Aerial Photos of Brisbane

Mirvac's Newstead Waterfront project

Mirvac's Tennyson project

Pradella's Water's Edge

Kelvin Grove Urban Village

Chermside

South Bank

(photos taken September 2010)

SouthPoint Coming Soon?

Will the SouthPoint apartment and hotel development at SouthBank ever get started? Reported to start later this year. (But they have said that before!) It is a project of the Anthony John Group. Designed by Jackson Teece.

SouthPoint at South Bank

"A premium central city location opposite the CBD Southbank is Brisbanes premier recreation and dining precinct, Southpoint is the last available site in Southbank and will provide a total of 86,433 square metres of GFA in a mixed use development of exceptional design standard.

Drawing on the success of the Emporium mixed use development by the same group, Southpoint will take the recipe further because of its exceptional location and the manner in which it will integrate into the area’s rail and bus interchange. This will not only provide amenity and market value for Southpoint’s residents and business tenants but will also stimulate demand for retail because of the high volume of commuter traffic.

Consisting primarily of three towers providing office, residential and genuine 6 star hotel standard accommodation, all with retail below, the striking architecture of Southpoint will make it a visual and commercial landmark in Australia’s fastest growing city."

www.south-point.com.au and AJG website

Mirvac's Waterfront - New "Park" release

Mirvac has started its pre-release sales campaign for the Park building at its Waterfront development in Newstead. From the materials I have seen, it will have about 100 apartments. The building is divided into two sections, Park North and Park South. There is a mix of 2 and 3 bed apartments, plus some 1 bedrooms at the back of the buildings. It appears that this building has no gym or pool.

The floorplans are very Mirvac. For example, the smallest 2 bedroom apartment has a floorplan similar to the two bedroom apartments in Mirvac's Arbour on Grey at Southbank. The difference is size. The Park two bedroom is 81 sqm internal with a 14 sqm balcony, for a total of 95sqm. The similar Arbour on Grey apartment is 106 sqm in total.

That being said, there are some larger two bedrooms, and all seem to be well designed. There are floor-thu apartments, with the living at the front and bedrooms at the rear. The two bedroom apartments range in size from 95sqm total, to 108sqm, to 112sqm, to 116 sqm.

In some of the 2 bedroom apartments, the living room is very small, and is only 3.5m wide, which in my view is too tight. Most of the apartments have the laundry in a cupboard, and have a galley kitchen along the dining room wall (and no island bench).

The building is way back from the river, on a park to be constructed -- the site was an old industrial site, and had contamination problems that have been cleaned up.

Mirvac plans about 7 other buildings for this site, so there will always be more apartments to compete with. Also, FKP and others are building on Newstead River Park site.That being said, it is generally a good location. See maps here and here and here.

What concerns me is price. An equivalent Mirvac two bed apartment, overlooking Southbank Parklands or the Brisbane Botanical Gardens would sell in the price range $650K to $800K, with sizes from 106 sqm to 132 sqm, and river views. It appears that these new Park apartments, although smaller and newer, will sell for $100,000s more than the current price for a quality Mirvac apartment in Brisbane.

And remember that Mirvac had over 15 apartments fail to settle at Tennyson, and they were resold about 20% less than the original sales price.

South Bank Student Accommodation

Urbanest is operating a student dormitory accommodation building at South Bank, near the TAFE. It has a total of 713 rooms and studios, which are furnished and air-conditioned. The rooms are small and tight -- for example, 5 bedrooms will share a kitchen. And the pricing is amazing -- for example, a studio for one person is listed on the website as being $435 a week, or a bedroom in a 4 bedroom hallway is $336 per week.

For $650 a week, you could rent a large two bed furnished apartment in the Arbour on Grey, or for $750 a luxury two bed furnished apartment in Saville South Bank. So two students sharing a two bedroom apartment would do much better than renting in Urbanest.

South Point at South Bank - New Website

South Point has a new website.

"Take a moment to appreciate the journey that a stroll through a palatial Southpoint residence offers. Once inside, the walls ascend forever and the warm, opulent timber floor implores you to remove your shoes. There are vast living areas, lavish dining rooms and king-sized bedrooms. Lean on the private bar, recline near the classic fireplace, and discover the divine natural stone top kitchen that forms a living space all of its own. There's even the rare luxury of a powder room. This is just a sample of what gives Southpoint Residences their unique difference - there is so much more to be experienced."

Map and Transport

Brisbane Rentals

It is rental season in Brisbane, and there is strong competition for apartments. Many people are delaying a buying decision, and so are renting. Some renters have locked in long term leases, taking these apartments off the market for some time. Some investors have put their apartments into a short term letting pool for nightly "hotel" rentals, taking these away from the permanent rental market.

Rents for decent unfurnished two bedroom apartments are as high as $600 per week. One bedroom apartments in decent complexes are very popular and hard to find. Add $100 a week for a furnished apartment.

