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LONDON: A multigenerational community will be crafted into a waterfront site as a regeneration project.

Brisbane’s largest private parkland is set to be created for hundreds of apartments in two towers after council approval for a controversial site that’s been in limbo for a decade.

The riverfront site, which attracted protests, court action and council questions – including backlash from a mayoral candidate and a pause due to construction cost blowouts, is now set to see 215 apartments built across two 15-storey towers with an acre of private parkland.

Brisbane City Council granted the long-awaited go-ahead for the Pikos Group to roll out fresh plans for the area in a development a decade in the making and now renamed Gaia.

Pikos Group founder Pedro Pikos said he amalgamated eight individual lots to create 5,284 sq m of pure river frontage at 108 Lambert Street, Kangaroo Point.

“The opportunity to amalgamate such a large riverfront site at Kangaroo Point is unrepeatable,” Mr Pikos said. “Gaia will transform this rare waterfront site into an inner-city sanctuary that embraces its incredible connectivity to the river and the city, delivering two residential towers and the city’s largest private parkland along a secluded pocket of the Brisbane River.”

Pikos Group previously had approval for a triple tower project, facing down opposition from community groups, Greens mayoral candidate Jonathan Sri and winning a Planning & Environment Court appeal in May 2021.

Gaia is the second project the group has in Kangaroo Point, with the first – Skye by Pikos – currently under construction at River Terrace.

The firm resubmitted plans for the site last year amid major construction cost blowouts for its earlier La Storia concept which had $40m in apartments pre-sales in its first six weeks of sales alone two years ago.

Group CEO Michelle Wooldridge said “in revisiting the design to enhance its buildability, we uncovered the opportunity to open view corridors and create expansive green spaces. In doing so, we’ve created Brisbane’s largest private parkland community, with just shy of one acre of riverfront gardens and green spaces providing extensive amenity and connection to nature to all residents.”

Gaia’s residential towers will have views of the city and river, amenities including a riverside pool and terrace, hot and cold plunge pools, landscaped gardens, an indoor/outdoor gym, BBQ and outdoor dining, rooftop dining and garden workshop, yoga lawn and outdoor cinema, private dining room, and a work from home lounge.

The larger three and four bedroom apartments – with optional multipurpose room – will be in the River Tower, while two and three bedders with optional multipurpose room will be in the City Tower.

“The site itself is incredibly tranquil and embraces this quiet pocket of the river, while enjoying excellent connectivity to the city,” Ms Wooldridge said. “This will only improve once the city’s green bridges are complete.”