The Schrinner Council has teamed up with Mirvac, Suncorp and M&G Real Estate to deliver a first-of-its-kind sports court in Brisbane’s CBD.
The multi-use play court has been built in an under-utilised area beneath the Roma and Turbot street underpass and will be available for workers, students and visitors to enjoy.
Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said the court is an exciting new urban renewal project that will help residents and visitors be active and have fun.
“Brisbane has an incredible outdoor lifestyle and we want to create more spaces to help residents stay active and healthy,” he said.
“This hidden pocket that was previously boring concrete has been transformed into an active haven with a fenced and shaded court, bleacher style seating, and public art for the community to enjoy.
“Whether you’re looking for something to do on your lunch break or taking a break from study, we hope that this new space will help even more residents get active in Brisbane.”
The new courts will be an extension to the award-winning Heritage Lanes precinct at 80 Ann Street.
Simon Healy, Group GM for Commercial and Mixed-Use Development at Mirvac says the project will set the standard for active spaces in the CBD.
Mirvac’s Group General Manager, Commercial and Mixed Use Development Simon Healy said the project is a result of a close partnership with Brisbane City Council and Suncorp to transform an underutilised space into something that everyone can enjoy.
“We have worked closely with Brisbane City Council over a number of years to bring our world-class Heritage Lanes building and precinct to fruition. HL Court is something we are really proud of – delivering a unique community facility to the CBD, in a space that was otherwise somewhat disused and aesthetically unappealing,” said Mr Healy.
“Our vision was to restore a significant piece of Queensland history at the site, the former Brisbane Fruit & Produce Exchange building on Turbot Street, and the HL Court is the final piece of this transformation.
“The ground plane has become a modern-day open marketplace, designed to encourage workers, locals, and tourists to mingle from day through to the evenings, creating a real sense of community in the city.
“From the outset we wanted to make Heritage Lanes a vibrant and inclusive place to visit – a destination, not just an office. Funding and delivering HL Court with Suncorp and M&G Real Estate completes that vision,” he said.
Cr Schrinner said the courts will cater to the growing interest in sports like basketball, handball and pickleball across Brisbane.
“Pickleball in particular is a fast-growing sport that more than 6000 people already play across Brisbane,” Cr Schrinner said.
“This court will join 14 other courts currently available across the suburbs for residents of all ages to get out and get active.
“We are committed to delivering another four pickleball locations this financial year to make sport in Brisbane even better.
“We look forward to hearing what the community thinks about this new space and hope to investigate more opportunities for urban courts around the CBD.”
The courts will open to the public on Monday 11th March and can now be booked for private use via the free Heritage Lanes app.
Download the app at https://www.mirvac.com/mirvac-app.
