Massive residential development in the works for Buranda Village shopping centre

A popular shopping centre in inner-city Brisbane has been slated for a massive residential development of up to 600 apartments.

A popular shopping centre in inner-city Brisbane has been slated for a massive residential development of up to 600 apartments.

Buranda Village, across from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, on Ipswich Rd at Woolloongabba has been slated for development by a retail investment trust company.

Brisbane City Councillor Jonathon Sri said he recently had a meeting with the company Vicinity, where they informed him of plans to lodge a development application.

At this stage no development application or plans have been lodged with council, however the developers had confidential prelodgement meetings with the council team who will be directly responsible for assessing their application.

Buranda Village, across from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, on Ipswich Rd at Woolloongabba has been slated for development by a retail investment trust company. Photo: Facebook.

“From a planning and urban culture perspective, this is a very significant site, sitting at the nexus between different precincts including the PA Hospital to the west, Stones Corner to the north-east, and Annerley to the south,” Cr Sri said.

“The site area is over 2 hectares, quite large, so how this site develops will have a big impact on the identity of the surrounding Buranda neighbourhood.

“They didn’t actually show me any detailed plans...sounds like maybe they haven’t been finalised yet.

“It seems like they’re looking at three main towers of up to 15 storeys on the site, which arguably complies with the acceptable height outcomes in the city plan, depending on how close together the towers are.

“They were a bit vague about exactly how much space there will be between the towers and what the building setbacks will be.”

Buranda Village, across from the Princess Alexandra Hospital, on Ipswich Rd at Woolloongabba has been slated for development by a retail investment trust company. Photo: Facebook.

Cr Sri said the developer proposed 600 apartments with an even mix of studios, 1-bedders, 2-bedders and 3-bedders.

“Plus a heck of a lot of office and commercial space,” he said.

“They want to retain control of the apartments through a build-to-rent models, which seems to be becoming an increasingly popular model with developers in Brisbane.

“They told me the development would include a Woolworths and ground-level shopping centre, plus more restaurants and the usual stuff we tend to get at these mixed-use precincts.

“The weird old stormwater drain ventilation chimney that sticks up out of the carpark is heritage-listed, so they’ll be keeping and incorporating that into the development.

“They were a bit cagey about their plans for the Ipswich Rd frontage.”