Five properties on a Chermside street could make way for a 15-storey residential tower, with a developer having lodged plans to build 193 apartments on the site.
Read: Major Residential Project Proposed for Kelso Street
Plans lodged with Brisbane City propose demolishing the properties at 10 to 18 Kelso Street to make room for the complex, developed by CS Development Group.
The building would contain 41 one-bedroom, 124 two-bedroom and 28 three-bedroom apartments across roughly 3,035 square metres, along with a swimming pool, spa, sundeck, gym, steam room and sauna. Three underground levels would provide 282 car parks, split between 234 residential spaces and 48 visitor bays. Inset parking bays would also be added along the street itself, together with a new footpath.
According to the project’s architects, the vision is for “a high quality, multi-residential development that facilitates a lifestyle that will benefit all of its residents, from first home buyers to families and downsizers.” The planning documents describe the project as one that will “enhance the Chermside precinct” by adding to the area’s “diverse mix of residential developments.”
The location sits within easy reach of the Chermside shopping centre, Prince Charles Hospital and the Chermside bus interchange. The site falls within the High Density Residential zone under Brisbane City Plan 2014, within the Chermside Centre Neighbourhood Plan’s Residential North Precinct. That zone is intended to support high-density residential development where lot amalgamation is achievable, while protecting the amenity of neighbouring properties through transitions in height and scale at site boundaries.
Kelso Street also falls within the proposed Chermside Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan, announced in February but not yet in effect. The broader area has already been changing. The Adina hotel recently opened nearby, and Curwen Terrace has seen freestanding houses progressively replaced by high-rise apartment buildings along its western edge.
At 15 storeys, the proposal exceeds the 10-storey acceptable outcome under the neighbourhood plan, making it impact assessable and subject to a public consultation process. A pre-lodgement meeting was held with council in February 2026.
In response, council’s planner described the proposed height as “an appropriate response to the need for increased residential density in a highly accessible location proximate to high frequency public transport, a major retail centre and hospital services,” noting that the Chermside Centre Neighbourhood Plan accommodates building heights of up to 15 storeys.
Read: Residents Warned: Multi-Residential Carparks Targeted by Thieves in Chermside
Not everyone on the street sees it that way. Several neighbours raised concerns about the project, saying they were worried the tower would overshadow their homes, drag down property values and fundamentally alter the character of the area. One resident raised the disruption caused by a nearby construction project, pointing to heavy truck movements that had clogged the street and complaints about loud music during work hours.
At least two of the five properties earmarked for demolition were reported to still have tenants at the time of writing.
Published 6-June-2026
