Aria Files Plans For 17-Storey South Brisbane Tower

Aria Property Group has filed plans for its 11th apartment tower in South Brisbane. 

The 17-storey Richards & Spence and Bates Smart-designed tower is planned for 33 Manning Street on part of a 4562sq m site of amalgamated lots across Manning, Edmonstone and Melbourne streets.

Aria’s development director Brent Liddell said the tower was planned as the first stage of a masterplan for the site.

“It will be a multi-tower plan with an integrated ground floor podium,” Liddell said. 

“There are another two towers to come—we are working with the council on the design process.”

The first proposed tower would have a three-level podium and mezzanine, plus 84 residential units and 754sq m of commercial gym space. 

A five-level basement with 404 parking spaces will extend from under 33 Manning Street too 190 Melbourne Street, which has a heritage-listed building on it—a 1913-built, two-storey former corner store and residence of Lebanese immigrant Salem Malouf. 

▲ Bate Smart's images of the 33 Manning Street project in South Brisbane. Source: Aria Property Group.

Another heritage-listed building, the former Bonds Sweets Factory from 1951 at 164 Melbourne Street, will also not be affected.

That three-storey building now has a penthouse residence and was never used by Bonds Sweets but rather sold to a machinery manufacturer and then to Universal Pictures in 1954, before hosting the Museum of Contemporary Arts from 1989 to 1991. 

It too is currently tenanted by EF Learning College. 

Liddell said any non-heritage additions to the two buildings would be removed. 

“We want the buildings to retain their old fabric and character,” he said.

Aria bought the lots between 2018 and 2021 for a total $35 million. 

“We saw a real opportunity there,” Liddell said.

The first and second stages of construction will involve demolishing non-heritage buildingsa on the site and then setting a cap for the five-level basement.

The site is minutes from the Brisbane Convention Centre, the Fish Lane Town Square, Musgrave Park, South Bank Parklands, the South Brisbane Train Station and Brisbane State High School.

▲ The 33 Manning Street project in South Brisbane will include a rooftop deck and pool. Source: Aria Property Group.

Among its many projects past and present in the area, Aria is currently building the 14-storey, 110-apartment Trellis tower at 20-24 Edmonstone Street on the same block as well as the 30-storey, 180-apartment tower Upper House at 66 Hope Street. Both are scheduled for completion in 2023. 

Aria wanted to invest specifically in South Brisbane, Liddell said. 

“We are all locals here and we realised this is where we wanted to focus,” he said. 

“We want to develop buildings that we are proud of, that the locals are proud of.”

Also in the area, the Pyco Group has lodged plans for a DAH Architects-designed seven-storey, three-building project at 110 Vulture Street.

The 2119sq m site would have 36 townhouse units, each with two floors, and 48 car parking spaces.