Shop top living: How guidelines could help with CBD woes

THE development of new guidelines to turn disused commercial space in the CBD into units could play a role to fix the city’s vacancy woes.

THE development of new guidelines to turn disused commercial space in the Toowoomba CBD into residential living could play a role to fix the city centre's vacancy woes.

That's according to the council's planning and development chair Cr Megan O'Hara Sullivan, who said she's excited to see the scheme finalised.

The TRC received its draft Shop Top Living Design Guideline from Aspect Architects this month, with the aim of identifying the barriers facing developers who might want to convert vacant spaces into apartments.

The council has estimated about 40 per cent of above ground areas in the CBD are vacant.

"I'm particularly excited because as planning chair, I think this is key to the reactivation of the CBD," she said.

"I think it's a really exciting thing.

"The draft is to identify the barriers to shop-top living.

"Then we will look at, down the track, what council might be able to do to facilitate converting them."

LJ Hooker Commercial agent Markus Eames, who has floated the concept in the past, said affordability was the biggest challenge facing developers.

"It's a great move from the Toowoomba Regional Council, to take the time to investigate it," he said.

"Some of the biggest challenges will be following all the codes, like disability access, which is not to say they shouldn't be there.

"It needs to be affordable for the building owners to do it - there's no value right now in it.

"I think to incentivise the owners to turn the second floor into residential or ancillary uses would be great."

CBD developer Mitchell Bernoth welcomed the move from the council.

"Anything that council can do to make inner city living more achievable for developers is welcomed," he said.

"However, they need to balance it by making sure the right demographics of workers can be remain in and around the Toowoomba CBD."