Self StoragePhil BartschMon 12 Oct 26
Time & Place Pitches Storage Scheme Neighbouring Brisbane’s NRL Heart
Developer Time & Place has filed plans to raise its new self-storage banner in Queensland on a site directly opposite Brisbane’s rugby league cauldron.
The proposal is for a five-storey self-stortage facility on a 5694sq m site across the road from the hallowed Suncorp Stadium at Milton in the city’s inner-west.
It is part of a long-term strategy by the Melbourne-based group to build its Storage X brand into a $1-billion-plus portfolio in the sector.
Under the plans, the proposed development would replace a multi-tenanted showroom and office complex at 97 Castlemaine Street, which also has frontages to Cordova and Black streets.
The scheme would deliver a 15,999sq m self-storage facility rising 19.1m from an undercroft and ground level to three upper storage levels.
According to a planning report prepared by Town Planning Alliance, despite exceeding the 15m building height limit, the scheme had been designed to “in response to the site’s established industrial context, adjoining residential interface and identified flooding constraints”.
The facility would sit on a raised platform “to provide above and beyond flood immunity…for additional peace of mind to future customers”.
“The exceedance of the maximum 15m height limit is considered to be a reasonable response to the significant flood constraints of the site,” the report said.
As well, it said with Suncorp Stadium being “a substantial established structure immediately opposite the site [that] considerably exceeds 15m in height…the proposed development provides an appropriate transition in building scale between the lower scale development within the low impact industry zone and the significantly greater built form of the stadium”.
But at a pre-lodgment meeting in March, the Brisbane City Council noted there was “concern with the bulk and scale of the proposal in combination with the uplift in height”.
“It is acknowledged that the site and area is impacted by flooding, however, this alone does not provide sufficient justification for an increase in building height,” it said.
“The nearby Kennards Self Storage, located opposite the subject site on Blackwood Street, adopts a height which is more consistent with the intended built form for the area and is equally impacted by flood. It is further noted that the majority of light industrial uses in this location (with the exception of the [XXXX] Brewery which is in a different precinct), remain relatively low in height.”
It also added: “The applicant has suggested that the built form of Suncorp Stadium provides justification for increased building height, however, this building is set within a large open plaza on three sides, is zoned as Community Use and has a city-wide function which is not anticipated for the light industrial areas.
“As such, the overall height of Suncorp Stadium is not considered to be appropriate justification for additional building height in the light industrial zones to the west.”
The scheme designed by McDougall Roberts Architecture and Consulting also features an entry and box shop customer area, double-height truck loading bays and parking for eight vehicles.
“The proposed height, scale and form remains in keeping with the amenity and character, community expectations and infrastructure assumptions of the surrounding area, given the substantial landholding that is the subject site and the exceedance of the maximum 15m height limit is limited to achieving flood immunity, whilst ensuring the provision of self-storage floor space that caters to the growing population of the surrounding inner city locality,” the documents said.
Time & Place acquired the Storage X brand in 2024, in partnership with financiers Ladon Capital.
Under current expansion plans, the portfolio will be more than 60,000sq m across six sites in Melbourne and Brisbane, and valued at $500 million. Sites in Sydney are also being designed.
