Loft apartments by Griffin Builders opens in Rockhampton CBD

WATCH: Take a walk through the new eight-storey, 31-unit Loft apartments by Griffin Builders with views of the Fitzroy River and city.

It’s been eight years in the making and the finish line is now so close.

Loft, a 31-unit development with eight residential levels on the corner of Alma Lane and Archer Street in Rockhampton’s CBD, will have residents move in within the next few weeks.

Local developers Griffin Group bought the former CWA site back in 2015 and originally took a smaller development to market in 2017.

“The confidence wasn’t there in the market so we mothballed the project and did a few other projects in the meantime and revisited this post-Covid in 2021,” Project manager Riley Griffin said.

“We then expanded the design to incorporate more units.”

Griffin Group's Riley Griffin at the foyer of the new Loft apartments.

They revised the plans to incorporate the development to 10 storeys with a basement and ground-level park, eight residential levels with four units to each level and two units on the top penthouse floor.

The new plans were taken to the market in April 2021 and Griffin Builders were met with hundreds of enquiries.

“When we took it to the market in 2021 the confidence had returned to the real estate market in Rocky and that was when we saw the pre-sales fly out the door in the first six months,” Mr Griffin said.

“I think that this is a different product in the Rockhampton market, it’s not exclusive riverfront, it’s set back and those price points reflect that.”

They were also successful in getting a 50 per cent reduction in the infrastructure charges by Rockhampton Regional Council.

“That was a huge incentive to do that development and we thank them for honouring that incentive,” Mr Griffin said.

Bedroom in Loft.

The finishing touches are now being put on the building and residents will be moving into 26 of the units in December.

There are now five units left for sale, a mix of two-bedroom with two-bathroom and three-bedroom with two-bathroom from $535,000, through Jacinta Swart of Ray White Rockhampton.

“It’s been a huge undertaking by my dad, Brian Griffin, and myself to get this over the line,” Mr Griffin said.

“We can’t stress how difficult the build has been with the way the construction industry is at the moment.

“So to be able to develop and build this in the timeframe we have, and deliver a quality product, has been a massive achievement.”

Kitchen and dining area in a three-bedroom unit on the sixth floor of the Loft Apartments.

Riley Griffin in front of the newly-completed Loft apartments on Archer Street.

The latest development is just another one in the portfolio for the company who have a long catalogue of developments in the region.

Griffin Group have built 170 units on the riverbank including Southbank on Victoria, Fitzroy Waterfront Apartments, The Rocks Apartments and The Edge Apartments, as well as Echelon Apartments in Yeppoon.

“We would love to continue the legacy of these high-rises we have built and continue to change the skyline,” Mr Griffin said.

They do have a few cards on the table at the moment but all is yet to be revealed what will be next.

“It’s time for a holiday, I just got married and I didn’t get a honeymoon so it would just be nice to chill out,” Mr Griffin said.

“We will get 26 buyers in before Christmas and then start the year fresh with a new project, fingers crossed.”