First look: Story Bridge Hotel owners propose hotel and apartments at Kangaroo Point

The Deery family, long established in Australian hospitality, is set to deliver another landmark in central Brisbane.

An entity linked to Richard Deery has filed plans for a mixed-use hotel and apartment development on a prime 2,600 sqm site across 215-229 Main Street, adjacent to the family's Story Bridge Hotel, which they have owned and operated since 1967.

The new development, designed by WallaceBrice Architecture, will comprise two towers, one rising 18 levels and the other smaller building topping out at eight levels. Both towers sit atop a shared podium that includes communal open space and rooftop terraces, and they will be anchored by a ground-level cafe and hotel lobby.

“The proposed built form is sympathetic to the surrounding skyline south of Baildon and Bright Streets, and preserves views to and from the Story Bridge,” WallaceBrice Architecture stated in their Design Report.

Whilst the site has no frontage to the Brisbane River the site retains views between existing towers across to the Town Reach of river and towards the city centre as well as to the north up Main Street to the Story Bridge.

The assessment report by Planning Initiatives states the Deery family, who have lived and worked on the Kangaroo Point Peninsula for over 60 years, are "strongly invested in the local community and aim to make a meaningful and lasting contribution to the area."

"The proposal is intended to complement surrounding entertainment uses such as provided by the historic Story Bridge Hotel opposite on Main Street thus supporting a land use synergy between the hotel component and the Story Bridge Hotel."

Central to the proposal is a commitment to "city making." The development incorporates a luminous art feature by Illuminart, conceived as a live data-responsive installation that subtly responds to environmental cues like tides, wind, and sky colour. This illuminated plane aims to create a dynamic, non-intrusive landmark visible between the Story Bridge and the new Kangaroo Point Green Bridge.

“The installation is conceived as a slender vertical feature... responding to environmental conditions along the Brisbane River,” the Landmark Illumination Report notes, adding that it will contribute to Brisbane’s evolving night-time identity in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympic Games.

The apartment mix targets owner-occupiers, with 12 three-bedroom and 17 four-bedroom dwellings, each featuring expansive outdoor living spaces, cross-ventilation, and sub-tropical design principles aligned with Brisbane’s “Buildings that Breathe” guidelines.

Generous landscaping across podium and rooftop levels contributes to the subtropical character of the project, with over 1,130 sqm of green space proposed, nearly 43 per cent of the total site. Communal amenities include a wellness centre, rooftop pools, barbecue areas, and private lounges. The apartments will sit above the hotel suites which will occupy the ground, first, and second floor.