West End Bridge Lands on Developer’s Doorstop

One of two new green bridges linking Brisbane's West End will link with a site that sold this year for $43.5 million and is primed for a major development project.

The two pedestrian bridges, which will also cater for bicycles, will cost more than $550 million. Will have their landings at Orleigh Park, West End.

One of the bridges will link to Guyatt Park, St Lucia and the other to 600 Coronation Drive, Toowong, the former ABC site now owned by Consolidated Properties Group.

CPG group chief operating officer James MacGinley said the speculated location of the bridge had not affected the decision to acquire the site.

“We looked at this very carefully and, while at the time community consultation regarding the placement of the green bridges was still under way, community sentiment was already favouring 600 Coronation Drive as the preferred landing location,” MacGinley said.

“So our feeling was that it was always going to be a likely outcome right from the start.”

Related: [+] Behind the Deal: Consolidated’s Vision for Toowong

A contract was signed on the 15,000sq m Toowong site in March for $43.5 million and CPG hopes to launch a project by the end of this year.

“We’ve been very open in communicating publicly since our acquisition that our vision for the site included three residential buildings without the green bridge, or two with the green bridge,” MacGinley said.

“So now that a decision has been made, we will be moving forward with two luxury residential buildings that comply with Brisbane City Council’s City Plan.”

Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said the council would now prepare the concept designs and preliminary business cases for the two West End bridges.

“The level of community feedback on the alignment options was impressive with more than 4000 responses received during the four-month consultation period,” Schrinner said.

“With 83 per cent of survey respondents supporting 600 Coronation Drive and 64 per cent backing Guyatt Park, it’s crystal clear that Brisbane residents want green bridges and know exactly where they want them.”

Shrinner said they would work on the Toowong bridge as a first priority and would work with state and federal governments to secure more funding.

The new bridges will also benefit many developers pushing projects in West End including Manly Properties' residential dual-towers, Crown Group’s 400-plus dwelling plans, and Sekisui House’s mixed-use development.

Brisbane City Council is planning to build five pedestrian bridges across the river during the next 10 years including the $190-million Kangaroo Point bridge and Breakfast Creek bridge.