ICD Property has lodged a development application for a six-tower mixed-use residential precinct known as Riverside Lane at 25 Donkin Street and 9 Buchanan Street, West End. The proposal seeks to transform a 1.68-hectare industrial site on the Brisbane River into a high-density, subtropical precinct set to deliver more than 1,100 new residences, new public parkland, and a laneway connecting Hockings Street to Donkin Street.
According to Plus Studio, the masterplan is structured to “celebrate the meeting of river and city,” with three towers oriented to the riverfront and three facing the urban grid.
The proposal also incorporates a series of skybridges linking podium levels between the towers. According to Plus Studio, the bridges provide elevated communal spaces and circulation routes across the central laneway, while reinforcing the subtropical character of the development and breaking down the perceived mass of the podiums
The architectural language incorporates subtropical principles such as shading, open corridors, and sky gardens. Plus Studio note that the project is shaped by “active edges and permeable tower massing,” intended to encourage natural ventilation and reduce heat build-up at street level. Building forms are articulated with overhangs, balconies and varied façades to distinguish the six towers, while podium levels carry planting and public recreation spaces upwards into the built form.
Landscape architects Urbis propose a layered approach to the public realm, centred around a pedestrianised laneway linking Donkin and Hockings streets.
This spine will host cafés, dining, pop-up events and markets, with linkages to pocket parks and the riverfront. Mature heritage fig trees over 200 years old will be preserved, forming the anchor for a network of boulevards, plazas, and landscaped podiums.
Project Rundown
| Development Parameter | Proposed Development |
|---|---|
| Address: | 25 Donkin Street and 9 Buchanan Street, West End |
| Development Type: | Mixed-use residential precinct |
| Site Area: | 16,829m² |
| Gross Floor Area (GFA): | Approx. 5,000–5,500m² per level |
| Height: | Six towers ranging from 12 to 30 storeys / approx. 38m–96m |
| Apartments: | – Tower 1: 30 storeys / 174 dwellings / 3 lifts (1:58) – Tower 2: 30 storeys / 256 dwellings / 3 lifts (1:85) – Tower 3: 30 storeys / 176 dwellings / 3 lifts (1:59) – Tower 4: 30 storeys / 216 dwellings / 3 lifts (1:72) – Tower 5: 30 storeys / 218 dwellings / 3 lifts (1:73) – Tower 6: 12 storeys / 62 dwellings / 2 lifts (1:31) Total: Over 1,100 new dwellings across six towers |
| Elevators: | 17 lifts across precinct (average lift-to-unit ratio 1:65) |
| Communal Space: | – Towers 1, 2 and 3 (River Towers / Urban Towers fronting the river) each include rooftop recreation decks. These contain pools, gyms, bbq facilities and shaded outdoor dining areas – Towers 4, 5 and 6 are smaller in scale and rely more on podium-level communal spaces rather than full rooftop recreation areas. |
| Retail: | Laneway retail, dining and café tenancies. x12 retail tenancies in total |
| Car Parking: | 1,165 basement car spaces are proposed across the six towers |
| Bike Parking: | 1,367 bicycle spaces are planned, distributed across basements and podium levels to connect with the laneway and Riverside Drive bikeway |
| Developer: | ICD Property |
| Architect: | Plus Studio |
| Landscape Design: | Urbis |
| Town Planner: | Urbis |
| Sustainability: | – Rooftop Solar: Integrated bi-solar rooftop planters – Energy Efficiency: Passive design and façade shading – Waste Management: Dedicated refuse areas with compactor and baler as well as seperate recycling chute which encourages resident recycling – Water Conservation: Stormwater treatment and riparian restoration – Green Landscaping: Retention of heritage fig trees and new podium planting – Active Transport Facilities: Pedestrian laneway, bike parking, riverside connections |
| Date Submitted: | September 2025 |
| Assessment Level: | Code assessable under Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct TLPI |
| DA Application ID: | A006867661 |
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Elevated greenery is planned at podium and rooftop levels, with communal gardens, tree planters, and bi-solar planter systems creating shaded microclimates. Public accessibility is a core feature, with landscaped corridors linking into the Riverside Drive bikeway and Davies Park.
The preliminary art strategy, prepared by The Experience Place, envisions Donkin Street as a cultural precinct where art is embedded across staging phases. Three layers of activation are proposed:
- Foundation – Temporary and integrated works during construction, including artist-led hoardings.
- Framework – Public art woven into laneways, facades, and landscaped corridors, incorporating sculptural works, integrated lighting and discovery pieces.
- Nesting – A unified cultural layer with permanent installations, event programming, and spaces for gathering, play and performance.
The approach includes rotating programming, local artist collaborations, and works reflecting West End’s layered histories and community identity. This positions the precinct as not only a residential development but also a cultural destination.
The site falls within the Kurilpa Sustainable Growth Precinct Temporary Local Planning Instrument (TLPI) which allows increased density and height for projects meeting design excellence and community benefit thresholds. The development is code assessable, aligning with strategic planning goals for the West End and South Brisbane corridor.
ICD Property is a Melbourne-based developer founded in 2009 by Michael Mai. The company has delivered several projects across Australia, with a portfolio that includes Aspire Melbourne (65 storeys), West Side Place in Melbourne (2,770 apartments), the Market Square redevelopment in Adelaide, and the planned Sydney House tower on Pitt Street. ICD has also completed residential projects such as Eq. Tower, YOU & I, and Maple, and retail concepts like HWKR.
The company’s approach is largely focused on build-to-sell residential development, often combined with mixed-use precincts that integrate retail, office and hotel components. While ICD has explored mixed-tenure models, their core pipeline remains apartment-led projects intended for private ownership rather than long-term rental holdings.
Riverside Lane represents ICD’s first major foray into Brisbane’s inner-city riverfront, applying the same emphasis on design, public realm activation, and cultural placemaking evident in their southern city projects.
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Another opportunity for developers to make a huge profit. But what about the people and their access to the river? As a result of higher and higher rise development the river is more and more crowded out and access is limited visually and physically. Densification on these precious foreshores becomes the norm as this project clearly represents – six towers!! While I realise this opportunity to comment is a folly given the reality that profits will always trump fair access and amenity, I still say what are you doing Council and how is this project improving the lives of Brisbane residents?
What are you talking about? This project in no way restricts “fair access and amenity”. Just walk through – the article even says public accessibility has been considered. If you truly care about Brisbane residents and not doing things “for profit”, you should realise we are in a housing shortage and the supply of housing reduces housing costs. But I understand NIMBY residents only think about their own house prices and don’t want to share their inner city space.
Even though I come from Calgary, where the +15 Skybridges have killed off life at road level, I don’t see that happening here in Brisbane. Our climate is too good. I have wondered for some time why developers haven’t put these sort of walkways in already. It would certainly be a feature something like the Petronus Towers in KL. I hope more developers take this idea into consideration. Shayher’s New Twin Tower at North Quay would be a great candidate in a prime location.
How is access limited? It’s currently commercial land with road access down to the parkland and the render does show a pedestrian path down there. So…..? As to the limited visibility, West End is a dense area, there’s not going to be views of everything from everywhere.
Sorry! Wrong person! Reply is to Dhurva Davis
Perhaps have the developer fund a walking/cycling bridge across the river to Park Road Milton …
Overcrowded development, over 1100 apartments and cars, very poor access and exit from car parks, all trying to get out of one underground, interconnected car park. Only 3 lifts for over 30 stories. Would be nice to see quality, not quantity. Just the result of greedy developers and Brisbane Council.
Don’t even touch it!