek.Credit: Myers Elliott

Town planning firm Mewing Planning Consultants, in its assessment report prepared for Industry Corp and submitted to the council, described the proposal as a “high quality, subtropical design” befitting of the site’s prominent location.

Just opposite the mouth of Breakfast Creek, the vacant site at 92 Kingsford Smith Drive at Hamilton sits on one of the major thoroughfares into the city.

At 14 storeys, the 62-unit development would be above the area’s height limit of eight storeys. Despite this, Mewing says, it was “aligned to community expectations”.

“The site is located in the high-density residential zone at the junction between Hamilton, Albion, Bowen and Newstead, which includes higher density residential development that ranges in height between seven and 25 storeys, and therefore the 14-storey outcome is in keeping with the community’s expectations for the site’s inner-city location,” Mewing says.

The building would tower over busy Kingsford Smith Drive.Credit: Myers Elliott

Designed by architecture firm Myers Elyett, the 62 units would be made up of 20 two- and 42 three-bedroom apartments.

According to the assessment report, Myers Elyett had separated the tower into two “distinct forms” – trunk and treehouse.

“The trunk represents the backyard spaces, providing the open air corridors and sky gardens that provide access to the residential units and a green interface that respects the amenity of the adjoining multiple dwelling and locations beyond,” Mewing says.

“The sky gardens represent secondary private open space that include the private entry gardens to each of the units, seating and areas to gather that will encourage occupants to interact and build a sense of belonging and community.

“The treehouse accommodates the single loaded residential floor plates. All units are oriented to Kingsford Smith Drive or Hunt Street, in some circumstances both, and have generous balconies with views towards the Brisbane River and city.

“The balconies are directly accessible from the main living areas to encourage indoor/outdoor living.”

If approved and built, it would include 140 car spaces for residents, with a further eight visitors’ parks.

Mewing notes pre-lodgement meetings with council officers were held in June 2021 and March 2022, during which the building’s height and design, among other things, were discussed.

Because the plans did not meet the council criteria for the site, they were considered “impact assessable” and open to public submissions both for and against the proposal.