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Microbreweries, coffee roasters, family pubs and million-dollar homes – it’s hardly the modern metropolis that comes to mind when picturing Stafford.
But the once working-class northern suburb has emerged as a typical example of Brisbane’s rapid middle-ring gentrification, spurred by a post-pandemic influx of young families and the ensuing property price surge.
And the transformation has only just begun, if a broad suburb overhaul from a private developer gets underway.
Stafford Road runs along the commercial precinct that could be transformed under the plan. Credit: William Davis
In the city’s north, the Kedron Brook serves as a brutal boundary between the idyllic hillside Queenslanders in Wilston and Grange, and the panelbeaters in Stafford’s industrial estate and tired homes saddling congested main roads.
Stafford’s median house price has surged more than 80 per cent since 2020 from $670,000 to $1.2 million, according to Domain, as Flat Lizard Brewing joined contemporary Happy Valley along with coffee haunts Q Roasters and Elixir.
The previously boarded-up bowls club has become a family-favourite. The car yard on the corner of Webster and Stafford roads was razed to make way for a new development, and the old tyre shop across the road seems destined for a similar fate.
A proposal from developer Open Architecture Studio wants to ramp up the transformation, with homes to spring out of the industrial banks overlooking the water, along with a new food district, retail hub, and playgrounds.
The area, about 1300 metres long featuring the largely commercial precinct running along the brook between Shand Street and Gamelin Crescent, includes Stafford City Shopping Centre, Bunnings Warehouse, Hoyts Cinemas and several sports fields.
The development would face the water and parklands, and could comprise offices, retail space, and housing in mixed-use medium and high-rise, along with swimming lagoons, a “Central Park” and a waterside amphitheatre.
A presentation to potential stakeholders, seen by this masthead, cites James Street in New Farm, Fish Lane, West Village, Hanlon Park, as well as Alexandria and Barangaroo in Sydney as examples of how the suburb may be transformed.
Kyson with daughter Kayleigh in Stafford. Credit: William Davis
“I think that’s a good idea,” local dad Kyson said while riding his scooter along Shand Street with daughter Kayleigh in September.
“We need housing – medium to high density – and rebuilding some of this stuff could [work].”
If the concept gained necessary support from major landholders, a rezoning pitch would likely be delivered to Brisbane City Council. A similar private push formed the basis for the Stones Corner suburban renewal precinct plan announced last year.
Michael Bailey, the founding director of Open Architecture Studio, said Stafford is prime for the major overhaul.
The existing infrastructure, ease of connection to the Metro network, lack of character residential zoning, concentrated land ownership, and appeal of the underutilised brook made the suburb a perfect fit for major new development, he said.
“It’s got a lot going for it ... you’ve got all the building blocks there,” he told this masthead.
“This would be about turning Stafford to face the creek, so you’d have a boardwalk along there with cafés and dining venues to actually enjoy that amenity.”
Bailey added some landowners had already expressed interest, but a complete redevelopment could still take more than two decades.
“In 10 years, it’d be nice to start to see the first serious developments coming out of the ground and some really nice streets coming together,” he said.
Kedron Brook is a key element on the Stafford plan, with Bailey saying development would be built to “to face the creek” and make the most of greenery and water views. Credit: William Davis
“These things take a long time.
“I’d love to see a great high street through there, with ground level retail and shopping as well as some additional hight and density.
“All of the brook would be refurbished … the breweries have started down there and you’d want more of that sort of thing to activate that amazing space.”
Other Stafford residents spoken to by this masthead said the idea was broadly appealing, but required significantly more planning and thorough community consultation.
Shand Street marks the western boundary of the commercial precinct in Stafford.Credit: William Davis
Walking along Kedron Brook, government worker and Stafford home owner David suggested some infrastructure was already approaching capacity. He believed any increase in housing would require an equal investment in expanding schools and other facilities.
“I really think with any increase in population that’s probably [the case],” he said.
Heading to Bunnings along nearby Stafford Road, Joanna echoed that view.
“I think it’s a tricky question. There are a lot more variables,” she said.
The development pitch says the suburb could be further integrated with existing public transport networks, and a new Metro station could be built in the future.
Stafford suburb profile in Brisbane. Credit: William Davis
Ross Elliott, who is chair of the Lord Mayor’s Better Suburbs Initiative and also involved in the Stafford plan, said the suburb is one of many a middle-distance from the Brisbane CBD that may attract significant investment in coming decades.
However, he explained such market-led projects are often complex and not all landowners would necessarily jump at the opportunity to rezone.
“The conventional wisdom would say ‘oh, everyone wants to get it up because the land will be worth more,’” Elliott said.
“But in reality that’s not always the case, because if they have no intention of changing the use right away … all they end up with is a high land-tax bill.”
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