Taking Brisbane to new heights: Billbergia’s new 90 floor skyscraper is a symbol of Brisbane’s growing confidence.
DA APPROVED: The Brisbane City Council today approved Queensland’s tallest, most significant tower project named 111+222. The tower which was dubbed as a christmas ‘bon-bon’ by Councillor David Hinchliffe, because of it’s shape received unanimous approval in council chambers this morning. AMP Capital provided financing for Billbergia and will develop 111 Mary, the 34 storey office tower.
However to the disappointment of Brisbane’s skyscraper fans, the project was cut from 297m down to 274m, a decrease of 23 metres due to the massing of the building, which created a shadow for Brisbane Airport’s radar.
Today however, Bilbergia have stated that they will apply specially to the Brisbane Airport Corporation and CASA to restore the original height and possibly push it a little higher in order to be crowned Australia’s Tallest Building at 300m AHD.
Construction of the carpark will commence as soon as the excavated hole is dry (drainage is now occurring). The next stage of the project will be AMP’s 34 level commercial tower, followed by the 90 level hotel and residential apartment tower.
The Courier Mail today revealed that four major international hotel chains are vying for the operations of 222 tower. Billbergia spokesman Rick Graf said an announcement on just which hotel group would run the hotel component is expected early next year.
222 Margaret St Tower:
- The taller tower is currently known as 222 Margaret Street and is 90 levels (RL 274m) in height.
- A 5 star 380 room hotel is proposed for this tower, however the hotel operator is not yet known.
- The hotel will have a ballroom, restaurants, bars and a recreation deck
- The tower will mostly comprise of 790 one, two and three bedroom residential apartments over the 90 floors.
- Restaurants & bars will be situated throughout the project with a key cross block link from Mary to Margaret Street to be established in stage 1.
- The tower has a maximum height of 274m
- A world class restaurant and skybar will be located on the top floors of the tower.
- The tower is situated next to the proposed Cross River Rail – Albert Street underground station which will provide access to high capacity mass transit.
- 111 Mary St tower is the smallest of the two, rising 34 levels.
- This tower will be completely office.
- AMP Capital is funding this part of the development
- 980 car spaces will be built across eight underground levels.
The development has been designed by Bates Smart Architects and boasts a glass cylinder like design for the taller building. The news of 111+222 has recently overshadowed a significant height increase for Meriton’s Infinity tower which is currently under construction. The tower’s height which was planned to be 75 levels will now be increased to 81 – a 6 level increase. This new height has been submitted to council today. However 111+222’s 274m still trumps Infinity’s new 81 level increase.
Brisbane’s January floods caused the large excavation to fill up with water, which has remained that way since the floods. The new proposal will house all electrical powering and controlling devices on the podium level to avoid any future disruption to the tower if there is a reoccurrence of the January floods.
Economy
Brisbane’s economy which seemed to be sluggish coming out of the GFC is now powering ahead with the help of a new LNG mining boom on the horizon. According to BIS Shrapnel, annual construction activity will increase 50% to around $57 billion dollars by 2014 driven by both flood reconstruction and new Liquid Natural Gas projects which are expected to create tens of thousands of new direct LNG related jobs and thousands more flow-on jobs as a result.
Office vacancy rates in Brisbane have tumbled down from 10% to around 7% and is expected to go even lower as the resources sector starts its second boom.
Brisbane Development will update you throughout the construction of the 111+222 project.
Images supplied by Batessmart architecture.
Love the height of the new tower but loved the design of the old vision tower alot more still glad its going ahead in some form
With a new GFC looming, I won’t be surprised if this development is canned! I think the design could have been more unique like the vision design at least.
This will not happen. Why. US dollar collapse coming. Depression just around the corner. Dont believe me. Research and you will discover that Fort Knox in the USA has been selling fake gold.Australias mining income will collapse as China has been cooking the books. All the mining jobs will go and coal seam gas will destroy the enviroment. Research people.