If you are looking to rent, here are some ideas:

• Ciana Indooroopilly, 2 bedroom rents range from $475 to $600 per week
• Parklands Sherwood, 2 bedrooms from $440 per week; 3 bedrooms from $540 per week,
• Fresh Toowong, 2 bedrooms about $500 to $550 per week
• Admiralty Towers One, which has large apartments
• Arbour on Grey, from $550 per week for a 2 bedroom
• Metro 21, has both furnished and unfurnished, and is not doing short stay rentals so the building is more stable and homely.

Also, have a look at this prior post.

South Point and Buranda

"ARCHITECT-developer Tony John is willing to bet $1 billion that the run-down suburb of Buranda, in Brisbane's inner south, will be the next New Farm.Mr John has a scheme for a massive residential, retail and commercial project that can only be called immensely ambitious.

He is willing to bet that Brisbane people will be willing to pay about $500,000 for an entry-level one-bedroom apartment measuring less than than 50sq m. Big enough to swing a cat - just. He's willing to bet that they will want to live right next to the truck-laden Logan Rd, over a train line and right next to a busway in a suburb that looks like it has had too much sun and has never been known for urban chic. He's also betting that the housing affordability dilemma will mean people will question if they can afford a home and a car.

But just to show how strongly he feels about Buranda, the man who developed the oh-so-swish Emporium development in Fortitude Valley says he is less confident about his separate plans for 56 luxury apartments at South Bank projected to cost between $2 million and $10 million each. "I would not like to make that call right now," he said...."
See Courier Mail

SouthPoint Residences at SouthBank

Here is an interesting drawing, showing the proposed building at Southbank, with the existing Collins Place building left standing.

South Point at South Bank - prerelease

"The soon to be released Southpoint Residences will be the finest and most exclusive of Brisbane’s property market. Situated on South Bank’s last development site, the north-east aspect ensures that your views of the city and the river set you ahead of the rest.

With fifty-six palatial residences perched on top of the next acclaimed Emporium Hotel, you will not only live in the style that you deserve, you will receive six-star treatment morning, noon and night.

These truly unique ‘homes’ will provide spacious living with only the very best of fixtures and finishes. From the ‘his’ and ‘her’ robes to the classic fireplace and the private bar each element has been carefully selected with your comfort in mind.

Southpoint will be delivered by the Developers who brought you the Emporium Precinct; the Anthony John Groups’ attention to detail achieves quality and a lasting sense of style."
Renders here and here

SouthPoint at SouthBank

"The Queensland Government has given the nod for early works to start on a $650 million luxury hotel and residential development next to the South Bank railway station.

It will include restaurants and retail spaces as well as the hotel, cinema and 56 residential apartments."

See Brisbane Times

Grey Street Redevelopment

The street scape at Grey Street at South Bank will greatly improved with the proposed development of Stage Two of the Brisbane Convention Centre. The development will be over the rail line, and will front Grey Street, next to Rydges Hotel. It will improve the street when walking from the Cultural Centre and Museums along Grey Street to the Saville Hotel area.

See South Bank Newsletter.

South Point at South Bank

Apartments and hotel rooms, at South Bank -- will be developed on the Collins Place site in Grey Street behind the Galleria.

Video

South Bank announcement

Photos

News report

Stanley Cove - South Bank

Concepts diagrams of Stanley Cover development at South Bank, which will be located in from of the Park Avenue apartment building, on the river:

http://www.southbankcorporation.com.au/about_us/stanley_cove_boardwalk_redevlopment

Brisbane Apartment Short Term or Hotel Stays in Suites

I am often asked which apartment buildings are good for short term stays. That is, which apartments in Brisbane downtown and nearby are furnished, safe and have good facilities.

These are my recommendations, in this order:

1. Quay West, on Alice Street overlooking the Botanical Gardens.

Consistently rated as the number one hotel in Brisbane on TripAdvisor.
One and two bedroom suites, with daily service and room service. Pool, gym, restaurant. Large balcony. Great location and great views from all suites. The one bedroom suites have kitchen, large living area with desk, laundry room, bathroom and large bedroom. Two modern flat screen TVs. The nicest pool in Brisbane. Operated by Mirvac.
Book here.

2. Felix Apartments on Felix Street at Eagle Street.

An apartment building that Oaks has turned into a short term stay building. Good location, and most rooms have river views. Pool. Partly air conditioned (not central air conditioning). No room service. No hotel facilities. Good clientèle. Weekly clean.
Book here.

3. Saville Hotel at SouthBank

Only 18 months old, one of the newest hotels in Brisbane. Great location, just out of the downtown, but with many good restaurants nearby. A full service modern hotel. Pool and gym. Room service.
Book here.

4. Oaks - 212 Margaret Street

This was once a good place to stay, but now has a large construction site next door. No services.
Book here.

5. Oxygen Apartments, at Spring Hill

This is a favourite place for IT workers. Small apartments, just out of the city. No services.
Book here.

...

The best hotel, for a standard hotel room, is Stamford Plaza, on the Brisbane River. Book here.