Two developers left in race to build Suncorp’s new Brisbane base

TWO of Australia’s leading developers are the only ones left in the race to build Suncorp’s new Brisbane HQ, but with no development approvals and the banking and finance giant’s CBD lease due to expire, timing is now a real concern.

An artist's impression of Charter Hall/Investa’s tower at 360 Queen St, Brisbane CBD.

TWO of Australia’s leading developers remain in the running to build banking and finance giant Suncorp’s new Brisbane CBD headquarters.

Sources say Charter Hall Prime Office Fund and Investa Commercial Property Fund planned 40-storey office tower at 360 Queen St and Mirvac’s “city within a city” proposal at 80 Ann St remain in the race after Suncorp cut ISPT’s The Regent in the Queen Street Mall from the list.

However, with no development approvals as yet and Suncorp CBD leases due to expire in 2021, there is pressure to fulfil the 30,000sq m to 40,000sq m requirement.

“Timing is a real issue and we’ll get a better idea by May,” a source told The Courier-Mail.

Charter Hall’s Blight Rayner-designed premium $650 million tower proposal will have 50,000sq m of office space and include a roof top recreation deck, multiple sky parks with a retail laneway and public piazza, along with an enhanced pedestrian connection to the site.

An artist's impression of Mirvac's proposed tower at 80 Ann St in the Brisbane CBD.

Mirvac’s 75,339sq m 32-storey office tower, designed by Woods Bagot, will take up a whole city block and plans to connect Turbot and Ann streets via new cross block linkages.

The proposal seeks to pay tribute to the former Brisbane Fruit Market on Ann St by creating

a retail public laneway known as Market Lane which will also have a micro green park.

The office tower includes three-storey atriums and interconnecting floors.