The Property Council’s Queensland Retail Property of the Year, Howard Smith Wharves has turned a once derelict piece of prime land into a diner’s delight.
Howard Smith Wharves was awarded the state’s most prestigious retail property title recently for “breathing life into one of Brisbane’s most historic sites,” says Property Council Queensland executive director, Chris Mountford.
“Howard Smith Wharves is an outstanding example of urban regeneration, capturing some of the most iconic parts of our city.”
Construction of the wharves began in the 1930s in conjunction with the Story Bridge. The Howard Smith Wharves were developed by the Queensland Government to provide locals with relief work during the Great Depression. The site was originally constructed as the Brisbane Central Wharves and was then leased by shipping company, Howard Smith Co Ltd.
Largely abandoned in the 1960s after the port moved downstream, these spaces – including a two-storey office building, storage sheds and wharfage – are a rare example of early infrastructure building in Brisbane.
Today, the historic 3.4-hectare wharf and heritage-listed buildings celebrate the best of Brisbane’s dining scene.
The transformation project is being led by HSW Nominees and Adam Flaskas, HWS Nominees was chosen to undertake the revitalisation by Brisbane City Council because of its rich pedigree of heritage-listed projects. Brisbane local Hutchinson Builders is the project’s construction partner.
“Howard Smith Wharves brings together an array of high-quality restaurants, function areas, a boutique hotel and public open space,” Mountford says.
“A once-derelict piece of prime land just minutes from the Brisbane CBD has been transformed into the city’s hottest food and beverage precinct, enhancing Brisbane’s offering to residents and visitors.”
Howard Smith Wharves also took home the ‘Excellence in Food Retailing’ award, a remarkable achievement in its own right.
The Property Council also applauds Amanda Attard from AMP Capital for winning Emerging Retail Property Professional of the Year Award, a brand-new category introduced to this year’s awards to acknowledge up and coming talent in the retail property sector.
“All those nominated have shown outstanding achievements and contribute to the success of the Queensland retail sector,” Mountford concludes.