Hercules Street Archives - Hamilton Today

Work Starts on $1.2 Billion Hamilton Riverfront Precinct

A $1.2 billion riverfront precinct with 292 apartments, a 196-room five-star hotel and a public precinct is now under construction in Hamilton.

What is Going Up on Hercules Street

Hamilton Grove is led by Sydney-based Wentworth Equities and sits at 19 Hercules Street. The plan covers three towers, the hotel, 3,000 square metres of retail space and open public areas. The developer calls the project Los Angeles-inspired. Its executive chairman, Sameh Ibrahim, says the apartments are designed to give buyers the room and comfort usually found in a suburban house, and that the sky homes will be the centrepiece. He believes Brisbane hasn’t seen that level of luxury before. That is the developer’s own view, not an independent market assessment.

More than a Place to Live

Not everyone who visits will need to live there. Earlier coverage reported Mr. Ibrahim saying a lucky few will call the precinct home, while the rest of Brisbane can still explore it. What the public space will include has not been detailed, so neighbours will have to wait to see the finished design.

Who is On Site

Mainland Civil is the contractor working on the project. Its Brisbane credits include Queens Wharf, 300 George Street, Infinity Tower and 1 William Street, which will matter to local subcontractors and suppliers looking for work. A sod-turning ceremony was scheduled for Wednesday, 21 October, according to realestate.com.au. Clayfield MP Tim Nicholls and Hamilton Ward councillor Julia Dixon were due to attend.

Who Makes the Planning Calls

Many residents assume Brisbane City Council decides what gets built nearby. Here, it doesn’t. Hamilton Grove sits inside the 304-hectare Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area, where Economic Development Queensland (EDQ) is the planning authority. Any later stages, or changes to the scheme, go through that agency.

The wider area is also attracting public money. The state is spending $154 million on enabling infrastructure works at Northshore Hamilton, and EDQ says the precinct is set to contribute more than $14 billion to Queensland’s economy. Both figures cover the whole area, not Hamilton Grove’s budget. EDQ has also named partners for five other sites in the area, with nearly 2,200 homes planned.

What Comes Next

Hamilton Grove launched to buyers earlier this year, and realestate.com.au reported that apartments in the first towers have been selling since. No sales figures have been released. There is also no public construction timetable, completion date or settlement date. Planning is under way for future stages and the hotel, but neither has a published start date.

Published Date 22-October-2026

Hamilton Markets: New Five-Day Food Destination Proposed for Northshore

A new five-day food destination is envisioned for Hamilton, with a permanent undercover market at Northshore aiming to bring quality food businesses, local producers, artisans, and hospitality operators together in one venue.

Read: Bluey’s Brisbane Home Remains In Northshore Hamilton

Hamilton Markets is planned for 5 Hercules Street, with the project team positioning it as a permanent destination for food, hospitality, specialty retail and community activity. Trading is planned from Wednesday to Sunday, with the project targeting a March 2027 opening.

The project has set an ambitious goal for itself: to become “Brisbane’s most loved market.”

A Market Built Around Local Food and Independent Operators

According to the Hamilton Markets website, the proposed venue would be a carefully curated market rather than a collection of interchangeable stalls. It is seeking quality food businesses, producers, artisans, and hospitality operators with distinctive products, a clear point of view and the ambition to grow.

The venue is planned as a fully undercover market, with the project promoting all-weather trading. Its proposed five-day schedule will run from Wednesday to Sunday, covering morning, lunch and weekend trading periods.

Fresh food will be a major component, with proposed categories including produce, dairy, meat, seafood and bakery. The market is also expected to include specialty retail, artisan goods, hot food and beverage operators.

The plan currently includes 43 stalls across four formats, although the website says allocations are still being refined and remain subject to the final design and vendor agreements. Programming is also planned, including regular events, cooking demonstrations and seasonal activities. The market website says these initiatives are intended to keep the venue active and support repeat visits.

A relaxed bar offering is also planned, with the food and beverage team expecting it to become more prominent from the afternoon into the evening. For prospective operators, expressions of interest are now being sought. Hamilton Markets is looking for food producers, independent retailers, hospitality businesses, artisans and potential operators interested in being part of the venue.

Part of Northshore Hamilton’s Urban Renewal

Photo credit: Economic Development Queensland

The project is being driven by developer and All Energy Contracting co-founder Steve Urquhart, who recently acquired 5 Hercules Street for $8 million.

Mr Urquhart also acquired the neighbouring 9 Hercules Street property for $17 million. The supplied property reporting says the combined properties have a 3223 square metre footprint and an existing approval for a 189-apartment tower.

The properties are located within the Queensland’s Priority Development Area at Northshore Hamilton, which is being developed as a major waterfront urban renewal precinct. The existing residential development approval provides a longer-term development option alongside the immediate plans for Hamilton Markets.

For the market itself, the immediate focus is on assembling its operator mix ahead of the proposed opening. The project says preference will be given to fresh, locally produced, premium and artisan offerings, particularly from Queensland growers, producers, makers and independent artisans.

