23 big things coming to the westside in 2021
From vertical classrooms to bridges, from highrises to childcare centres, there’s a lot about to happen in the west in 2021.
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From vertical classrooms to bridges, from highrises to childcare centres, there’s a lot about to happen in Brisbane’s western suburbs in 2021.
RETIREMENT VILLAGES
Work on the controversial Tricare Taringa retirement and aged care facility will ramp up this year.
Woollam Constructions is scheduled to finish the Somerset Indooroopilly retirement village project within the Indooroopilly Golf Course precinct, fronting Meiers Rd, late in 2021.
It will be operated by Aura Holdings.
The project has a mix of two and three-bed units and penthouses, with shared facilities including a wine room, hairdresser and gym.
More than 40 per cent of the residences have been pre-sold.
TOOWONG TOWN CENTRE
Marketing will start in early 2021 for this $450 million mixed-use project on the old Woolies site.
The supermarket will be demolished later this year to allow construction to begin on the project, which will include 150 residential units, about 30 retail shops and a large office tower, as well as a fresh food market, an elevated outdoor dining precinct, cinemas, and services such as a fitness/wellness centre, medical centre and childcare facilities.
It will be finished in 2023.
GREEN BRIDGES
Details of two westside pedestrian/cycle bridges will be released in 2021.
The proposed St Lucia link would cross the river from West End to either Munro or Keith streets, or more controversially Guyatt Park.
Local Councillor James Mackay said he supported Option C (Keith St to Boundary St in West End).
Another green bridge from West End to Toowong would land at either of two places along Archer St or at 600 Coronation Drive, next to the old ABC Toowong headquarters.
State Greens MP for the Indooroopilly-based seat of Maiwar, Michael Berkman, said he supported the 600 Coronation Drive site.
CENTENARY DUPLICATION
Work on the long-awaited Centenary Bridge duplication kicks off in 2021.
The state and federal governments are chipping in $112 million each for the duplication, to be built to the west (upriver) of the existing bridge.
The new northbound bridge includes three lanes and the existing bridge will carry three southbound lanes.
There will be space for improved pedestrian and cycle access.
Transport and Main Roads Minister Mark Bailey announced $20 million for the business case and detailed design during the election.
“We’re on track to finish the $400 million Ipswich Mwy upgrade and the $80 million Sumners Rd interchange projects late next year (2021) too, so these projects will ease congestion to get people home sooner,’’ Mr Bailey said.
ABC TOOWONG SITE
There are whispers grand ideas by the local Greens MP, Michael Berkman, for a regional park might come to nothing, with the site possibly to be broken up into parcels.
Developer Sunland put the former ABC studios, abandoned by the broadcaster after a cancer scare and then sold by a former Federal Government, up for sale in 2020.
There was apparently huge local and overseas interest.
Expressions of interest closed in September but no official word on the new buyer or buyers has yet emerged.
SCHOOLS
Work on a $12.4 million, three-level “vertical’’ classroom block at Milton State School will be finished in mid-2021, boosting the popular school’s capacity by 150 students to a total of 860.
It has been a landmark for several months, with contractor Paynters employing a huge crane on the Haig Rd frontage.
The work will also improve flood resilience in an area that has been submerged in 2011 and 1974.
While no work will start on the westside’s first new primary school since 1960, residents should learn later in the year where the $60 million-plus project will be sited.
Chapel Hill and Indooroopilly have been touted as two options, although public consultation will continue for months.
The board of Compass Independent School, who plan to open a unique experiment in multi-age learning in 2022, should also decide on a site this year.
And one of the westside’s oldest schools, Fig Tree Pocket State School, will celebrate its 150th birthday.
CINEMAS
American chain Reading opened its most advanced Australian multiplex at Jindalee in the DFO precinct on Boxing Day.
Each of the six theatres have full reclining seats and hi-tech projectors and sound.
DFO also added its first fresh food provider, in mid-December.