It may get half built if ur lucky.
Love the look of the new proposal, just wondering if anyone knows what the expected completion date is?
The expected completion date would depend on the start date. The latest I have heard is that construction of the basement carpark will start this Janurary, with the two tower’s lift cores build into the design. Then the first stage will apparently be the office tower (the small tower) followed by the larger tower, that’s all depending on market conditions. So it may be a while away.
The desighn should include an observation tower it would add alot more tourism to the city which can help fund other projects.
It will look even better if the Carrington gets approved and they both go up at the same time. These projects need to go ahead, mainly to give the city that little bit extra pazazz . Their really is not alot of room for alot more development in the city. So they need to get this right.
Sometimes your better to build in a recession. Once the project is finished, things might be different. We all know that anyhow.
I think the key to the success of this development going ahead (if at all) will be a lengthy and careful tender process. With local manufacturing markets decimated, it will be good to see all tenders favouring local manufacturers. This may be a more expensive option, but the benefit in this sort of project for local markets would far outweigh the cost
Too tall, cut it back to 250 meters
very surprised if this does go ahead, too much uncertainty in the air for anything of this magnitude to commit to…
So long as they don’t have ridiculously large and overpriced apartments at the top. I understand that there is about 600 residential apartments. That is needed but it will take a long time to sell if the prices are overcooked. Asian investors, particularly Chinese, will love it.
KS
There is a idea around that Brisbane “is running out of development sites for highrise”… this is not the case; between the CBD and Spring Hill/Fortitude Valley there is hundreds of potential development sites, and yes, some have terrible 7 story eighties offices on them. As the sites are needed for large developments, they become available, but the illusion remains : “there is nowhere to put a good forty story building”: wrong. If alll these sites had three hundred m buildings on them there would be enough land for centuries of development, right in the CBD.
Just wondering is there an update on this project is it still going ahead?
I would like to know the same thing as the above comment. Where are updates posted?
Agreed with comment 14 and 15. Is this building going ahead still?
Definitely sounds like it!
Looks like they are since advertisement has started sprouting up
Well, most definitely underway….My once beautiful view overlooking the river for sunrise, sitting on the balcony having breakfast & sharing drinks with friends in the evening have now all disappeared. Instead, I am faced with a concrete block only a few meters away from the window. Very disappointing, as privacy & enjoyment of the property has been completely removed. Some say its only an office block and that people are not there in the evening, but my lunchtimes that I spend there will now have to be done with the curtains closed rather than havng people being able to see right into my apartment…..Why did they allow something to be built so close? Trust that the homes of no-one on the approval committee are affected by this building going up?
Ellie, you live in the CBD, what do you expect? These two buildings will do great for the shortage in tallies and of course, hotel industry.
yeh @ellie. What did you expect when you moved into the middle of the CBD next to an empty block of land. That it would remain an empty space and the nothing at all would ever be built? Get over yourself. Privacy? Like no one in any other CBD building can’t look straight into your apartment? They don’t have to be right next door, but I’m sure plenty of people can see directly in. Don’t move into the CBD if you want privacy, move to the suburbs
Where should i contact for information to buy the apartment.
Contact me on 0430 918 800 NAV
article does not have date on it, it is confusing at times when you don’t know how long ago it was approved. only by looking at comments you get that this isn’t a news, and if final DA is approved in 2011, then this should be built by 2016?
Nav, I did a Google search for you:
http://www.billbergia.com.au/111—222,-brisbane.html
The project is most definetly underway and I am proud to say I’m involve in selling this landmark piece of development. If you are looking to buy or invest. Give me a call 0430 918 800. I would love to find your dream apartment for you 😀 Dream of own beautiful view overlooking the river for sunrise, sitting on the balcony having breakfast & sharing drinks with friends in the evening is 100% alive and living 🙂 on level 40, 66, 89 to be exact 🙂
Jonathan Law
0430 918 800
Sales Accociate of Brisbane Skytower