MASTERPLAN APPROVED FOR BRISBANE ART PRECINCT

This precinct will shape the concept of ‘live, work and visit’ into an Australian-first precinct catering both to those who work in the creative industries and those keen to make a home in an arts-focused community.

The project marks one of the most substantial suburban renewal efforts in Brisbane outside the inner city. Unlike CBD-scale developments, the Yeronga proposal combines residential, retail and cultural activity in a single masterplan, a format more common in larger metropolitan centres overseas.

The Paint Factory Development Director Paul Hey, a Yeronga resident of more than 23 years, said the village would firmly put Brisbane on the map as a vibrant and innovative destination that took its cues from creative and arts-focused precincts globally.

The factory was the Taubmans paint manufacturing plant from 1939 to 2015. With the site currently designated as low-impact industrial land, the approval paves the way for a two-stage development featuring converted spaces for creative industries and a series of new apartment buildings.

With the Council's green light, the development has now taken a step forward, with the design based on plans prepared in 2023 by Wolter Consulting in collaboration with landscape architecture practice Dunn and Moran, and architectural design firm Mode Design. The build encompasses architecturally designed residences and communal zones alongside green spaces, street art and outdoor performance spaces. The design team has also cited inspiration from repurposed cultural landmarks including the Brisbane Powerhouse at New Farm and Sydney’s Carriageworks, both examples of industrial buildings given new life as arts destinations. 

Ross Elliott, chair of the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Initiative, praised the use of redundant land for renewal, as opposed to an entirely new build. “Suburban renewal means making the most of what we already have, by repurposing older suburban land uses into contemporary places which meet today’s community needs. The Paint Factory project does just this,” Elliott said.

The first stage of proposed works includes the reworking of the paint factory to the south of the site, including food and drink outlets, art spaces, a theatre and an escape room, as well as 64 car parks for visitors and staff with up to 200 spaces for events. Early plans for Stage 2 show the precinct could also feature:

• Market spaces and health services
• A garden centre and hardware outlet
• A microbrewery
• Multiple entertainment venues

As part of stage two of the works, a collection of apartment buildings are proposed on the north-side of the site. The redevelopment plans feature buildings ranging from four to eight storeys, including five residential buildings, paving the way for hundreds of new homes.

Developers behind the proposal have described the approval as an early but important milestone. They stated that formal next steps would be mapped out once final conditions were provided by council.