New 28-storey tower planned opposite Breakfast Creek Hotel to transform Albion

A prime corner block in Brisbane’s Albion would be transformed into 166 homes in a 28-storey tower, with design inspiration from the neighbouring Breakfast Creek Hotel, a new development application reveals.

Frank Developments have submitted plans for 60 Kingsford Smith Drive to Brisbane City Council for the project, dubbed Avela, that would also include a food and drink outlet, shop and indoor and sport recreation space.

The proposal includes a mix of two and three-bedroom apartments with terraces, one four-bedroom penthouse and 252 car parks.

A level-one wellness floor would include a pickleball court, therapy rooms, hot and cold plunge pools, sauna and gym, with two more pools on level 16 and 18.

Frank Developments’ Project Director and Manager James Strahan said the 2,433sq m site Avela site, opposite the historic Breakfast Creek Hotel, demanded something extraordinary.

“We recognised that opportunities like this rarely come along,” he said.

“This wasn’t simply about developing a site; it was about defining a gateway to Brisbane and creating a landmark that would contribute to the city’s next chapter.”

Architect designs by Studio Kennon show the 28-storey tower would have two other interconnected micro-towers, at 19 and 17 storeys, with inspiration taken from other famous corner blocks around the world.

“A major urban intersection presents a rare canvas for architectural placemaking, transforming a mere convergence of roads into a defining civic landmark,” Kennon’s design report says.

“Historically, structures that master unique site geometries — such as the Flatiron Building in New York, Toronto’s Gooderham Building, and the Hearst Building, do more than just occupy a corner; they command converging sightlines to become enduring symbols of their cities.

“By embracing the dynamic angles and high traffic of this specific site, our current development possesses a generational opportunity to capture the public’s eye.”

The designs also show how the colour palette was inspired by the iconic pub’s facade.

Under the current Brisbane City Plan 2014 and the Albion Neighbourhood Plan, the current acceptable building height limit for the site is 10 storeys.

But nearby developments have already been approved by council to go much higher.

Frank Developments’ Alba project at 92 Kingsford Smith Drive has been approved for 19 storeys and is under construction, across the water at Breakfast Creek Quarter there is approval for 28 storeys, and 11 Sandgate Road has approval for 17.

Earlier this year, leading design and urban planning firm Urbis identified Albion as one of three inner city sleeping giants primed to be drastically transformed.

Urbis managing partner James Tuma said at the time Albion presented an opportunity to transform a strategically located, flood‑affected inner‑city precinct into a thriving and resilient mixed‑use neighbourhood.

As part of the development application, Frank Developments commissioned Urbis to write an “Urban Context Report” to examine the project’s height and position in city’s growing inner north.

“(60 KSD) will deliver significant housing uplift through precinct-based renewal, infrastructure investment, and Olympic-led redevelopment, positioning Albion, Newstead, and Bowen Hills as high-density mixed-use communities that absorb a large share of Brisbane’s 115,000+ new homes,” the report found.

“Brisbane cannot reach its full potential as a liveable, connected and globally competitive city without preparing for further height uplift in well-located precincts that maximise natural assets, amenity and infrastructure.”