Its a Parisian style urban village with Apartments, Office, Restaurants, Retail, Food Market and a Hotel. Probably my favorite development so far in Brisbane. Why? because unlike so many high profile developments such as Aurora, Emporium gave back to Brisbane. Its now a popular night spot with really good restaurants and cafes.
As i said back in 08... i should predict the future, or Seymour reads these forums lol. Isn't it funny that Anthony John's Emporium has set a precedent of what mixed use projects in Brisbane should be like.
'Emporium' plan for iconic Milton Tennis Centre site The vacant Milton Tennis Centre site today and (inset) in its heyday more than 40 years ago as a top tennis arena where some epic Davis Cup ties were played out.
The rich history of Milton Tennis Centre has not been forgotten.
While international tennis superstars play the mens final at Brisbane’s new Pat Rafter Arena today, Brisbane City Council is currently assessing developer plans to take Brisbane’s original tennis site and home to eight Australian Opens from desolate to dazzling.
More than 10 years after it was closed down and sold by Tennis Queensland, the Milton Tennis Centre, together with the adjoining Milton Bowls site, has a development application on it to create a new "Emporium" style precinct, with residential, retail and commercial facilities.
The Seymour Group, owned by Queensland business identity Kevin Seymour, put in their application to the Brisbane City Council just before Christmas and although it is "extremely early days", the group are very excited about their plans for this famous parcel of land, according to a company spokesperson.
"The Milton Tennis Centre site is iconic in Brisbane and it has been vacant for so long. We’ve written into the code that we’ve submitted to council that there will certainly be a reference to the original centre somewhere in the new development," the spokesperson said.
Located at Frew Park, Milton Rd was the home of Queensland tennis from 1915. It consisted of 19 hard courts and four grass courts and hosted eight Australian Opens and 16 Davis Cup ties (including three finals).
It hosted its last Davis Cup tie in 1990, the quarterfinal win over New Zealand featuring John Fitzgerald and Wally Masur.
Lindsay Davenport won the last world tour event at Milton in 1994, after which the wooden grandstands were declared unsafe. The Milton Tennis Centre closed in 1999 when Tennis Queensland sold the property to cover more than $1 million in debts.
Doncaster Holdings sold the site to Multiplex for a reported $5.9 million in April 2002. Derelict and having suffered two fires, the stadium was demolished in May 2002. It has sat deserted and derelict since then.
It is understood the Seymour Group paid a total of $30.15 million for the tennis and the bowls sites in 2008.
It currently has approval for 174 residential apartments but the Seymour Group wants to create a whole new precinct for both plots of the land, which total about 3.2 hectares.
"We’re thinking it would be a modern version of the Emporium in the Valley," the spokeswoman said.
Apart from tennis, the Milton centre also hosted concerts featuring acts such as the Rolling Stones, Elton John and Johnny Cash and 10,000 fans witnessed Jeff White retain his national lightweight title against Lionel Rose in 1971.
The Milton courts were converted into Australia’s major tennis centre for the Davis Cup final in 1958 and were the venue for the first Australian Open in 1969.
Rod Laver's 6-3 win in the deciding fifth set of his 1969 Australian Open semi-final against Tony Roche, having won the first two sets 7-5 and 22-20 before losing the third set 9-11 and the fourth 1-6, is one of the many memorable moments in the Centre’s history.
The Davis Cup final wins by Australia in 1962 featured Rod Laver, Roy Emerson, Neale Fraser and coach Harry Hopman and in 1967, Emerson, Hopman, Tony Roche and John Newcombe.
Last edited by SoulVision; 10th January 2010 at 12:11.
What a joke! Only 200 meters away is a 30 floor highrise which was approved! (former union tower). I wonder about the legitimacy of Campbell newman. All he does is want to appease local nimby residents... not even thinking about the needs of Brisbane as a whole.
Milton highrise 'on wrong side of track' link TONY MOORE
February 6, 2010 - 6:17AM
Lord Mayor Campbell Newman's administration last night said it would oppose plans for a 20-storey highrise development on the old Milton Tennis Centre site.
Local councillor Peter Matic (Toowong) said it was a bid to protect the area's "tin and timber" from encroaching development.
A major developer had lodged a development application with Brisbane City Council for 10 buildings on the site, ranging from three to 20 storeys in height, and capable of housing up to 2000 people.
The Seymour Group, owned by Queensland business identity Kevin Seymour, lodged the application with the council just before Christmas.
Cr Matic said the Lord Mayor and Cabinet believed the site was "on the wrong side of the tracks" for such a significant development.
He said he and the Lord Mayor supported development on the 34,557 square metre site because it was a longstanding eyesore twice ravaged by fire since 1999.
However, Cr Matic said highrise living was not the answer for the land on the northern side of the Milton railway station.
"This sports land should never have been rezoned for this style of development," Cr Matic said.
"While we cannot unscramble that particular egg, we can ensure that the development that occurs there is appropriate for the local community."
Cr Matic said it was "too close to the tin and timber suburbs" of Milton and Auchenflower.
A court tussle, which came after residents opposed a 2003 decision by the former Labor administration to rezone the site from sports and recreational usage, set a height limit of eight storeys for buildings on the site.
"Since there is already a court decision, that is where council will draw the line," Cr Matic said.
Cr Matic said the site was outside the area of the Milton Station Neighbourhood Plan, which allowed for higher building height limits.
Council approved a 30-storey tower complex over Milton Station, next to the famous Milton Brewery. in September 2008, just down the road from the old tennis centre.
However, Cr Matic said that did not set the precedent for development in the rest of the suburb.
"This is on the northern side of the railway tracks, and we would prefer highrise development between the railway and Coronation Drive," he said.
"It is outside that plan area for a good reason - to protect the tin and timber of the local area."
The Milton Tennis Centre closed in 1999 when Tennis Queensland sold the property to cover more than $1 million in debts.
Doncaster Holdings sold the site to Multiplex for a reported $5.9 million in April 2002.
Derelict and having suffered two fires, the stadium was demolished in May 2002 and has sat deserted and derelict since.
It is understood the Seymour Group paid $30.15 million for the tennis and Milton Bowl sites in 2008.
It currently has approval for 174 residential apartments, but the Seymour Group wants to create a whole new precinct for both plots of the land, which total about 3.2 hectares.
"Were thinking it would be a modern version of the Emporium in the Valley," a spokeswoman said last week.
- with Ellen Lutton, Sun Herald.
Last edited by SoulVision; 11th February 2010 at 06:32.
i should predict the future, or Seymour reads these forums lol.
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