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New Specialty Fresh Food Hub Coming To Toowong When Woolies Opens In 2022

Toowong will get a new specialty fresh food hub after Woolworths announced plans to open for trade at the Toowong Village starting in late 2022.

Read: Dovercourt: Stunning Heritage Landmark in Toowong to Undergo Makeover

Woolworths agreed to enter into a 10-year lease at Toowong Village and will operate at the Gallery level of the shopping centre, occupying more than 4,000 sqm for its fresh food hub. Fresco Asian Supermarket will team up with Woolies on Level 1, where site works are already underway.

Retail First, the company that manages Woolworths in Toowong, said that this has been welcome news for traditional Woolworths’ shoppers in the Toowong catchment, and positions Toowong Village as a specialty and fresh food hub.

Woolworths’ leasing team is reaching out to enhance the food offering for the centre. Retail First Managing Director, Steven Bridges said exciting leasing opportunities are available now for food retail and fresh food options, and their leasing team would be keen to chat about what Toowong Village can offer.

“The changes enable Toowong Village to progress in line with customer expectations, together with the suburb’s growth in high density living, the planned Town Centre mixed-use development opposite Toowong Village, and the Council’s proposed Green Bridge from West End,” Mr Bridges said.

“We recently conducted customer surveys and paid close attention to what our customers would like to see in the shopping centre. David Jones relinquishing the current lease has created an opportunity for us to strengthen our grocery offer and meet the needs of the community,” Mr Bridges said.

According to Mr Bridges, the residual space on Level 1 has had strong interest from large footprint retailers, and that Retail First will make further announcements once negotiations are finalised.

Toowong Village will remain open during the changes and all efforts will be made to ensure disruption to shoppers and current retailers is kept to a minimum.

Sumptuous Vegan, Vegetarian Options Now Up At Regatta’s River Road Cafe

Photo credit: regattahotel.com.au

Regatta Hotel’s River Road Cafe in Toowong dropped a new menu and it features some fresh vegetarian and vegan options that would please even the most discerning palate.

Read: Dovercourt: Stunning Heritage Landmark in Toowong to Undergo Makeover

Open for breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner, the restaurant offers sumptuous yet healthy dishes such as Thai beef salad, halloumi and chickpea, shakshuka, house-made nut and seed granola, and pulled pork nachos.

Regatta’s new menu adds a twist to the classics, like their eggs benedict with smoky pulled pork perched on top of English muffin and drizzled with hollandaise sauce.

Then their shakshuka, which are softly baked eggs surrounded by simmering tomatoes, halloumi, chickpeas, torn herbs, and sourdough toast will make you want to come back for more.

This quaint sidewalk cafe, located outside of Regatta Hotel, is a nice little spot for takeaway or customers looking for a small bite to eat. It offers a relaxed dining experience right on the river.

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Some of their best-selling items from their previous menu included loaded nachos, beer battered fish and chips, and chicken schnitzel. They continue to serve up a selection of steak, fish and chicken dishes with a selection of salads and sides.

Read: Enjoy a Picnic at the Toowong Winter in the Vineyards Pop-Up

If you want to come by to have a taste of their new menu, visit Regatta Hotel’s River Road Cafe at 543 Coronation Dr, Toowong. They are open seven days a week 06:30 am – 3:00 pm/ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm. Reservations are not required. Visit regattahotel.com.au to view the full menu or check out their social media pages for updates.

Dovercourt: Stunning Heritage Landmark in Toowong to Undergo Makeover

Dovercourt, a stunning 1864 colonial homestead in Toowong, is set to get a multi-million dollar makeover from its new owner.

Kirtsty Faichen has filed a development application (DA A005718313) to conduct operational work on the heritage site. The new owner is also seeking to reconfigure and subdivided the land, spanning 7,036 square metres, for additional building work and home improvements.

In the development application, Ms Faichen detailed the intention to retain 4,000 square metres of Dovercourt as a family home and to pour multi-million dollars into restoring the colonial house.

Dovercourt once belonged to the Bigge family for over 90 years. Ms Faichen, who is a lawyer and a heritage site campaigner, bought the property in 2020.

She and her family knew this would be a keeper when they discovered a trapdoor in a hidden cellar in the kitchen. Even today, the house still has its original dumbwaiter and massive folding doors dividing the dining room and kitchen.

