Valley Metro Retail Redevelopment, Fortitude Valley, QLD

Similar to the renowned urban gentrification of New York City’s SoHo precinct, from rundown iron and red brick warehouses to an upscale district of modern workplaces, chic restaurants and a vivid nightscape, Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is having a tremendous development of its own. Valley Metro is located at the heart of this transformation and is also undergoing a redevelopment to its shopping mall.

The 8,300 m² Valley Metro retail redevelopment project comprises of a complete overhaul of the shopping mall, delivered in 5 separate stages. The mall consists of retail stores, a food court, a metro supermarket and provides access to Brisbane’s second busiest train station. LaSalle Investment Management (on behalf of investor, Partners Group) contracted NDY to provide detailed design documentation of the project, including a construction phase review for the duration delivery phase.

NDY was involved in the site’s refurbishment in 1991 and delivered the Transport House refurbishment project (occupying the northern area of Valley Metro) for the client in 2018. Since Valley Metro is an existing site, some elements dated back to the 1970s and 1980s, which was a key challenge of the project. Aside from a live railway station, existing services were required to remain operational as it supported portions of the building; tenants remained in place during the construction phase. This restricted the available access to some areas, demanding consideration for the staging of works and reticulation of services in the said areas.

NDY helped the client improve the space through a collaborative approach with the builder and architect, ensuring a seamless staged delivery onsite. This resulted in an efficient use of space and more net lettable area (NLA) available for LaSalle to lease. The rooftop PAC solution gave more space back to NLA compared to the previous arrangement while also providing increased cooling capacity and outside air. NDY also delivered additional trade waste capacity via spatially efficient use of the undercroft and loading dock for grease trap arrangements. Furthermore, the fire sprinkler solution designed by NDY gave considerations for future extensions to the site, which aligns with the masterplan.

This project improved the facilities for tenants, provided energy efficiency and building autonomy for the owners and delivered additional security through enhanced access controls. Valley Metro will become a vibrant shopping destination, attracting people throughout the day. NDY is proud to contribute to bringing it back to life.