Construction earthworks for the first 335-apartment tower have commenced in early March, marking a significant milestone for Max Panettiere's $1.5 billion triple-tower precinct, billed as one of the biggest private developments in the city's history. The project occupies a 7440 square metre site fronting Longland, Stratton and Kyabra streets in Newstead, next to the landmark Gasworks Plaza, 3 kilometres north-east of the CBD.
The Little Italy precinct will deliver three towers housing more than 1,000 apartments, 23 retail tenancies, and a central piazza filled with bars, eateries, and wellness providers. The three towers range from 29 to 33 storeys, offering diverse living options including studio, one, two and three-bedroom apartments. The towers sit above a ground-floor piazza and 2,713 square metre "Little Italy" retail, dining and entertainment precinct featuring cafes, restaurants, bars, beauty, health and wellbeing offerings.
Developer Max Panettiere noted that while "the Chinese have got Chinatown (in Fortitude Valley), the Greeks have got West End," and Italians traditionally moved to the New Farm and Newstead area. By the 1950s and 1960s, Italian-run cafés, delicatessens and fruit shops appeared throughout inner Brisbane suburbs such as New Farm, Teneriffe and Fortitude Valley.
The project's path to construction faced a significant hurdle when The Triffid lodged an appeal against the approval of the Little Italy project through the Queensland Planning and Environment Court. The appeal argued that due to insufficient noise impact assessment, the towers' residents would make increased noise complaints, thus causing The Triffid to be adversely affected, but the Planning and Environment Court has now ruled that Panettiere Developments must undertake adequate measures to protect residents from noise.
Building 1, directly adjacent to The Triffid, will now include added soundproofing extending from the fourth to the 12th floor, with the layout of several apartments also changed to reduce the impact of nearby noise. The court-approved agreement followed months of negotiations between Panettiere Developments, The Triffid, and Brisbane City Council, centring on how to allow new housing to rise in one of Brisbane's busiest cultural pockets without threatening the long-standing music venue next door.
Originally envisioned as a build-to-rent offering, the first stage is now likely to be build-to-sell due to strong buyer demand. The resolution is also seen as a template for how other high-density projects might navigate reverse amenity concerns, especially in areas outside Brisbane's formal entertainment precincts.