Friday, August 31, 2012

Aria in South Brisbane

Aria has been in the news recently.  Extracts from two stories below.  I think that South Brisbane is a good location, but a number of Aria's apartment buildings are located in non-prime and C-tier locations within South Brisbane.

"THERE are pockets of prosperity to be found in southeast Queensland's property sector despite the recent lacklustre performance of the market. Nestled between two flanks of the winding Brisbane River, medium-rise residential and commercial properties are popping up among the easy-living environs of Southbank, the city's convention centre hub, the Gallery of Modern Art and Griffith University. South Brisbane, just across the Victoria Bridge from Brisbane's central business district, is benefiting from local and state government changes to push it out of its light industrial past and into a trendy and bustling future.

 Aria Property Group has made the area a focal point of its activities, with sales of their medium-rise residential towers in the inner-city area almost completely sold out before the foundations are sunk. Aria Property head of development Chris Mitchell says apartment sales at the company's 65-apartment project, Station 16, have just settled, while construction was under way on two of the company's other residential developments.

"South Brisbane is the focus of the business at the moment because of its location and rental premium over alternative inner-city locations," Mitchell says.  "We did quite an extensive amount of research to make sure what we were trying to deliver would fit the market in terms of quality and price points.  Certainly, the location was a big selling factor."
Aria Property Group has developed its inner-city niche in South Brisbane since arriving on the Queensland property scene almost a decade ago.  The company has a $250 million investment portfolio that includes 63 commercial, retail and industrial sites and tenancies across southeast Queensland. Its future apartment pipeline could be up to 2500 apartments.
Formed in 2003 by developer Tim Forrester - the son of FKP co-founder and long-serving chief executive Rod Forrester - Aria has concentrated on delivering high-end investment product in the region."

Full story in The Australian


See also Brisbane Times:

"The CMC asked Brisbane City Council in June to investigate its role in letting Aria buy the eight square metres of footpath for the Edmonstone Street development.

A Brisbane City Council spokesman said yesterday the council's investigations were completed last month and no evidence of official misconduct by council officers or staff with the former state Department of Resource Management had been found.

Aria's managing director Tim Forrester said the developer had no "short term" plans to go ahead with the Edmonstone Street tower. "We're focused on these more boutique developments," he said. Mr Forrester would not be drawn on the developer's further plans for South Brisbane, but said there was a "chronic" under supply of housing in the suburb "There's such a demand for apartments and as a result we're seeing rents remain incredibly strong," he said. "There's an increasing number of office workers in South Brisbane and that's really pushing up demand on the southern side of the river."

Mr Forrester added young professionals were also showing a preference for boutique apartment buildings on the southern side of the river, over soaring towers in the CBD. He said he was hopeful the council would welcome the proposal for Grey Street, as it came in under the area's 20-storey height limit.   Just two two-bedroom apartments remain for sale in the Artisan development, which is due to be completed in June next year. The remaining apartments are priced at $594,000 and $629,000. The complex features 66 apartments over 10 levels with 37 one-bedroom and 29 two-bedroom residences."

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