BRIS-VEGAS ENTERTAINMENT PRECINCT TAKES CENTRE STAGE
08 Jun 2016
Brisbane may soon have a new $2 billion entertainment quarter judging by the proposal for a Madison Square Garden-esque design over the Roma Street rail exchange just released by AEG-Ogden.
Proposed plans have been revealed for a massive $2 billion ‘Brisbane Live’ ultra-entertainment precinct set to be built above the Roma Street rail lines. Dubbed “an exciting idea that could reshape our city” by Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, the project has drawn comparisons in scope and design to icons such as Madison Square Garden in New York City and LA Live in Los Angeles.
The development project is led by AEG-Ogden, a subsidiary company of AEG, the world’s largest entertainment venue operator, and designed by The NRA Collaborative. ‘Brisbane Live’ is set to bring a new entertainment facility to the western edge of the CBD, making use of the air space above the rail lines as well as the connectivity that Roma Street has to every rail line in the SEQ rail network without requiring any land swapping or sales.
The centre of attention for the project so far is its new $450 million entertainment arena, which will seat 17,000 people and feature a 4000-capacity rock club. The surrounding complex will also include restaurants and bars, multiplex cinemas and a giant screen amphitheatre catering for around 15,000 people.
The planned Brisbane arena is set to be built above Brisbane’s largest railway interchange hub, Roma Street Station, in a design reminiscent of New York’s Madison Square Garden, which is situated atop Pennsylvania Station. The design will retain parts of the existing station building incorporated with new sections, all of which will be encased by the area’s podium. The rail interchange will remain fully functional while work commences.
New additions will also be added to the skyline surrounding the arena. Three new buildings that will be mostly for commercial will flank the site at Roma Street. Initial plans show a 90-storey residential tower, a connected commercial and hotel building, and a smaller tower. Further along, on the western edge of the proposed site, a proposed design for three cultural facilities that may be used as theatres and museums will also be constructed.
An important and pertinent part of the Brisbane live project is that it is a market-led proposal, meaning the development has been proposed and driven by the private sector. Given the benefits for any state government with a scheme this large, the proposal is highly likely to be completed.
This Brisbane-Live proposal will provide thousands of jobs, and ultimately create a flow on effect for Brisbane’s reputation as an international city; a reputation that will ultimately garner an influx of tourism for the state.
