Property giant Stockland has submitted a long awaited DA for three 25 storey residential towers located at 23-79 High Street Toowong, on a 1.3 hectare site, currently the site of a Woolworths supermarket.
According to the development application, the yet to be named project will be developed in three stages and will include extensive ground floor retail activation.
The development has been designed by architectural firms DC8 Studio and SJB.
Stages
- Stage 1: 25 storey residential tower (184 units) fronting Sherwood Road, with ground level retail uses (1,354m2 GFA) and an expansive plaza, and associated parking and servicing. Residential and visitor access will occur via Sherwood Road, and servicing will occur via Jephson Street.
- Stage 2: 25 storey residential tower (172 units) fronting High Street, ground level retail uses (328m2 GFA), expansive podium private open space plaza and associated parking. Shared residential and visitor access will occur via Sherwood Road, and the servicing and services access will be shared with Stage 1; and Jephson St access.
- Stage 3: 25 storey residential tower (174 units) fronting High Street, ground level retail uses (267m2 GFA), expansive podium private open space plaza and associated parking. Shared residential and visitor access will occur via Sherwood Road, and the servicing and services access will be shared with Stages 1 and 2. Jephson St access.
Apartment breakdown
Stage 1:
- x65 – 1 Bedroom Apartments
- x111 – 2 Bedroom Apartments
- x8 – 3 Bedroom Apartments
- Total 184 Apartments
Stage 2:
- x67 – 1 Bedroom Apartments
- x97 – 2 Bedroom Apartments
- x8 – 3 Bedroom Apartments
- Total 172 Apartments
Stage 3:
- x70 – 1 Bedroom Apartments
- x98 – 2 Bedroom Apartments
- x6 – 3 Bedroom Apartments
- Total 174 Apartments
Design
- Street Interfaces
- Podium Amenities
- Towers
- Recreational Deck
Sherwood Road and High Street Interfaces
The street interfaces, treated with feature glazing linked with the architectural language of the towers, provide and identifiable and active frontages. A new public laneway from Sherwood Road considers the adjacent development at 34 Sherwood Road.
Integrated with seating, landscaping, and retail offerings this laneway provides respite from the Sherwood Road streetscape. Active retail frontages face high street, providing a backdrop to the new bus lane. The ‘ravine’, a landscaped public space between the tower 2 an 3 lobbies provides relief from the High Street traffic.
According to the DA, the proposal provides a high quality architectural design with a unique public realm environment and significant enhancements to the streetscape.
The iconic buildings respond to the opportunity to produce a project that can become an exemplary model for Toowong and the wider region.
Strong linkages are proposed with the overall precinct by providing expansive arcades and a plaza, connecting pedestrians from Sherwood Road to High Street.
The development will represent an enhancement of the streetscape and contribute to the ongoing development of a vibrant, friendly and safe precinct.
Retail
According to preliminary pre-lodgement meetings, a 3,000 sqm supermarket was part of the original development however it has been removed upon request by council in order to open up space at ground level and create better accessibility and permeability of the area.
Instead, the development accommodates 18 smaller retail tenancies positioned along Sherwood Road and High Street activating street side space.
Landscaping & Amenity
The development comprises of extensive podium level residential amenity as well as a rooftop recreation deck on level 25 of tower 1.
The DA number for this development is A004501512.
Just wait until the local NIMBY hears about this! Will probably be shut down and turned into a park like the Milton tennis centre.
Not that I’m opposing this development but what’s wrong with a park? Does every empty space in Brisbane have to host some architecturally banal high rise apartment building?
I’m all for development but what a disgrace the BCC are – approve all these developments and increase the population of Toowong yet cut down the idea of a new 3000m² supermarket in the development to allow better arcade access between High street and Sherwood Road.
Ask the locals what they want – better access between High and Sherwood or a supermarket.
The Coles in Toowong Village is at peak servicing in my opinion. K-Mart and DJ’s are on long term leases so there is nowhere for a second supermarket.
Double the population yet half the amenity. Now that’s key planning BCC.
Totally agree. Car parking at Toowong Village is at capacity now and impossible to get a park and Indooroopilly is even worse, especially close to Christmas!
Coles at Toowong is also a very poor supermarket and can’t cope with the volume of shoppers now during peak periods, let alone when another 500 apartments spring up. This is poor planning and the most ridiculous idea in an already congested business area.
Given the number of train and bus services for Toowong, why would you need more car parking?
Given the number of train and bus services for Toowong (and quality bike paths), why would you need more car parking?
The train and bus services are at capacity at peak times, standing room only and not going to improve anytime soon with the train system in its current state. One solution would be to stop the express services from Ipswich that pass only a quater full, but still won’t solve the problem. Further applications for more apartment buildings (including 590 room student accom.) will only make this worse, with no improvements to infrastructure – roads are falling apart, having to be resurfaced every few months – unsustainable unless the council can come up with a better plan.
@Yimby, part of the reason Milton was turned into a park was that it was already open space, unlike this site. That said, I’m sure people will oppose this because of traffic impacts, which they’d probably have half a point about.
