Dough will rise:High-rise planned for old Brisbane bread factory

Developers have proposed using heritage-listed brick buildings to support a new retail and dining precinct underneath a high-rise unit tower project in Fortitude Valley.

Keating’s bread factory was built in 1907 and has been repurposed since 1945,most recently used as an architectural showroom and offices.

An artist’s impression of the residential tower planned for the heritage-listed Keating’s bread factory site in Fortitude Valley.

An artist’s impression of the residential tower planned for the heritage-listed Keating’s bread factory site in Fortitude Valley.Supplied

The Warry Street site,which backs on to Kennigo Street,near the intersection with St Paul’s Terrace,sold last year for almost $16 million.

It is now the subject of a development application to Brisbane City Council.

According to documents lodged with council,the heritage-listed brick buildings would remain in the redevelopment but some more modern buildings and extensions would be demolished.

The largely undeveloped corner of the site - extending from a bitumen car park to a courtyard - would be excavated to provide four levels of underground parking and foundations for the 15-storey tower.

“At the ground level the footprints of the heritage buildings will be integrated with the new built environment by linking them to the pedestrian laneway which will be activated by food and retail outlets,” the documents state.

An artist’s impression of the Keating’s bread factory redevelopment.

An artist’s impression of the Keating’s bread factory redevelopment.Supplied

“The heritage buildings will retain their commercial office uses for now but over time,uses may gradually change to retail and/or dining once the development is complete,with a residential population living at the site and as the laneway becomes known beyond the resident population.

“The scheme will reveal the heritage elevations on the sides of the Warry Street buildings in the middle of the site.”

The tower appears modern in design but with brick features on the lower levels that hang over the heritage-listed buildings.

The heritage-listed Keating’s bread factory in Fortitude Valley.

The heritage-listed Keating’s bread factory in Fortitude Valley.Supplied

Irish-born baker Thomas Keating employed 12 workers at the factory and had five horse-drawn carts to deliver bread. In 1888,the factory was using at least 40 tonnes of flour a month,and by 1907 had expanded to provide better facilities and storage for 10,000 loaves of bread.

The site was heritage-listed in 2004,partly as an example of manufacturing in Fortitude Valley in the early 20th century.

Sean Parnell is the Editor of Brisbane Times. He has won journalism awards for analysis,investigations,news and sport,written a biography,and has a Graduate Certificate in (Digital) Business Administration. Sean lives in Brisbane with his family.

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