Beginning of new era for square

The Ipswich City Square building on the corner of Bell and Brisbane Sts is going to be demolished.

DEMOLITION on parts of the Ipswich City Square site could start before Christmas as part of the huge billion dollar redevelopment of the CBD.

Tenants on the corner of Brisbane and Bell Sts have been notified that they will have to leave the building by October 25.

Both the Busy Beat Cafe and Aussie Home Loans businesses said the move was expected and they were in talks with Ipswich City Council to find new sites.

Ipswich City Properties (ICP) director Carl Wulff, who is also the council CEO, said the building to be constructed on the site will be a commercial office tower.

Mr Wulff said it was still in an early concept design phase, but would be a 10-storey building with retail businesses on the ground floor and underground parking.

He said the redevelopment, to be built by Leighton Properties, will revitalise the CBD.

“All going well, we hope to be on the site before Christmas. It might be after then, but before Christmas is our goal,” he said.

Mr Wulff said the tenants who are moving on understood the move was on the cards to make space for the new tower.

“The area ICP are looking at for the first stage of development going from the corner of Brisbane and Bell Sts to the food court (inside Ipswich City Square),” he said.

“The food court will still stay in operation, along with the St George Bank and the sports store; all that area will stay operating.

“The only area affected will be the Busy Beat Cafe, Aussie Home Loans and the area including where the council customer service building used to be.”

He said the final size and details of the building, along with what impacts construction will have on traffic and nearby business, would be addressed in their final development application.

Depending on negotiations with the tower’s potential tenant, the development application is expected to be lodged with council in the coming months.

He said the identity of the potential tenant was tied up in a confidentiality agreement, but Ipswich MP Rachel Nolan has previously mooted the move of Queensland Rail to a commercial office in the redevelopment.

Busy Beat deputy CEO Paul Miles said their business was keen to stay in the city and they were working hard to find a new home.

Aussie Home Loans principal Katy Stabile said they were looking at new sites.

Queensland Urban Utilities, another tenant in the building to be demolished, said they were also looking for a new Ipswich base.

Mr Wulff said it was exciting to see progress being made on the project after years of hard work.