The Victoria Barracks site could be developed into a new West Village-style hub with restaurants, retail space, offices and high-rise apartments, while its sale also reopens the possibility of a land bridge linking Petrie Terrace to the Roma Street Parklands.
That’s according to one development industry expert, as a Brisbane architectural firm claims the federal government sell-off additionally increases the viability of its radical plan to build a giant new park over the rail yards.
Defence minister and deputy PM Richard Marles announced on Wednesday about $3 billion worth of defence department real estate across the country would be sold, including the historic barracks.
The 2.7 hectare inner-city site has long been eyed by developers in Brisbane. Many of its buildings are heritage protected and could not be demolished, but there are several large patches of open space and the block has previously been valued at about $200 million.
“It should have been done a lot sooner in my view, because nothing has really happened for a long time,” Ross Elliott, chair of the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Initiative, said.
“You could envisage it being a precinct of restaurants, retail, housing, professional offices … they could probably go high-rise on some of it.
“A sort of West Village mix [is possible] … I think it’s great news.”
Elliott, also director of policy and research group Suburban Futures, revealed the underground car park at the former police barracks next door – now a major shopping hub – was built with possible future expansion into the defence site in mind.
A land bridge to Petrie Terrace was planned under the Beattie government, but the project never eventuated. Elliott said it should be explored again with any redevelopment of the defence land.
“Connecting it into Roma Street Parklands would seem to make a lot of sense … trying to work out that connection and making it very pedestrian friendly and very intuitive would be probably a plus.”
In December last year architect firm Bureau Proberts released a radical proposal for a 7.5-hectare “elevated walkable green canopy” over the railway yards. It said on Thursday the sale announcement increased the viability of that plan.
“The sale and development of Victoria Barracks on Petrie Terrace creates a great opportunity to connect this precinct to the CBD,” managing and creative director Liam Proberts said in a statement.
“The barracks can be a catalyst for our proposed Roma Street Canopies project, which will create walkable connections and parkland that will link it directly with the CBD and the planned Brisbane 2032 Olympic venues in Victoria Park.
“This project could benefit the city … this will increase accessibility to the site, which is currently closed to the public, generate more foot traffic, and open up the heritage aspects of the location to a broader audience.”
Elliott was unconvinced the project was viable.
“Architects come up with lots of plans for things that can’t be built financially … it’s great to have these ideas, I think they should be encouraged, but unless it’s developable it’s probably going to stay on the drawing board.”
It’s unclear how much immediate developer interest in the barracks was generated by the announcement. The state and local governments kept their cards close to their chest when contacted for comment.
A Brisbane City Council representative called the sale an “exciting opportunity” and said independent planning officers would assess any future plans as they were lodged.
Deputy Premier and Planning Minister Jarrod Bleijie said in a statement: “Queensland is open for business and we’d always be open to exploring opportunities to deliver a fresh start for prime vacant land, including for new housing or defence industry opportunities.”
The Greens have expressed frustration with the sale of the publicly-owned land, and Queensland senator Penny Allman-Payne described the Labor Party announcement as hypocritical.
“With precious little public land left in the city, every inch of it that can be built on should be going towards good public housing and amenities like parkland, childcare and aged care,” she said in a statement.
“It’s typical hypocrisy that Labor are happy to criticise the LNP for selling off public land to developers, but whenever they’re the ones in charge it’s all good.
“We expect this from federal Labor, but really this is the first test for the new Member for Brisbane. Will she stand up for her community, or just be another backbencher who lets the PM sell it off?”
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