A development application has been proposed by Geon Property for a four-hectare, 10-stage transit-oriented development (TOD) project for Albion Station and surrounding sites.
The 15-year project is part of the Queensland Government’s election commitment to upgrade Albion Station and its connectivity with surrounding areas. Back in March this year an agreement was signed between the Government and Geon Property to deliver the upgrades.
According to the development application, the proposed $750 million development aims to connect the east and west of Albion, which is currently segregated by the train line.
The proposal states that the project will help “repair and regenerate” the heart of Albion. This new heart enables the physical bridging and the catalyst to renewing the heart of Albion.
Designed by Hames Sharley Architects, the development would also contribute to the revitalisation of Albion and will position the site as a community hub that provides new residential accommodation, office space, dining and shopping facilities, including $28.7M of upgraded transport facilities and public access to the Albion Train Station.
“These improvements would complement planning currently underway by Queensland Rail for an upcoming accessibility upgrade of Albion Train Station including new platform access with lifts, raised platform sections for improved access and other accessibility features such as hearing aid loop, signage and tactile flooring surfaces.”
At the centrepiece of the development, two glass cladded mixed-use residential towers with commercial and retail beneath will rise from a site situated between the rail lines and the Hudson, a recent residential tower built on the corner of Hudson and Albion Roads.
Development Rundown
Stage 1 of Albion Exchange involves the following:
- The redevelopment of the existing ‘Park n Ride’ commuter facilities in Albion Road
- The creation of a pedestrian plaza spanning the rail corridor and providing improved access to the train station
- Two architecturally designed mixed-use towers, being 30 and 23 storeys (Stages 1A and 1B respectively) in height as defined by the City Plan, that are accessed from both Albion Overpass and Albion Road.
Proposed Albion Exchange masterplan - A state of the art ground plane podium with a two-storey retail offering including a vibrant, active and landscaped ‘urban common’ that complements and integrates with the rail plaza
- Lavish indoor and outdoor communal recreation spaces above podium and rooftop
- High-quality public spaces and streets, which are pedestrian and cyclist friendly
- Medium to high-density development within 800 metres of the train station
- An integrated, single stage/constructed basement carpark, podium, urban common and plaza
- A range of non-residential uses being a selection of the centre activities ‘activity group’ as defined in the City Plan, plus bar, hotel and parking station
Proposed Albion Exchange masterplan - The provision of 64 secure, undercover ‘Park n Ride’ commuter carparks incorporated into the basement (basement 3) of the mixed-use towers. These carparks represent the first phase of ‘no loss’ ‘Park n Ride’ carparks within the Albion Train Station Precinct redevelopment as required by the State Government in the development agreement with the Applicant. These 64 car spaces are excluded from the Parking Station land use and will be free of charge
- The provision of temporary ‘Park n Ride’ commuter carparks north and west of the development site on State Government land. The temporary carparks are provided to replace Queensland Rail carparks being redeveloped in Stage 1
- The closure of parts of Albion Road and Albion Overpass.
Properties involved
- 36 Albion Road, 42B Albion Road, 42 Albion Road, 42A Albion Road, 51 Albion Road, 53 Albion Road, 54 Albion Road, 5A Corunna St, 43 Mawarra St
Total Areas
The project’s proposed floor areas in numbers are as follows:
- Site area 5,300sqm (exclusive of closed road) and 6,458sqm (inclusive of closed road)
- Retail 2,140sqm
- Commercial 3,402sqm
- Residential 31,836sqm
- Total 37,665sqm
- Public open space (proposed) 4,770sqm
- Public open space (preferred) 4,935sqm
- Residential communal area 2,657sqm
- Private open space 4,207sqm
Apartment Mix
Stage 1:
- x60 one bedroom apartments
- x106 two bedroom apartments
- x35 three bedroom apartments
- x2 four bedroom apartments
- x203 apartments total
Stage 2:
- x36 one bedroom apartments
- x72 two bedroom apartments
- x21 three bedroom apartments
- x1 four bedroom apartment
- x130 apartments total
- Total number of units across two towers: x333
Albion station currently caters for in excess of 450 trains on a typical weekday (two way), with average peak hour frequencies of 1 train every 2 minutes in peak hour periods.
This development does not form any part of Fridcorp’s Odyssey development (formerly the Albion Mill development).
The design aims not to replicate the low profile Hudson and Odyssey-Fridcorp developments, and avoid a ‘homogenous’ building skyline, creating visual interest and respecting view corridors.
The development application number for this project is A005013244.
The commuters loose out in this, the 64 allocated carparks is nothing compared to the current 180 multi-level parking facility that current exists.
Once again the goverment is bowing down to big business.
More projects in Townsville please GEON.