Brisbane City Council greenlights $450m Toowong project The Aviary

Construction is now due to start in 2021 for a transformative project in the Brisbane riverside suburb of Toowong, after the city council approved the $450 million mixed-use development to be named "The Aviary".

Also described as the Toowong Town Centre, the development sits opposite the iconic Toowong Village shopping centre with plans for 150 residential apartments, 30 retail spaces, an office tower, a cinema, a fresh food market and an elevated outdoor dining precinct.

While State Development Corporation and White & Partners Sydney have claimed the project is not designed to rival Toowong Village, it has strong potential to steal some of its thunder upon completion in 2023.

Drawing inspiration from The Grove shopping centre in Los Angeles, California, The Aviary was designed by Brisbane architecture firm Nettleton Tribe, known for major urban planning projects including the recently developed Montague Markets in West End.

The developers believe The Aviary will change Brisbane's western suburbs with an entirely new streetscape they believe will become a thriving lifestyle destination for the area.

Covering 9,000sqm, the precinct at the corner of High Street and Sherwood Road comes in response to increasing demand from Brisbane businesses seeking a suburban presence away from the CBD.

State Development Corporation managing director Ross McKinnon says the project aligns with office tenants' changing needs and complements current trends in urban planning that are helping reshape Brisbane's suburbs.

"The significant growth of mixed-used developments is a result of community demand for self-sufficient hubs based on walkability and convenience," says McKinnon.

"If businesses have learned anything from COVID-19, it's that we don't all have to be working in the city to maximise productivity.

"While it's still early days, we expect to see more office users make the shift to central hubs like The Aviary for the lifestyle benefits, where everything you need is at your fingertips and you don't have to travel into the CBD."

McKinnon says the project is a one-in-50-year opportunity to revive community amenity in Toowong, bringing "enhanced liveability to Brisbane's western suburbs for a generation".

"This will be the fifth project State Development Corporation has undertaken in the inner western suburbs, demonstrating our commitment to this close city precinct," he says.

Dan White, partner at White & Partners, says he is proud to team up with State Development Corporation to bring The Aviary to Toowong.

"This will be the third project we have undertaken in partnership with State Development Corporation in Toowong," says White.

"We have always believed that Toowong offers both businesses and consumers fantastic amenities and a great location, and so we are excited by the opportunity we have with The Aviary to create a vibrant and diverse precinct.

"As a family business founded in Queensland, we are proud to be a part of a project that will create great local job and business opportunities and contribute to the continued growth of the Queensland economy."

Developer estimate the development will creating 400 local jobs.

Business News Australia