That includes businesses looking for more than a temporary market stall. The Hamilton Markets website describes the venue as a permanent home for operators seeking regular trading, with infrastructure, marketing and operational support also proposed.

Read: KangaCat Brings Olympic Spirit to Northshore Hamilton Ahead of Brisbane 2032

With the project targeting a March 2027 opening, the next stage will be securing the businesses that will occupy the planned stalls and finalising the market’s mix. The project’s stated vision is to create a permanent market where the community connects and local producers can thrive, with food, culture and Queensland produce at the centre of the offering.

Published 21-August-2026

Hamilton Towers and Orion Towers Projects Scrapped After Failed $70-M Deal

Photo Credit: Google Maps

Descon Group Australia has recently announced that the Hamilton Towers project in Brisbane’s Olympic precinct will no longer be pushing through.

The decision comes after a failed settlement deal worth $70 million and unfavourable market conditions that will also see the Orion Towers in Surfers Paradise suffer the same fate.

Large-scale projects are finding it difficult to advance smoothly as a result of rising construction costs and loan rates. And due to the challenges faced by developers in a shifting market, Descon Group has chosen to discontinue work on these projects.

Wentworth Equities, who bought the property eight years ago, struck a deal with Descon last November 2022. At the time of the announcement, Danny Isaac, the managing director of Descon, underscored their breadth of knowledge, sound financial standing, and competence in every facet of project delivery, from engineering and construction to design. The project’s construction was originally slated to commence in early 2023.

Situated in the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Athlete Village precinct at 19 Hercules Street, the Hamilton Towers development was set to be a monumental addition to the city’s urban riverside renewal project. The project encompassed three towers comprising a total of 433 residential units and a retail and dining precinct spanning 4,648 square meters.

However, Descon Group, acknowledging the prevailing market conditions and increasing building costs, concluded that the Hamilton Towers project was no longer financially feasible.

After Descon’s contract was terminated, the Hamilton site, which was once planned for the Hamilton Towers project is now up for sale via Expression of Interest.

The previous owner, Wentworth Equities, is committed to selling the property and highlights its potential as a component of an innovative new Brisbane neighbourhood. The site is an appealing prospect because of its ideal location next to Portside Wharf, with easy access to the airport and Brisbane CBD.

Meanwhile, the other project was originally intended as a 118-floor supertower in Surfers Paradise, the Orion Towers project aimed to redefine the skyline with its architectural grandeur. However, Descon Group has deemed the project commercially unviable in the current market environment. This shift in focus, however, presents an opportunity for other developers to step in and take part in the urban renewal of these areas.

Published 16-June-2023

The Cullen: Proposed 23-Storey Development Within Northshore Hamilton PDA

Photo Credit: Economic Development Queensland / edqdad.dsdip.qld.gov.au

Developer Limitless Residential has submitted an application for a 23-storey residential-led development on Hercules Street within the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area.

The proposed development, to be called “The Cullen”, at 5 Hercules Street will offer a mix of land uses including residential, retail shop, F&B, office, medical centre, educational establishment, indoor entertainment and indoor sport and recreation.

The Plus Architecture-designed project will include 100 residential units including 50 two-bedroom and 50 three-bedroom units. Each unit will have a functional balcony that leads to the main living area. The balconies are designed to be big enough to accommodate outdoor furniture and be a usable space.

The Cullen proposed site | Photo Credit: Economic Development Queensland / edqdad.dsdip.qld.gov.au

The podium will comprise four storeys containing retail tenancies on the ground level and three levels of car parking behind an articulated facade, and a recreation terrace. The level 4 communal space will contain a lap pool, spa lounge area, a sauna, outdoor barbecue areas, an indoor gym, yoga, and a pilates studio.

The Cullen | Photo Credit: Economic Development Queensland / edqdad.dsdip.qld.gov.au

“The materiality chosen for the podium includes brick patterning to connect with the industrial history and development within the broader area of the PDA. Being located at a key entrance point for the PDA, provides an excellent opportunity to provide this style of locally distinctive outcome, which has been achieved successfully in other areas, such as Woolloongabba.” – Mewing Planning Consultants

The application will be assessed by Economic Development Queensland as it is situated within the Northshore Hamilton Priority Development Area.

Proposed development summary

Gross floor area: 14,324sqm
Height: 23 storeys plus rooftop
Office GFA: 249sqm
Shop/Food GFA: 208sqm
Residential: 100 units (50 x 2 bedrooms, 50 x 3 bedrooms)
Lifts: 4
Retail: 2 ground floor retail tenancies (151sqm)
Landscaping: 612sqm
Communal Open Space: 902sqm (Podium top recreation area=787sqm, Rooftop level=115sqm)
Car Parking: 154 spaces
Bicycle Parking: 114 spaces (102 residents, 12 visitors)

5 Hercules St, Hamilton QLD 4007, Australia