A MAJOR $250 million redevelopment of Capalaba’s town centre is aiming to reverse years of disconnection, poor planning and antisocial behaviour.
The area has long been criticised for having “no clear main street or town heart”, and limited appeal outside of daytime retail hours – issues developers say have led to safety concerns and underinvestment in one of the Redlands’ key hubs.
“Capalaba is a prime example,” said Cameron McColl, Acting CEO of Redland Investment Corporation (RIC), the Council-owned company leading the transformation.
“It’s a challenging site that hasn’t had a cohesive masterplan in the past.
“There are two major shopping centres that don’t connect well, no clear main street or town heart, limited street appeal, and a lack of a nighttime economy – which has contributed to anti-social behaviour.”
While Capalaba functions as a major transport interchange, with a busy bus station and links to the future Eastern Busway, Mr McColl said the broader precinct had become disconnected and neglected over time.
The new Capalaba Revitalisation Project – a partnership between RIC and property giant Shayher Group – seeks to create a safer, better-connected, and more vibrant urban centre, anchored by a new civic building, public square, library, arts centre and premium commercial offices.
Nathan Moore, Director of RWC Bayside, said a previous attempt to create a civic precinct in the early 2000s failed to bring Capalaba to life.
“It was designed to be a Council service centre, library, and community facilities – and to provide a potential link between the two shopping centres,” Mr Moore said.
“Now, obviously, that worked at the time, but it never really became the catalyst project that it needed to be to get Capalaba’s heart beating.
“And it did attract, in its later years, some fairly undesirable activity in there, particularly after dark.”
The current redevelopment is designed to avoid those same mistakes, with a strong emphasis on street-level activity, green public spaces, cultural attractions, and a layout that physically connects Capalaba Park and Capalaba Central shopping centres.
“You can see the heavy focus on community and open green space – which is, again, a significant departure in terms of quality and inviting atmosphere from what we’ve seen previously,” Mr Moore said.
A new amphitheatre – designed in consultation with Opera Queensland and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra – will support community concerts and performance events, while the library and council service centre will be flanked by commercial offices.
“It’s time to put the big boy pants on and become a major city in terms of South East Queensland,” Mr Moore said.
The old Council centre has already been demolished, with construction on the first new building expected to begin before Christmas once a building tender is finalised in October.
