Plans for a landmark mixed-use development on Hamilton’s Racecourse Road have been revised, with the project’s developer seeking to significantly expand the building’s scale beyond what was originally approved.
Read: The Gallery to Revive Racecourse Road with Design-led Living and Retail Spaces
The proposal has drawn objections from locals and small business owners, and prompted concern from Brisbane’s local officials, reigniting questions about the future character of the Racecourse Road retail precinct.
The revised proposal belongs to Graya, one of Brisbane’s most prominent luxury builders, who had previously received approval for a four-level, 37-apartment development at 63-71 Racecourse Road. Known as The Gallery by Graya and designed by architects bureau proberts, the original project featured a subtropical aesthetic and a ground-floor retail arcade threading through the block from Racecourse Road to Kent Street, a design that also included a rooftop pool, yoga lawn, outdoor gym and BBQ terrace.
The Revised Plans
Graya has since lodged a “minor change” application to expand The Gallery to seven storeys and 53 apartments, an increase of three levels and 16 dwellings over the approved design. According to town planners Mewing, who prepared the development application, the changes stem from detailed design work, constructability challenges and shifting market conditions, with Graya arguing the project needs the additional height to remain financially viable in a tough construction climate.
The revised design adds approximately 5.55 metres to the building’s overall height, though Graya notes the upper levels have been progressively set back with each storey to ease the transition toward the lower density residential streets to the east. The updated proposal also includes a basement wellness centre, expanded ground floor retail tenancies, and a new area of public open space at the corner of Racecourse Road and Kent Street, complete with a feature tree and space for public gathering. A second rooftop recreation area has also been added for the Balowrie Street facing portion of the building.
Graya has pointed to recent nearby approvals of up to five storeys as context for the revised scale and maintains the development would represent a positive contribution to Racecourse Road’s ongoing revitalisation, adding housing supply and ground level activation to the precinct.
What Locals Are Saying
The revised plans drew a significant community response. Submissions lodged with Brisbane’s local officials raised objections, and discussion on the local community Facebook page has been equally animated.
Several submissions flagged the potential for the building to visually dominate the nearby heritage listed St Augustine’s Church, while others pointed to existing traffic congestion on Racecourse Road as a serious infrastructure concern, noting the street’s constrained access to Kingsford Smith Drive already causes significant delays during peak hours.
Some residents argued more broadly that financial feasibility should not be used to override planning controls, with one submission warning that approving a seven storey building in this location could undermine community confidence in the city’s planning framework altogether.
Small business owners on the strip have also voiced concern. One tenant who has operated from 71 Racecourse Road for nearly two decades fears the development could drive up rents and price out small businesses that have served the community for a long time.
But not all voices have been opposed. Some residents have embraced the idea of new energy returning to a strip they feel has stagnated, with at least one submission welcoming a thoughtful development as a sensible step forward, regardless of whether it ends up at four or seven levels. Others have called for rundown properties on the strip to make way for renewed investment and activity.
Read: Hudson Road Albion Apartment Tower Proposal Details 12-Storey Build at Moore Street Corner
Where Things Stand
Brisbane’s local officials have indicated they do not support the revised height, advising Graya that the seven storey proposal is inconsistent with the intended outcomes of the Racecourse Precinct Neighbourhood Plan. While they acknowledged the stepped setbacks of the upper levels, they determined those measures were not sufficient to justify the additional height. They also noted that construction market pressures, while understood, do not constitute valid planning grounds for exceeding the neighbourhood plan’s provisions. The application (A006915450) remains under assessment through BCC’s planning portal.
Published 18-February-2026
