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A historical James Street butcher’s shop appears set to be repurposed into a trendy New Farm boutique, with plans submitted for Brisbane City Council just before Christmas.
The former Petersen’s Butcher Shop operated at the site since 1971, but the shopfront at the corner of James and Kent streets had housed a butcher since 1901.
Petersen’s closed its doors last year, and site owners Saidar Pty Ltd have applied to turn four separate lots into three to “reactivate” the heritage buildings at 105 and 109 James Street, and construct a new building between them.
A new two-storey building is planned for James Street, between the heritage butcher shop and a building constructed in 1901.Credit: Cavill Architects
Australian Securities and Investments Commission registers show Saidar is owned by William Paull and Jeffrey Forbes, both of Consolidated Insurance Brokers, which operates out of the existing two-storey building at 109 James Street.
That proposed new building would include a ground-floor, 308-square-metre retail tenancy. Upstairs, 150 square metres of office space would be provided, along with a further 50 square metres extending to the rear of number 109.
As that ground floor area went beyond the 250 square metres allowed under local zoning, the development was considered impact assessable and open to public objections.
In an assessment report written on Saidar’s behalf and submitted to Brisbane City Council, Property Projects Australia senior town planner Grace Forno says the proposal is “on balance, in the public interest”.
The rear of the development, showing the new building beside and behind 109 James Street.Credit: Cavill Architects
Forno says the proposal was best considered in two parts – the restoration of the two existing structures and the insertion of a new two-storey building.
“The proposed design celebrates the heritage value of the site, recognising that two of the existing buildings are identified on the Brisbane City Council Local Heritage Register, and seeks to preserve these buildings into the future,” she says.
“The proposed development provides a high-quality, considered architectural design that responds to the site, particularly its heritage value, and the surrounding context.”
A crash outside the buildings in 1952.Credit: John Oxley Library
Forno says the existing buildings’ heritage value and the site’s potential community benefit were “at the forefront of the applicant’s vision for this development”.
According to the Brisbane Heritage Register, last updated in June 2022, the old corner shop at 105 James Street had operated continuously as a butchers’ shop since 1901.
That 123-year run ended early last year.
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“In 1918, this shop became the New Farm State Butchery,” the registry notes.
“State butcher shops were established by the Queensland Labor Government as a means of influencing prices of household staples such as meat and sugar.
“From 1915 to 1925, the state government established or acquired a number of business enterprises in order to provide competition against possible business monopolies as well as a means offering products at cheaper rates.”
The application noted local zoning allowed for a number of land uses.
“However it is anticipated that the proposed development will support office and shop land uses,” Forno says in the assessment report.
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