Brisbane's Wintergarden redevelopment would bring 290 apartments, a 240-room hotel and a new pedestrian connection between Queen Street Mall and Elizabeth Street under IFM's proposed 150 Elizabeth Precinct. The application was lodged with Brisbane City Council on 30 September 2026 and remains at the lodgement stage, according to the council's application record.
Brisbane Times reported on Tuesday (6 October) that the plans would replace the shopping centre and its butterfly facade with a retail podium and two towers. Place Design Group's report describes a six-storey podium, a 45-storey hotel and residential tower and a 16-storey commercial tower, designed by Woods Bagot.
The applicant's town planning report lists 7,384 square metres of retail floor space and 24,607 square metres of commercial floor space. Two retail levels would follow a shopping-arcade layout, with tenancies expected primarily to accommodate shops and food and drink outlets.
The new connection, called Regent Lane, would run through the block between the mall and Elizabeth Street. The report proposes removing the existing Wintergarden car park ramps on Elizabeth Street and bringing retail tenancies to the street frontage. It argues those changes would improve the pedestrian experience and make movement through the precinct easier.
A landscaped podium rooftop would include publicly accessible restaurants, bars, a cafe, wellness spaces and outdoor areas. Hotel guests would have a separate pool, spa and recreation area. The report presents the public rooftop as a place for residents, workers and visitors to dine, gather and relax above the city streets.
The heritage-listed Regent Building would be retained, with its grand foyer serving as the Queen Street lobby entrance for the hotel and residential tower. The report says no building works are proposed within the heritage place, while protection measures would apply during nearby construction. Its heritage assessment summary says removing the adjoining facade screen would improve views of the Regent sign.
Place Design Group argues the office tower would meet growing demand for high-grade commercial accommodation and the hotel would respond to an undersupply of upscale rooms. It places that accommodation proposal in the lead-up to the 2032 Olympics. These are the applicant's stated market reasons for the project.
Brisbane Development's earlier reporting also describes the apartments, hotel and public rooftop garden. It distinguishes the proposed new hotel from the existing InterContinental Brisbane, whose portion of the site is excluded from this application.
IFM's published precinct overview places 150 Elizabeth within its broader proposed renewal of Wintergarden, including refurbishment of the existing hotel and reactivation of the Regent. The council application identifies IFM Real Estate Fiduciary Pty Ltd as the applicant and Place Design Group as its consultant.
The planning report proposes three delivery stages: demolition and construction of the basement, podium and retail first, then the commercial tower, followed by the hotel and residential tower. It describes the application as code assessable, with no formal public notification required. Brisbane Development reported that the submission did not announce a construction start or completion date.