Posted by admin on 28 August 2009
I’ve just seen this flyer announcing public information sessions held by our local Gabba Ward Council member, Cr Helen Abrahams, in protest against the “South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan” claiming it will destroy West End. It’s certainly going to be a heated debate.
As a local agent I’ve seen continued buyer demand in South Brisbane and I suspect this will continue, largely as a result of big infrastructure projects like the Hale Street Link, The Kurilpa Bridge and the redevelopment of the Brisbane Convention Centre. Obviously changes to council policy that make further residential and commercial development more viable will further add to the prosperity of all local property owners.
Lets hope we will see a balanced debate by both Council and those who disapprove of the changes.
Tags: Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Convention Centre, Councillor Helen Abrahams, Hale Street Link Brisbane, Kurilpa Bridge Brisbane, South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan
Posted in Brisbane's future & new infrastructure, South Brisbane and South Bank, West End | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 28 August 2009
Brisbane City Council are set to approve Meriton Development’s proposal for a residential tower in Herschel Street in Brisbane CBD (pictured below). At a neck-breaking 77 storeys this will be our tallest on completion, eclipsing the current title holder Aurora Tower at 67 storeys, and Meriton’s own Soleil, which will rise to 74.
Meriton’s Harry Triguboff bought his first Brisbane development site just two years ago and Soleil Apartments are now rising out of the ground at that Adelaide Street address. With over 600 apartments his Herschel Street project will add a critical mass of apartments to Brisbane CBD’s western pocket.
You’ll notice we keep using “will” when we write about the project. There’s rarely any “mights” when it comes to Meriton.
Tags: Aurora Tower Brisbane, Brisbane City Council, Harry Triguboff Brisbane, Herschel Street Brisbane, Meriton Developments Brisbane, Soleil Apartments Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane CBD, Brisbane's sales market, architecture and renovation, trends in Brisbane property | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 27 August 2009
On the night of September 5, the William Jolly Bridge on Grey Street, South Brisbane will be bathed in a commemorative light display set to last until December this year. The display of colour will celebrate the Bridge’s heritage. The project, to commemorate the men who petitioned for the City’s independence, is part of ‘Brisbane 150′ celebrations.
This picture is of the official opening of the Bridge in 1932. Courtesy “The Brisbane River… a pictorial history”, a great documentary by Robert Longhurst and William Douglas.
Tags: Brisbane 150, Brisbane history, Brisbane River, William Jolly Bridge South Brisbane
Posted in South Brisbane and South Bank | 1 Comment »
Posted by admin on 27 August 2009
Many landlords I speak to with vacant properties are quite concerned about how fast a tenant can be secured and they seem to forget to ask me any questions about the ‘management’ of the property.
When you let your property you pay a letting fee, usually equivalent to one week’s rent. For the six or twelve months following that you pay a percentage of the rent for the management. Why is it then some landlords choose to pay someone both these fees without being concerned about their abilities to do the rest of the job?
Consider this: if a letting agent wants to concentrate on all their ability in getting a tenant faster, which tenant are they choosing for your property? I’ll happily talk to you all about our success of renting property quickly and for a great price but my job doesn’t end there. You’re paying us for a whole lot more and you should be getting what you pay for.
The letting process is the just one part of the property management process. Make sure you get what you’re paying for.
Tags: Brisbane property manager, letting fees, property management Brisbane, tenant marketing Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane landlords | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 27 August 2009
The names of the landmark buildings in the area are household terms. From the original Torbreck perched on Highgate Hill and the 70’s style Donard and Dornoch Towers to West End’s newer developments called Flow, Tempo, Koko, Regatta and there’ll soon be the names Riverpoint and Waters Edge to add to the mix.
Those names spring to mind but have you noticed the shingles proudly hung on the front of some of our stand-alone homes? Whether they’re the sprawling Queenslander to the more modest workers cottage it seems we just love to name where we hang our hats. Walk the streets like we do and you’ll notice Hill End has a higher percentage of named homes than the rest of the area and you’ll notice by the choice of name that the owners probably have different cultural backgrounds.
Here’s just some of them: Wanda Wahla, Caithness, Milo House, Glenelg, Nassagaweya, Blair Holm. Cobden Cottage, Woorilla. Glendale, Hazelbank, Rudston and Hillside.
Does your home have an affectionate name that you’d like to share with us? Use the comment box below!
