Brisbane's New Queen's Wharf Precinct and Its Sky Deck Now Won't Start Opening Until August 2024
It's almost been ten years since the first proposals for this CBD precinct were unveiled, with the beginning of its staged opening now pushed back from April.
Brisbane is scoring a new $3.6-billion precinct right in the heart of the city, complete with a towering deck filled with restaurants and bars that will sit 100 metres above the CBD. That's the Queen's Wharf promise, and has been for over nine years now. But you'll still have to wait a bit longer to check it out, with the impending addition to the River City pushing back its opening date from April 2024 to August.
Queen's Wharf is no stranger to changing its launch timing. 2022 was also floated in the past. The latest push comes after a heap of specific details about what's in store at the precinct — including some of the specific watering holes and eateries that patrons will be able to hit up — were revealed in 2023. So, here's hoping that enjoying the end results is truly getting closer to becoming a reality.
There's no exact opening date in August yet, so you can't go circling anything in your calendar for the time being. Also, Queen's Wharf and its Sky Deck will launch in stages. Accordingly, which aspects will welcome in Brisbanites and tourists first hasn't been confirmed — but there's plenty in store.
On the precinct's highest perch, bar Cicada Blu will give the Queensland capital a new place for a cocktail with a killer view, operating both day and night with a particular focus on drinks with botanical infusions. Sky Deck will also boast signature restaurant Aloria, complete with a dedicated martini menu and a 'cellar in the sky', plus European and Australian bites on offer. And, at Babblers, there'll be a more-relaxed dining experience.
All three venues will form part of Sky Deck's 250-metre rooftop runway with a glass-floor viewing platform. And the vistas? Expect a 360-degree vantage out over the Brisbane CBD, Brisbane River, Mt Coot-tha and Moreton Bay.
The riverside precinct's lofty tourist attraction will fall under The Star's remit, just as the reimagined Fat Noodle, cocktail bar Cherry and Italian eatery Cucina Regina also will. When it does launch between Alice, George, Queen and William streets, Queen's Wharf's crowning glory will be located above other dining options, hotels, shops, apartments and a heap of public space.
While part of one of Queen's Wharf's resident resorts — it's set to feature four hotels, including the five-star The Star Grand, 4.5-star Dorsett and Australia's only Rosewood hotel — Sky Deck will be open to the public. Also, it isn't small, with a capacity of 1500 visitors at a time. Expect it to be popular, then, with the Queensland Government anticipating that an estimated 1.4 million international, interstate and local visitors to the city each year might stop by.
As for the rest of the Queen's Wharf Brisbane redevelopment area, it spans across 12 hectares in the CBD, and will include around 50 new bars, cafes and restaurants; a casino; those four aforementioned hotels; approximately 1500 apartments; and a swathe of retailers in a huge new shopping precinct. The full precinct also covers repurposed heritage buildings, plus the Neville Bonner Bridge and Brissie's first riverside bikeway cafe.
Queen's Wharf is slated to start opening in the Brisbane CBD from August 2024. We'll update you when a specific date is announced — and you can find out further details in the interim via the development's website.
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