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| Village wins National Planning Awards |
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The win is recognition from the profession that the Kelvin Grove Urban Village is leading the way in Australia in terms of planning, design and commitment to more sustainable development. The award was presented to the Department of Housing and Queensland University of Technology as project partners, along with the infrastructure consultants HASSELL, Connell Wagner and Project Services. The 2004 award follows on from the Royal Australian Planning Institute (now Planning Institute of Australia) National Award which the project won for its master plan in 2002. It shows that the Department of Housing and QUT are delivering on the project objectives in terms of design and construction of the infrastructure, and the design parameters for the buildings on site. |
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Busway opens up transport hub |
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Kelvin Grove Urban Village’s transport links have moved up a gear with the opening of the $135 million first stage of the Inner Northern Busway in February, upgraded bus services connecting QUT’s Kelvin Grove and Gardens Point campuses and the completion of a new bus shelter on Kelvin Grove Road. The Busway station at QUT’s Kelvin Grove campus links the Village with the services using the Inner Northern Busway, creating fast connections with the city, Royal Brisbane Hospital, Brisbane Showgrounds and the northern suburbs. The next stage of the Busway will include a station at the Normanby Fiveways, near the western edge of the Village. The 391 bus service connecting QUT’s Gardens Point and Kelvin Grove campuses has been upgraded to run every 15 minutes during semester and every 30 minutes during semester breaks. QUT students and staff can travel free on the 391 service, and other patrons pay the standard Council bus fare. The McCaskie Park bus shelter on Kelvin Grove Road has been purpose-built using some materials recycled from the former Gona Barracks building, with landscaping that blends with the Village precinct. The photovoltaic cell on its roof harnesses solar energy to feed power into the electricity grid. The bus shelter is linked to the Village heart by a landscaped walkway through McCaskie Park. |
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Residential developments progress to next stage |
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Residential developments in the Village are moving forward, with three projects currently in the design approval phase, and another three sites generating significant interest in Brisbane’s property market. Indigo’s Village Centre, incorporating more than 200 residential apartments as well as a full-line supermarket, retail shops and café strip, is expected to be released to the market in March, pending Council approval of its design. Indigo will also announce the supermarket tenant once negotiations are finalised. Badcock Wright’s units and townhouses on Lots 11 and 12 will also be released to the market soon, pending design approval from the Kelvin Grove Urban Village Project Control Group and the Brisbane City Council. Other land parcels currently for sale include Lot 9 for managed seniors’ accommodation, Lots 22 and 23 for managed student accommodation and Lot 17 for a boutique hotel/tavern. The sales process for these lots has moved into the second phase, with negotiations now taking place with a shortlist of developers who tendered for these lots. |
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Roadworks completed |
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Victoria Park Road is open to traffic again, following the completion of roadworks to widen and upgrade the road. Residents and visitors will benefit from the smoother traffic flow through the area, and the new foothpaths linking into the Village’s paths and landscaping. |
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A new home for Brisbane creatives |
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The Kelvin Grove Urban Village has come alive with students and visitors now that QUT’s $60 million Creative Industries Precinct is open. It will be used by students and staff in QUT's Creative Industries Faculty, which covers disciplines including communication design, journalism, fashion, film and television. The Precinct will unite experimentation, education, innovation and business into one high-tech hub, with an Enterprise Centre for the development of new and existing businesses, products and services in the creative industries. Work on the internal road and park will be completed by late April. A series of public events, exhibitions, displays and performances will then make this an important new creative destination for Brisbane. La Boite has already relocated to the Roundhouse Theatre in the Precinct, and kicked off its 2004 season with Brisbane author Nick Earls’ Zig Zag Street on 19 February. Both play and venue have been popular with theatre patrons, and the season has been extended to accommodate demand. |
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Year of the Built Environment |
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2004 is the Year of the Built Environment, a national initiative endorsed by the Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments and industry, environmental and community groups. The objective is to raise awareness about the built environment, its influence on our quality of life and directions for a positive and sustainable future. For more information, visit the Year of the Built Environment website. |
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Information Centre open for inspection |
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The Information Centre is open to the public every Tuesday from 2:00pm – 4:00pm, and the first Saturday of each month from 10:00am to 12:00pm. The Information Centre is located at 72 Victoria Park Road, Kelvin Grove. Feel free to call in and view the model of the Village, and site works from the back deck. |
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Useful links |
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Kelvin Grove Urban Village website Department of Housing Queensland University of Technology QUT Creative Industries Precinct The Village Centre (Indigo Projects) |
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