The lawyer said she will invest in getting this restoration right by refurbishing the unusable rooms and improving the plumbing and electrical matters of the old house.

*Photo Credit: Savills/realcommercial.com.au*

In doing the restorations, Ms Faichen said that she has gotten access to some of the photos of the house from the 1800s to the early 1900s. The lawyer will also work with a heritage landscape architect to protect the trees and shrubs around the property.

As for the additional five houses to be built on the property, Ms Faichen said it will be in character and will have similar features as the colonial house.

She has produced a book about Dovercourt, which will be showcased to her new neighbours in Toowong during a planned open house, where she will tell them about her plans for the development. On 30 June 2021, a public notification has also been issued where locals may submit their inputs on the upcoming project.

Photo Credit: Developmenti/Brisbane City Council

Architect William Henry Ellerker designed and built the Dover Court Cottage as his own home. Mr Ellerker is known for designing heaps of properties in Brisbane, including the Teneriffe House and the commercial sites in Queen Street. In the late 1890s, the Bigge family moved into Dovercourt to become their family home for three generations.

Fresco, Woolworths to Replace David Jones in Toowong Village

David Jones has permanently closed in Toowong Village and the retailer’s site has already been snapped up by Fresco and Woolworths.

The first floor will become Fresco’s newest location following its bid to expand in Brisbane. In February 2021, Fresco opened its Pinelands Plaza (Sunnybank Hills) outlet and it is on track to open more supermarkets in Sunny Park, Runcorn and Calamvale.

The store offers wide-ranging Asian grocery items, as well as Western supermarket finds, fresh produce and meat, including seafood. Its Toowong site is an ideal market as it’s close to the University of Queensland, where there are many Asian students. The store will be ready to open when international students return to Queensland in 2022.

Meanwhile, David Jones Toowong Village’s gallery level will be occupied by Woolworths after closing a 10-year lease and it’s also due to open in 2022.

In a statement, Retail First Managing Director Steven Bridges said that Woolworths’ addition will be great news for its loyal shoppers.

“We have been keen to secure Woolworths into Toowong Village since their long trading store opposite the Village closed on the 1st January 2017. Woolworths’ commitment demonstrates industry confidence in Toowong Village, and further complements the Village’s strong trading fresh food hub.”

Toowong Village has not yet confirmed who will move into the remaining space vacated by David Jones. The retailer has been holding its final sale before trading ends for good after 5:30 p.m. on Friday, 18 June 2021.

Homeware and bedding items have been put at half price whilst the clothes department for men, women and children have been selling at 30 percent discount. Cosmetics, lingerie and jewellery prices have also been significantly marked down.

Enjoy a Picnic at the Toowong Winter in the Vineyards Pop-Up

Mark those calendars because the Regatta Hotel in Toowong is about to host the Winter in the Vineyards pop-up to celebrate the new season!

From now until the end of August 2021, the Regatta Hotel in Toowong is set to host a special wintertime pop-up dubbed Winter in the Vineyards every Wednesday to Sunday. Here, attendants will be able to enjoy picnics amongst themselves and indulge in some locally-sourced antipasto in a cosy vineyard setting. People can also expect to find delectable snacks and desserts like baked jersey brie, goats cheesecake with sesame pastry crust, and of course, salumi plates.

Picnics hosted at the hotel serve up to two people, and they come with a large salumi share plate, a bottle of wine, and a picnic blanket that customers can take home.

Mulled wine.
Photo credit: Instagram/regattahotel

Every Sunday, starting from the 20th of June 2021, the Regatta Hotel’s mulled wine cart will roll into the venue. Event-goers will be able to indulge themselves with delicious beverages perfect for winter such as classic mulled wine, mulled apple cider, and hot honey mead, all to the sound of live music from Benjam band.

Then, on the 27th of June 2021, Winter in the Vineyards invites Brisbane to partake in the Harvest Festival to celebrate local produce, with market stalls offering a variety of local cheese, antipasto and wine while live music plays in the background to create a warm winter atmosphere.

Winter in the Vineyards will be hosted at The Regatta Hotel, which can be found at 543 Coronation Dr, Toowong every Wednesday to Sunday from 11:30 a.m. til late, though the mulled wine cart will only be available on Sundays from 2:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

For more information, visit their event page here. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on dates, details, and other special announcements concerning the event.

