STONES CORNER : The Site & Its Challenges

Living City 2010 was held in Stones Corner. This site was chosen because of its recent history of success and decline as a retail hub - mainly associated with outlet fashion - the current construction of major transport infrastructure and its potential for increased development and denser population growth.

Stones Corner has undergone a period of economic highs and lows over the past ten years. The mid to late 1990s saw a local boom in retail activity with an aggregation of outlet stores. This was dominated by well-known clothing chains with a smaller number of shoe and bag shops, gift shops and kitchen and dinner ware outlets. Retail activity has been well-supported by a cafe-culture and the Stones Corner Hotel, which has become a local destination at night and on week-ends to this day.

Since the opening of DFO at the Brisbane Airport and to a lesser extent, Habourtown on the Gold Coast and more recently, DFO at Jindalee, outlet shopping at Stones Corner has been in a slow decline. A number of the large chains have closed their stores at Stones Corner and have been replaced with lesser known clothing and other outlets and bargain stores. In more recent times, the retail character of Stones Corner has eroded further with numerous stores standing vacant.

The centre has always housed a number of professional offices, health services and business and community support services, including banks and a post office while a local supermarket has occupied a large retail space at the Stones Corner Plaza.

The near future holds many opportunities for Stones Corner with a major bus station to be constructed adjacent to the library, associated with a bus network that will extend to the Redlands in the east and St Lucia in the west, as well as centres including the new Boggo Road Urban Village and South Brisbane. Development of Woolloongabba and Buranda with greater residential population densities, office space and new retail and restaurant facilities will provide both opportunities and threats to businesses in the centre.

Stone Corner in the future will most likely be developed to accommodate more dense residential living due to its proximity to the new bus station and intra-urban bus network. There will need to be mixed use in the form of businesses to support and service increased numbers of residents.

Due to economic constraints of CBD office space, there could be more accommodation for professional suites and larger companies than have historically been based at Stones Corner. Competition for such enterprises may also arise from other centres located within a similar distance to the CBD and in similarly advantageous locations with regard to public transport and major roads, including the freeway.

The character of Stones Corner will change with the scale of the built environment, but the positive aspects of the current character may be able to be retained or re-interpreted in the renewed centre. Positive aspects include the fine grain of the streetscape, that is, the variety and small ‘faces’ of the shopfronts, the low height of buildings close to Logan Road, the greenery and narrow sections of Logan Road that allow for wider footpaths and spaces for seating or dining, shade created by awnings and trees, the Commonwealth Bank building and nearby open spaces. Opportunities exist to enhance the centre by improving the amenity along Old Cleveland Road, improving the public spaces at the library and rehabilitating the creek corridor that extends from the west of Stones Corner to its northern boundary.

The economic times cast some uncertainty on retail and business viability everywhere, but particularly upon those in Stones Corner due to a decline in its vitality and retail character. In the meantime, the time is right for to commence a dialogue to determine short and longer term opportunities for Stones Corner.

A couple of relevant links:

Department of Infrastructure & Planning - Eastern Busway Project
http://www.dip.qld.gov.au/projects/transport/roads/eastern-busway-south-east-busway-buranda-to-main-avenue-coorparoo.html

Translink - further information
http://www.translink.com.au/about-translink/what-we-do/infrastructure-projects/eastern-busway