TAB Albion building: Ex-TAB building’s future revealed, in major headquarter revamp

A 1970s tower in Brisbane’s inner north that was the former home of gambling giant TAB is being transformed into the new headquarters of a major state government department.

The former TAB building in Brisbane’s inner north will become the new home for the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services.

The QFES has a 10-year pre-lease over the 10-storey 1970s era tower at 240 Sandgate Rd, Albion, which is undergoing a major refurbishment through Alceon Queensland, project architects Nettleton Tribe and construction contractor Graystone.

More than 500 state level executives and corporate staff currently located across offices at Kedron, Albion and the Brisbane CBD will move into the new headquarters in 2025.

The QFES – which will be renamed Queensland Fire Department in June 2024 – will occupy the entire 10,008sq m of office space on the 1.3ha site.

The revamp includes significant ESG benefits that will take it from a 0 to 5 Star NABERS energy rating.

An artist’s impression inside the QFES’ new headquarters at 240 Sandgate Rd, Albion.

Mitch Connell of Aegis Property Group introduced QFES. Industry sources believe the QFES would be paying around $600/sq m.

Alceon Qld executive director Todd Pepper said the QFES commitment had confirmed the Brisbane-based private equity group’s strategic investment bet on the adaptive re-use of redundant or vacant city fringe and suburban office buildings for social infrastructure purposes.

He said southeast Queensland was one of the fastest-growing regions in the country and as a result there was constantly increasing demand for infrastructure functions supporting that growth. “This lease to QFES is Alceon Qld’s largest suburban lease commitment to date,” Mr Pepper said.

“Alceon Qld has been developing suburban office buildings since its inception in 2008, under the thesis that energy-efficient, A-grade office buildings in suburban locations, at the nexus of major arterial thoroughfares and with access to carparking and public transport, will always have demand in a growing catchment.”

An artist’s impression of QFES new headquarters at 240 Sandgate Rd, Albion.

According to CoreLogic, Alceon Qld bought the property in 2021 for $33.55m and the pre-lease to QFES is part of the developer’s plans to create a $200m mixed-use precinct called Hudson Commons.

“The former TAB building provided a unique opportunity to reposition the asset into the fabric of Brisbane social infrastructure,” Mr Pepper said.

As well as the existing building’s refurbishment, Alceon’s original blueprint aimed to establish a new heart for the Albion urban renewal precinct and included a new seven-storey office building, 15-storey residential tower, ground level retail, a publicly accessible plaza and four basement carparking levels.

Mr Pepper said the existing building accounted for only 20-25 per cent site coverage.

He said about 8000sq m surplus land remained that could be developed to between 15 and 20 storeys.

Alceon Qld most recently completed TAFE Queensland’s new 7600sq m Robina campus and Wise Medical’s adjacent 2000sq m stand-alone emergency medical facility on the Gold Coast.

It has also completed two new buildings at 385-389 Macarthur Ave within Brisbane’s riverfront Northshore Hamilton precinct, the site chosen for the main Athletes’ Village for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.