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An inner-city block of land that has stood nearly empty for about two decades, operating most recently as a car park, could soon make way for a nine-storey commercial office building with ground-level retail.
The development application for a “commercial-led mixed use development” was lodged with Brisbane City Council this week for the corner of Ann and Chester streets in Fortitude Valley.
The site, formerly a service station, has been operating as a Wilsons car park since previous efforts to develop the block were abandoned.
In an assessment report prepared for the applicant, Consolidated Properties Group – and submitted to the council on its behalf – town planning firm Urbis says the development would activate the street and contribute to the ongoing transformation of the inner-city precinct.
“The proposal provides a well-designed, high-quality and dynamic architectural scheme for a commercial-led mixed use development, with active uses at the ground plane,” Urbis says.
“The proposal provides a contemporary ‘uplift’ to the site that enlivens the public realm and capitalises on the site’s highly desirable location within the heart of the Fortitude Valley.”
The proposed building would rise to nine storeys with a gross floor area of nearly 12,000 square metres.
It would include 72 car parking spaces across two basement levels, with a publicly accessible entry plaza alongside landscaped areas and a continuous awning along the Ann Street frontage.
Part of the 949 Ann Street site already has an approval for a 15-storey commercial tower dating back to 2017, which was extended in 2024. The new proposal reduces the height but increases floor plate sizes and incorporates expanded terraces.
Urbis says the design responds to contemporary office demand and evolving workplace trends – a “contemporary boutique offer, with design features that support flexible workplace arrangements in response to evolving post-COVID work patterns”.
The design also has an eye to security. Hostile vehicle mitigation (HVM) structures, including concrete barriers and bollards, are proposed along sections of the Ann and Chester street frontages.
Just weeks ago, the high-end Hermès Brisbane store, on the corner of Edward and Elizabeth streets in the CBD, fell victim to a ram-raid burglary.
“The proposed HVM structures and bollards incorporate a design that ensures the streetscape remains commensurate with the prevailing streetscape character and does not interfere with pedestrian activity,” Urbis says.
The site sits within the Valley Gateway Precinct and the Mixed Use (Inner City) zone under the Brisbane City Plan. Urbis notes the development is code assessable and generally compliant with planning codes, including the 15-storey height limit for the precinct.
Urbis recommended the council approve the application, subject to conditions.
“The proposed development will activate an area that is currently underutilised at Ann Street,” Urbis says.
“The development does not result in any significant or undue adverse impacts on surrounding land uses or the envisaged street environment.”
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