The first stage of demolition for the Cross River Rail has commenced, Cross River Rail minister Kate Jones announced on Wednesday. The demotion of the Brisbane Transit Centre will make way for the planned Roma Street transport interchange.
Cross River Rail is now well into the delivery phase, and demolition is a large part of the works. An 85-metre tower crane will be used to bring down three buildings at the site, including Hotel Jen, the East Tower, the West Tower and then the podium they sit on. Each building will be demolished level by level, which will take up to a year.
According to Cross River Rail Authority’s program director David Lynch, speaking at the AusRAIL event in early December, the Roma Street station is “Brisbane’s primary intermodal connection.”
“It is also the next natural extension of the CBD area and a prime redevelopment site. It is the site of the proposed Brisbane Live,18, 000 seat stadium – the business case of which is currently under government consideration,” Lynch said.
Market sounding for Brisbane Live will kick off in early 2020, and according to a government spokesperson will “trigger even stronger investment appetite in the new Roma Street precinct.”
According to the Cross River Rail Precinct Strategy, Roma Street is set to become “the western gateway to the City’s premier cultural and entertainment offerings.”
“While the precinct benefits from its proximity to a range of destinations, there is still significant potential for growth in lifestyle and knowledge industries including greater professional office space, stronger physical links east to the CBD and west to Caxton Street and the Suncorp Stadium,” according to the strategy document.
As such, the Cross River Rail project’s focus at the site will be to facilitate it as the key arrival destination for the central CBD, and the western gateway to the City’s premier cultural, leisure and entertainment offerings
This will include significant upgrades to the station interchange for CRR, Metro and bus services.