Tags: Dornoch Towers Highgate Hill, Flow Apartments West End Brisbane, Hill End Brisbane, Koko Apartments West End Brisbane, Queenslander homes, Regatta Riverside West End Brisbane, Riverpoint Apartments West End Brisbane, Tempo Apartments West End Brisbane, Torbreck Apartments Highgate Hill, Waters Edge Apartments West End Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane's rental market, Highgate Hill, West End | 1 Comment »
Posted by admin on 27 August 2009
A worry for pedestrians in the CBD in the early hours of this morning, with a glass panel falling 39 floors from Riparian Plaza and smashing on the ground below. One theory is the recent sharp changes in our weather might have had an effect on the glass and no doubt the body corporate will be taking a close look at other panels.
Even though Riparian Plaza is 58 storeys it’s only the 40th floor and above that house apartments as the lower floors are offices. The glass that fell was part of the balustrading around the 39th floor. This whole floor – around 1000m2 or a quarter acre – is dedicated to a private recreation area for the building’s residents. Residents from just 39 apartments share a pool, big gym, sauna, spa, large resident’s lounge with a kitchen, outdoor barbecue facilities and a boardroom. All with magnificent 360 degree views.
So the “pool deck” the media is reporting is just a little bit more than that. It’s one of our city’s most luxurious resident facilities. Here’s a shot of the pool. It’s part indoor, part outdoor with a glass wall dividing the space above the waterline.
Tags: Riparian Plaza Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane CBD, architecture and renovation | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 25 August 2009
We often lose our perspective on the rapid growth of Brisbane over the past century. While the city’s been inhabited for 40,000 years or more, many of our suburbs are still new to housing and development. At least relative to our European and Asian cousins.
The pic below shows a view from Hill End (somewhere around Glenfield Street we’re guessing) across Brisbane River to the grassy open grounds of St Lucia. This was the 1930’s, just prior to that land being donated to Queensland University.
The generous benefactors were the enormously wealthy Mayne family (who had their own intriguing Brisbane history!) Today the University campus hosts some 40,000 students and staff.
This picture’s from “The Brisbane River… a pictorial history”, a great documentary by Robert Longhurst and William Douglas. Recommended for easy reading on Brisbane history.
Tags: Brisbane history, Brisbane River, Glenfield Street Hill End Brisbane, Hill End Brisbane, Mayne Family Brisbane, St Lucia Brisbane, University of Queensland
Posted in West End | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 25 August 2009
The Hale Street Link
Work is continuing at a rapid rate on the Hale Street Link. I was at Vue Apartments on Coronation Drive today and took this photo from the northern side of the river looking back into South Brisbane. The sheer size of the half completed bridge continues to blow my mind. Lets cross our fingers that traffic congestion along Peel and Grey Streets will be equally impressive when the new bridge opens in mid 2010.
Tags: Brisbane City Council, Grey Street South Brisbane, Hale Street Link Brisbane, Peel Street South Brisbane, Vue apartments Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane's future & new infrastructure, South Brisbane and South Bank | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 21 August 2009
Two of our team today attended the launch of Common Ground Queensland, a housing organisation that is tackling homelessness head on. With plenty of fresh ideas and some heavy weight support we’re betting they’ll make a huge difference.
The organisation estimates Brisbane’s inner-city has 2070 people homeless on any night. Almost 300 of them are ’sleeping rough’, without a roof over their heads.
Inspired by the vision and success of a New York City program, the local launch was officiated by Therese Rein, who’s spent time at the US facility and clearly has a passion for the cause. Federal Housing Minister Tanya Plibersek announced a $40m piggy bank and major companies and community groups are lending their considerable weight too.
The aim is apartment buildings where tenants can have affordable, safe and positive homes. Not boarding houses but individual dwellings where the homeless might be integrated with other low-income workers.
Word is South Brisbane might be the site for the first project and we’d say it’d be a great move for the area.
Tags: Brisbane homeless, Common Ground Queensland, homelessness in Brisbane
Posted in Brisbane's future & new infrastructure, Inner Brisbane events, South Brisbane and South Bank | No Comments »
Posted by admin on 21 August 2009
The South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan released by the Brisbane City Council this week should see the once unloved suburb emerge as a genuine alternative for CBD business. Ahead of the release, Council approved a 10 storey Commercial building to replace 6 Cordelia Street (pictured). Under the new proposal, it could be possible to go as high as 30 storeys for sites of 1800m2 and greater. With Council’s renewed favour for commercial developments in the area, it’ll be interesting to see how residential values improve through a shortage of available stock.
Tags: Brisbane City Council, Cordelia Street South Brisbane, South Brisbane Riverside Neighbourhood Plan
Posted in Brisbane's future & new infrastructure, Brisbane's sales market, South Brisbane and South Bank, trends in Brisbane property | No Comments »
