Construction boom in Rockhampton from service stations to housing and more

Builders are flat out in the city with construction hitting full steam on many projects. Find out how 11 projects under construction right now are shaping up.

From new service stations to drive-through coffee shops, dental clinics, units, housing projects, childcare centres, a mining hub and a drug rehab centre, there is construction work underway on major projects in every suburb of Rockhampton.

COCOBREW EXPRESS

Hutchinsons Builders have been hard at work building the new Cocobrew Express, on the corner of George and Albert Street across from Browne Park.

Construction of the $1.35m drive-through coffee shop began in August.

The development is a project of Kele Property Group and is Rockhampton’s first architecturally designed coffee drive-through with the design by Design + Architecture.

It is expected to be finished by the end of the year.

CQ ORTHODONTIC CLINIC

The frame for CQ Orthodontics’ new clinic at 112-114 Denham Street, between Hungry Jacks and HB & Co has gone up, with DR Moore carrying out the construction.

The clinic will employ up to eight staff and will include surgical, procedure, treatment and lab rooms.

Clinic owners, Nick and Nadene Manning, will move from their Fitzroy Street space.

QUEEN ELIZABETH DRIVE SERVICE STATION

From caravans to fuel, work has begun on the site of the former Capricorn Caravan Centre on Queen Elizabeth Drive for a new service station.

Lanskeys Construction is carrying out build and has begun earthworks at the site.

The Mobil service station will have eight fuel bowsers, a retail shop, a water and air station and a dog wash and will employ 10 people.

It is expected to be open by Christmas.

ALBERT STREET SERVICE STATION

Located directly across from the existing BP service station on Albert Street, a new service is going to be built.

Five houses on Albert and Kent streets have been removed to make way for the construction.

The Mobil service station will operate 24/7 and have three bowsers for light vehicles and one bowser for heavy vehicles up to 19 metres in length.

It is expected to be open by January.

Sydney-based company RCI Group is developing both of the new Mobil service stations.

GREEN LEAVES EARLY LEARNING STOCKLAND ROCKHAMPTON

The steel framework for the new 100-space childcare centre at Stockland Rockhampton has gone up.

The Green Leaves Early Learning child care centre is being constructed on the site of the former Colonial Mart complex, near Mandalay Medical Centre.

The facility will employ 18 full-time staff, cater for up to 100 children from six weeks to six years and all meals and nappies will be provided.

There will also be a barista hub for parents to receive complimentary coffee and baked treats.

FDC Construction and Fitout is doing the work and the centre is expected to be open by early 2022.

BENEVOLENT LIVING RHYTHMS OF LIFE PROJECT

Benevolent Living aged care on West Street has been a hub of activity since April with demolition and construction work steaming ahead.

The site is being transformed with a $47 million multi-stage redevelopment project.

The first stage is the construction of a new resident care building with one-bedroom apartments and the complete refurbishment of the reception area and coffee shop, expected to take 12 months.

The second stage includes a five-storey building with 40 independent living apartments and is expected to take 18 months.

The three-year project, delivered by Hutchinsons Builders, will support an estimated 400 direct and indirect full-time jobs in the region.

ALLIANCE MAINTENANCE HANGAR

Ground works have begun at the Rockhampton Airport for the $60 million Alliance Airlines maintenance hangar.

The development, which has gained state and federal government funding, will be 140 metres wide, 16 metres high and 65 metres deep and has been designed to have space for three aircraft at a time.

There will also be an annex for parts, training rooms, office spaces and a car park for 100 vehicles.

The building will have sustainable power generation with a significant amount of solar panels on the roof and a large roof area to collect rainwater.

Alliance Airline will relocate its aircraft service work from overseas to Rockhampton once the facility is operational.

The build is expected to take 12 months and support 120 jobs throughout and is to be completed by late 2022.

Seven new Department of Housing units in Frenchville.

KERRIGAN STREET SOCIAL HOUSING

The new social housing units in Frenchville, appeared to be almost complete when The Morning Bulletin took a look this week.

The Queensland Department of Housing has developed five one-bedroom and two two-bedroom units at 153 Kerrigan Street.

The work came from the state government’s $100 million Works for Tradies stimulus.

CQUNI SCHOOL OF MINING

A huge framework for the $23.5 million advanced mining education unit at the CQUniversity Rockhampton campus has gone up.

The School of Mining unit will have world-class facilities and technology like virtual reality, drone operation and 3D printing to skill students in industries including metal fabrication, gas processing and machine fitting.

FDC Construction and Fitout QLD was awarded the contract and began work in January and the centre is expected to be operational by early 2022.

The construction will create 311 jobs, including 197 in Rockhampton.

WANDAL ROAD UNITS

Some units look to be fully constructed, with the frame for another up on the corner of Jardine Street and Wandal Road.

The development has been approved for one one-bedroom unit and five two-bedroom units with four buildings.

The site was previously vacant land.

The construction is being undertaken by BT Builders.

ROCKHAMPTON REHAB CENTRE

The $14.3 million 42-bed Rockhampton Alcohol and other Drug Rehabilitation Centre is nearing completion, with the previously vacant site now a village of buildings.

Woollams Construction was awarded the build tender for the centre at 12 Nuttall Street, Parkhurst, near the music bowl.

Construction began in November 2020 and is expected to be completed this month and the centre is to be operational by the end of the year.

The centre has residential rehabilitation and withdrawal treatment units, family residential rehabilitation, recreational facilities and extensive grounds.

It will be operated by Lives Lived Well.