A range of other upgrades and new, smaller retailers will be announced this year.
TOOWONG VILLAGE SHOPPING CENTRE
David Jones will close its doors at Toowong Village Shopping Centre in 2021.
Woolworths has announced it will move in with a full-line supermarket, opening in 2022, filling the void created by the demolition of its current supermarket across the road.
There will be upgrades to the centre’s travelator and other improvements and new, smaller retailers will move into space left over after the Woolies fit-out.
This new small format supermarket, only the second in Queensland, should be completed later in 2021.
An excavator has already been busy on the site, bounded by the railway line and Swann and Moggill roads.
The project includes a liquor outlet.
UQ STUDENT RESIDENCES
This highrise project on the university’s St Lucia campus should be completed early in 2022.
Work started just before lockdown and has proceeded despite overseas student numbers not expected to return to normal levels for many months.
The project includes restoration of historic Cairngorm homestead.
The university claims it will reduce congestion on choked Sir Fred Schonell Drive.
INDOOROOPILLY ROUNDABOUT
Preliminary work should start later in 2021 on the $126 million conversion of the roundabout, one of Brisbane’s worst bottlenecks, into a T-intersection and flyover.
Council has repeatedly brushed off criticisms that the project would save less than 20 seconds for peak-hour commuters and could actually slow traffic coming off the Walter Taylor Bridge.
It says increasing traffic will mean more accidents unless something is done.
It has ruled out highrise, but has flagged it could sell off surplus land it owns at the site to the private sector.
KENMORE ROUNDABOUT
Work should hopefully also start later in 2021 on this congested Kenmore roundabout, where traffic regularly backs up past Our Lady of the Rosary school in morning peaks and hundreds of metres along Moggill Rd in evening peaks.
The State Government announced in late 2020 that it would match $12.5 million in funding from the Federal Government.
No designs or other details have yet been released.
INDOOROOPILLY RIVERWALK
This exciting $58 million pedestrian and cycle project, built out over the Brisbane River on huge floodproof pylons, is already three months ahead of schedule.
Depending on summer cyclones, it should be open by about August.
The link will take cyclists off dangerously narrow and windy Radnor St, delivering them safely to the western side of the Walter Taylor bridge near Witton Barracks.
GRACEVILLE RIVERSIDE PARK
A 10km canoe trail, water craft hire, better access to the Brisbane River, tour boat pontoon and better facilities for sports clubs and sailing/canoeing clubs are all part of a proposed upgrade of this park and surrounding parks.
There are no set time frames for the latest stage of the Oxley Creek Transformation, but a clearer idea will emerge later in the year once Council has analysed community feedback.
WITTON BARRACKS
Work on a historical and arts centre will start in 2021 but it is a long, complex project which will take time to complete because of the unique history of the site.
A popular playground upgrade was finished earlier in 2020.
CHILDCARE CENTRES
A very large centre on congested Bardon roundabout should open in 2021. It will be interesting to see the impact on traffic.
Two other controversial childcare centres could get the green light this year, one on Simpsons Rd at Bardon and another at Honour Ave, Graceville.
Council officers detailed a long list of concerns with the Honour Ave project, while residents’ objections to the Simpsons Rd facility have poured in.
THE AMBROSE
Work began recently at the site of The Ambrose, the latest residential highrise in the area.
The 19-level, 181 unit luxury project will feature a rooftop pool, gym and cinema and will be finished in 2022.
It fronts McDougall St in Milton and is surrounded by half a dozen other residential highrises which have been built in the past few years.
160 MACQUARIE ST
This controversial St Lucia riverfront highrise ruffled feathers when the developer tried to get approval for a huge pontoon that rowers feared could be a safety hazard.
Despite some preliminary site preparation, work has yet to start.
Developer QM Properties claims pre-sales have been strong.
Mayor calls for urgent infrastructure funding statewide
A federal parliamentary inquiry has heard from Queensland councils are struggling to pay for infrastructure as the state’s population growth surges.
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