Perrin Park Site Unsuitable for New Primary School, Residents Say

The existence of a bat colony and a sewage pump station will make Perrin Park in Toowong an unsuitable location for the planned new primary school in west Brisbane, according to residents in the area.

Locals have expressed their concerns for the site, which is one of only two choices that the Education Department has laid out in the second round of community consultations for the new west Brisbane primary school in 60 years.

Aside from the bat colony and the occasional sewage smell, Ross Anderson, the president of Toowong Harriers Athletics Club, voiced out his concerns over the potential loss of green space for the community.

The Harriers have been leasing Perrin Park from Council for sports activities for the last 40 years. Community groups, sports clubs and school clubs hire the park from them regularly for practices and events, and their bookings have been filled up until September 2021, which means that the park is quite an active space.

The land, however, has been capped and resurfaced with clay, which requires regular maintenance and would be destroyed if used as a school playground. Mr Anderson also said that Perrin Park is in a flood zone, which means it’s a high-risk site for a school unless a solid flood mitigation plan is in place.

According to Michael Berkman, Greens MP for Maiwar, the proposed new primary school will stand on Gailey Road next to the old Toowong Bowls Club and a community meeting place. There is an SES Depot on the site as well that the Council uses for “operational” purposes.

Photo Credit: Michael Berkman, Greens MP for Maiwar/Facebook

If the State Government decides on this location, instead of Indooroopilly State High School (ISHS), the SES Depot will be moved to another site, freeing up 6,000 square meters of land. Combined with the empty Toowong Bowls Club, the site will have about 16,000 square meters for the new school.

“[It will] be large enough for our new primary school, with play space included, and potentially even enough land to consider a swimming pool or other facilities that could be open to the wider public,” Mr Berman said.

Councillor James Mackay said that Council does not want the community to lose its green space or even the old Toowong Bowls Club, which is supposed to be leased for community use. However, west Brisbane badly needs a new primary school that could accommodate 900 students. There are also implications that the State Government may consider negotiating a land swap with the Council if the Toowong site is chosen.

Mr Berkmans acknowledged that there’s no ideal option for the new school’s location as both Perrin Park and ISHS have issues. However, this is an urgent demand that the community has to decide on before the target opening date of the new school in 2024.

Public consultations are still ongoing until 30 June 2021. Locals are enjoined to fill out the survey form or email BuildingFutureSchools@qed.qld.gov.au. for their feedback and suggestions.

Modern Boxed Units to Replace Linden Lea in Toowong

Losing Linden Lea still leaves a sore spot among the residents of Archer Street in Toowong but there’s more local outrage about this controversial inner west site as a new development plan reveals what’s going to replace one of the last Tudor-style homes in Brisbane.

Town Planning Alliance has lodged a development application (DA A005505915), on behalf of Linden Lea’s owner, Klinkert Investments, detailing plans to construct modern boxed units on the demolished site.

The developer said that the proposed structure goes in line with the Auchenflower-Toowong Neighbourhood Plan and has been designed and reconfigured to be consistent with the streetscape.

The modern boxed units appear to have six levels — basement, lower ground floor, actual ground floor, level one, level two and rooftop — to accommodate four apartment units. On the other hand, the front side takes up the space that used to be a garden.

However, locals and heritage lovers alike object to the development, describing the planned new building as “worlds apart” from the majestic character house. They wonder how the modern house could be assimilated with the rows of character houses on Archer Street.

Further issues were raised following a meeting with the owner, Mr Stephen Klinkert, and the architect of the apartment unit. The neighbours informed them that the construction could impact the stability of the pre-war houses next to it given the bulk and the proximity of the building to the other structures.

Neighbours failed to save Linden Lea from demolition in March 2021 amidst a last-minute bid to list the house as a heritage site. However, the Queensland Heritage Act did not have authority over the development and could not issue a stop-order.

Linden Lea’s owners filed for full demolition in 2017 and Brisbane City Council rejected the application. They submitted an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court, which overturned Council’s decision in 2019.

The development application is still undergoing review as of press time. The Toowong community is hoping that all issues will be considered prior to the approval.

Toowong, St Lucia to West End Green Bridges Confirmed After Overwhelming Support

After a four-month consultation period and more than 4,000 responses from the locals, the locations of the third and fourth green bridges to link West End to Toowong and St Lucia have been confirmed.

Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said that the bridge from Toowong to West End will have its landing sites at the former ABC property on Coronation Drive and Forbes Street in West End. About 83 percent of the residents agreed to this proposal, whilst 64 percent supported the plan to have a green bridge at Guyatt Park in St Lucia to connect to West End’s Orleigh Park.

Mr Schrinner said that the new owners of the former ABC site, Consolidation Property Group, have been aware of the proposal, which will become part of its upcoming development plans.

Council will soon be working on a detailed business case that will carefully map out the estimates and benefits of the Toowong to West End and St Lucia to West End green bridges, including the funding and time frame for construction.

“We will now proceed to develop business cases for each of these bridges and commence detailed design work. The rise of e-mobility is illustrating just how important major infrastructure like this is to connect communities and reduce our reliance on motor vehicles,” Councillor Ryan Murphy said.

Meanwhile, Council said that the Toowong to West End green bridge will be able to cater to 3,400 trips a day in 10 years. Per the residents’ response, the Toowong site is third on the priority list after the construction of the green bridges in Kangaroo Point and Breakfast Creek. These bridges are earmarked for construction by late 2021 and should be completed in 2023.

Only the fifth bridge’s location has yet to be determined.

Cue Up: One of the Hottest Billiard Lounges in Toowong

Come unwind with some drinks, shisha, and a few friendly games of pool at Cue Up, one of the hottest billiards venues on High Street in Toowong.

For $25, Toowong’s very own Cue Up lets people compete against one another from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. with unlimited games of pool and table football.

The venue doubles as a lounge which closes at 2:00 a.m., where people are free to stick around and hang out after their respective games have ended. Drinks are free and plentiful between 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., as a special promotion. Did we also mention that BYOB is also allowed?

Photo credit: Instagram/Cue Up (Billiard Lounge)

Shisha, in a variety of flavours, is also available at the venue. Cue Up also has 12 different flavours of Peters Ice Cream so customers literally can pick their pleasure.

Based on customer reviews, visitors like the ambiance and value for money that the lounge provides. One person refers to it as the “Best pool hall in Brisbane.”

The billiard and shisha lounge can be found at 27 High St, Toowong, open every day from 1:00 p.m. to 2:00 a.m. Follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates on deals, dates, and other special announcements.

Toowong ABC Site: New Developer Plans a Waterfront Residential Precinct

The former ABC site in Toowong has been sold to another developer which has plans to build a waterfront residential precinct sometime in mid-2022, pending the submission of a development application.

Consolidated Property Group bought the prime riverside property from Sunland for $43.5 million after months of negotiations. Sunland, which purchased the ABC site in 2013 for $20 million, also proposed a residential development, which was rejected at the Supreme Court in 2018.

James MacGinley of Consolidated Property Group said that they are hoping to have two or three residential buildings with 200 to 250 dwellings on the 1.5-hectare lot. The development will also include a waterfront open space and wider cycle paths to link to St Lucia’s Bicentennial Bikeway.

However, the design still hinges on Council’s upcoming Green Bridge development, which is still in the public consultation process. Mr MacGinley said that they will “welcome the bridge on our site” and look forward to transforming the precinct into a luxury riverfront community.

Don O’Rorke, the chief executive of Consolidated Property Group, said that they have a more “conventional vision” for the former ABC site and will follow a code-assessed application. Potentially, the heritage-listed Middenbury House could be transformed for public use as well, either as a spa or restaurant.

Maiwar Greens MP Michael Berkman has staunchly called on the Council and the State Government to buy back the ABC site to develop as a public community space. He said that this new deal between Sunland and Consolidated Property Group was a missed opportunity “to return this site to public hands.”

“I do think it’s positive that the green bridge could still land here, as my understanding from hundreds of conversations with west side locals is there’s overwhelming community support for this,” Mr Berkman said in a statement. “I’m concerned the developer hasn’t specified how much of the land will be public space, and how accessible it’ll be, or what form that might take.”

“Under our incredibly broken planning laws, the community has no genuine consultation or appeal rights on this development because it’ll be Code Assessable. This is exactly why we need to overhaul the Planning Act and make all major developments impact assessable.”

“The developer has indicated they’ll seek community input on planning the site, so my focus now is ensuring residents’ voices are heard. Stay tuned for next steps.”