Give the site’s proximity to Toowong Station, many bus services, and quality bike paths (and the fact many residents are likely to be students), you should be able to reduce the number of car parks provided and residents can use the other transport options instead.
if they’re going to approve all these things, increasing the population significantly, they need to address the traffic travelling through High Street. What about a tunnel from the end of Coronation Drive to somewhere on Moggill Road, undercutting High Street and turning that into to a shared pedestrian/car zone designed for light traffic. Nundah received that windfall 20 years ago and hasn’t looked back.
That’s not the worst idea ever. Bit tricky to thread it through, considering the weight of all the towers that are going up. And I’m not sure where the additional space is going to come from at either portal.
This is exactly what this city needs – more 1 and 2 bedroom apartments!! I get it, more of these will result in higher profit, but surely they could do more than 22 out of 530!! Properly thought out, these larger apartments could be sold to both investors and owners alike, given Toowongs proximity to schools, UQ and city.
Stockland is going through the roof with developments as of late, I am noticing this in the Sydney Basin to the fullest extent with what they are about to do in Merrylands. This is a HUGE development in my opinion and will change the area for the better. I do agree with the above comments that NIMBYs will likely get involved in this project in some form however its a great development to take the area Toowang forward.
Great article, very informative.
It would be great to see this site redeveloped, but the street level is disappointing. The current density of shop fronts along the footpath leading to Toowong Village is high – there are many tenancies and different building frontages which creates a vibrant and interesting public space.
The proposal turns this inwards and reduces the number of shopfronts on the boundaries of the site. On the stretch between High Street and Toowong Village 6 or so shops are replaced by one tenancy. The facades are more horizontal than vertical, which architects seem to love but make streets more boring for pedestrians.
Stylistically the architecture may be nice, but from an urban design perspective it’s going to make the precinct more dull and bland.
Maximising shop frontages, internalizing retail and turning your back on the street breaks every best practice rule in the book. Brisbane wants bustling vibrant streets – not boxes full of people.
It looks like that council have rejected plans for a new supermarket on this site because of parking restraints. Would prefer a supermarket onsite for competition with Coles Toowong Village especially being a Transit Orientated Development; As well preventing unnecessary trips by local residents to neighbouring suburbs, which can create local traffic congestion.
I’ve lived in Toowong all my life and we need a second supermarket, Coles isn’t coping with demand and constantly runs out of stuff. It was great to be able nip to a supermarket without entering the blue stump too. Parking is a joke at peak times. Sorry guys some people will never ride a bike or catch public transport…and these people seem to shop or work in Toowong. Also I was hoping we would get Aldi to replace woollies. Can Aldi be approached on this…?
Why do not buildings in Brisbane have a green wall. There are some amazing building in Singapore and even Syd has some.
Green Architecture is now being included throughout Uni courses. End products, particularly multi million $, are often years away. Brisbane is slowly catching up & in some areas may match/compete with SYD/MEL.
I am a Toowong local, this design just seems too opaque with no or little visual features, I don’t mind apartment buildings, but there is so many empty apartments already, and they all look almost identical. not to mention Toowong is uniquely positioned next to UQ, which hosts 15000 students, locals are getting so angry with no parking problems at shopping centre and now with woolworth closing down, things are going to get little worse. More commercial area and parking space is what locals want, not some kind of five star short stay apartment building with a backyard pool.
I’d really appreciate if they can go back to the original idea of a supermarket. A small sized store would be perfect, like woolies metro or Aldi. Coles in Toowong village is too crowded at times.
This is great because it will really stand out from the other what 7 massive apartment buildings that have/are currently being erected in Toowong.
As stated above you are massively increasing the population (~850 people if all these apartments fill- not including all the others *which includes the tallest building in Toowong currently being built…) and decreasing the amenities.
Woolworths Toowong was a horrible woolworths but at least it gave us options and reduced the congestion in Coles (not to mention car parks which are soon to be charged which will results in longer time in/out of the carpark as well). The shopping center at the bottom would at least offer SOME relief. As mentioned above Indooroopilly shopping center is now an abomination that inspires online shopping.
Also see no mention of all the smaller businesses around woolworths which im guessing will lose their leases and be goners too. Hardly something that seems worthwhile for my neighborhood.
I agree with these comments.
The existing apartment blocks which have been erected in the last year are mostly empty so why build more? Also the retail portions of these developments have failed to attract tenants.
The woolworths store was appalling but at least gave us some choice, I hoped that when it closed an Aldi might move in but this does not seem to be part of the plan.
The Coles in Toowong is seriously showing the strain of more shoppers with many empty or half empty shelves earlier this week. Reminded me of pictures I’ve seen of soviet era shops.
I am not against development if it adds amenities to an area but this development won’t.
Lack of a dedicated bay for the bus stop on High street near Woolworths slows down traffic, especially during rush hours. It seems that the bus bay is proposed in the development plan. If true, this will improve traffic. That’s great!
80s architecture. looks like an old gold coast unit block.
Toowong has potentially taken more of the lead, in BCC’s TP apparent ‘refusal’ of the ABC site & changes in Woolworths’ Development. In what will have vast ripple effects, Stockland’s previous 3 towers is being changed to a lower level, engaging community aura, harnessing dining, shopping & movies. ???? ???? ???? mind body self emotions relationships possessions
Having just moved in Toowong is a great suburb BUT its need another supermarket since Woolworths has gone.Coles is the only one and you are forced to shop there, there is no competition. Building all these residential apartments nearby the demand is there, also its supporting growth and jobs in the area.