Airport hotel, transport hub, high street retail: Five experts reveal what should replace Toombul

An airport hotel, a transport-oriented community and a walkable, tree-lined high street-style shopping strip - what should replace Toombul Shopping Centre? VOTE IN OUR POLL

Development giant Mirvac’s confirmation this week that it will rebuild retail, open space and “amenity’’ on the flood-ravaged Toombul Shopping Centre site has sparked debate about what will end up there.

We asked the local state MP, the national retail lobby, a public transport advocate, an urban planning expert and a university business school professor their thoughts on what could — or should — rise up on the 16ha inner-north site.

ROBERT DOW, PUBLIC TRANSPORT COMMENTATOR

Robert Dow thinks Toombul could become another Nundah Village-style TOD.

Mr Dow said the area could become another transport-oriented development similar to the Nundah Village area, although he queried whether Mirvac would want to work with the State Government on such an idea.

“Mirvac does need to consider this. It’s an ideal location, all they have to do is make sure it’s off the deck (raised),’’ Mr Dow said.

“There’s a busy bus interchange already there and a rail line behind.

“The area around Milton train station is an example of an elevated TOD and Nundah has been transformed through good public transport and high density.’’

LEANNE LINARD, LOCAL STATE MP

Nudgee MP Leanne Linard. Picture: Brendan Radke

The Nudgee MP rallied a community devastated by the loss of a shopping centre they loved for 54 years, organising a one-stop Government services “expo’’ for tenants, liaising with Mirvac and more.

Ms Linard said it was vital Mirvac’s proposal included health services as well as retail space.

“I’ve had many people contact my office to say they moved into this area because of the range of health services,’’ she said.

“Before it flooded there were dentists, doctors, a psychologist — a whole range of health and other services.’’

She said the area had many older residents who relied on health, banking and other services being located in one, relatively small (compared with Westfield Chermside) centre with good public transport connections.

DAN FROST-FOSTER, NATIONAL RETAIL ASSOCIATION

National Retail Association's Dan Frost-Foster.

The NRA operations manager was a devoted local Toombul shopper before the February floods wiped it out.

“Back in the day there was a David Jones before Target took over. Toombul also had Kmart, Bunnings, Coles, Sanity, QBD, service tenants and a large offering of smaller retailers before the flood.

“It would be good to see something of a similar nature, but they need to make sure there are anchor tenants to help smaller businesses flourish.

“Good parking was one of the biggest attractors to Toombul.

“I know a lot of people who live in the city who would shop at Kmart because you were guaranteed of a park.’’

GARY MORTIMER, QUT BUSINESS SCHOOL

QUT consumer behaviour expert Professor Gary Mortimer.

Prof Mortimer said the site offered huge scope for a mixed-use development including a large retail component, offices and high-density units, or even retirement living such as the developments built by Aveo Group.

But he said a park along floodprone Schulz Canal and even a raised airport hotel, taking advantage of the airport rail line behind Toombul, were added extras Mirvac might want to consider.

“There are good examples of raised shopping centres including Lutwyche, Brookside and Morayfield,’’ he said.

“Health services would be a value add for that area because of the older demographic.

“Commercial offices along Sandgate Rd, with retail and residential out the back, is something I think Mirvac might consider.

“The land near (floodprone Schulz Canal) would be ideal for a park, perhaps Sunday markets, or it could be a bikeway connecting to the one along Kedron Brook.’’

DR DORINA POJANI, UQ URBAN PLANNING

Dr Dorina Pojani.

Dr Pojani questioned whether much of the site should be rebuilt at all.

“As town planners we tend to think about building out, not up, but in a city like Brisbane, in places we know flood regularly, we need to ask if it is wise to keep rebuilding,’’ she said.

“The shopping mall as a concept is also dying, there are plenty of examples in America where they are ghost towns.

“The idea of a big box centre surrounded by parking is a 1950s model.’’

Dr Pojani said the modern trend was towards adaptive reuse, where buildings were designed so they could be repurposed much more easily to address societal and other changes.

She said the pandemic showed how quickly change could make buildings outdated, such as Brisbane’s CBD office towers which had emptied as people chose to work from home.

Dr Pojani said simply demolishing what was there would waste huge amounts of “embodied energy’’ in the Toombul structure.

Instead, the site might be better rebuilt as a walkable, open retail strip like other traditional suburban high streets.