The Queensland government will meet with developers at AEG Ogden on Friday to discuss whether a proposed $2-billion entertainment precinct will go ahead in Brisbane.
The Brisbane Live design by NRA collective takes inspiration from notable entertainment precincts around the world, such as the LA Live proposal in Los Angeles – another entertainment complex developed by AEG Ogden – and Melbourne’s Federation Square.
The scale of the project extends beyond entertainment to represent an entire new retail and residential precinct for the city. As well as a 17,000-seat area, Brisbane Live will include three commercial towers, a number of residential developments and 12 hectares of landscaped public parklands.
The site of the proposed design is slated to sit above three railway lines within the Roma Street railyards. The precinct would cover the entire existing suburban track as well as the yet-to-be-completed Brisbane Metro and the proposed Cross River Rail line. Brisbane Live would also adjoin the Roma Street parklands, which sit to the north of the railyards.
Friday’s meeting follows an extensive 12-month review process, wherein private companies were allowed to put forward proposals for government-owned land as part of a series of market-led proposals. Whether or not the proposed design for the Brisbane Live precinct will go ahead hinges on this week’s meeting between government and developer.
Brisbane Live is not the first market-led proposal initiative that has made it to stage two of the Queensland government’s approval process. The government initiative has also led to a proposed design for Queensland Aquarium and Maritime Museum in Brisbane’s Southbank precinct by Crossley Architects. Another project, which consists of updates to the Logan Motorway, has reached the final stage of the approval process.
The Brisbane Live design also joins a range of other projects proposed for construction over existing or planned railway lines across Australia. Similar projects include a residential tower over a Melbourne rail line by JCB Architects, Aspect Studios and SJB Planning in collaboration. A twin tower development by Woods Bagot has also been proposed for an area of rail between Perth and McIver stations in Western Australia.
