Plans to convert former factory into major arts hub approved

A decommissioned Brisbane factory is set to be transformed into a major arts hub, with multiple entertainment venues and the potential for new apartments.

The 34,000 square metre former Yeronga Paint Factory at 115 Hyde Road was closed by Taubmans in 2015.

Food and drink outlets, art spaces, a theatre and an escape room are planned in the first stage of the new “integrated arts village”.

Market spaces, health services, a garden centre, a hardware store, microbrewery and hundreds of new homes may also be built.

Brisbane City Council approved the plans this week, and said building heights will range from four storeys to eight storeys.

The team behind the project said they were yet to see the final approved plans.

“Brisbane City Council’s development approval is a great first step in the future revitalisation of the former paint factory,” they said in a statement.

“Once we’ve received the formal approval, including council’s conditions, we will map out our next steps.”

Public submissions showed a range of views when the initial plans were first made public, with many residents supportive of aspects of the project but concerned about others including the potential impact of medium-rise construction in the area.

The Yeronga Paint Factory is within the ward of councillor Nicole Johnston, who told this masthead she is also keen to see the final approved plans.

“Our community supports revitalisation of the old Taubmans paint factory site, but has been very clear that high-rise development well beyond the heights allowed under City Plan, together with no new infrastructure, will create adverse impacts,” she said.

The first stage of development will have 64 car spaces for visitors and staff. Up to 200 spaces will be available for events.

“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,” Ross Elliott, chair of the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Initiative, said in a statement.

“The Paint Factory project does just this.

“In the same way that former industrial areas like James Street, New Farm have over time converted into vibrant mixed-use precincts, the same can happen in other precincts across the city.”

The project designers said their plans were inspired by other repurposed industrial facilities, including the Brisbane Powerhouse and Carriageworks in Sydney.

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