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Highline is a new project that is currently under construction and located at 8 Jane Street in West End. It is important to note that this is a project from Melbourne developer BPM, who have a reputation for stunningly designed buildings. The company has made an entry to the Brisbane market over the past few years and all of their Brisbane projects really stand out from the competition in terms of design. We say this without any comment on the other aspects of these buildings such as price, livability or anything else, but it really is great to see a developer focus on the external aesthetics of a building and overall design. Unfortunately Brisbane lags behind Sydney and Melbourne in this regard so BPM’s designs are a welcome change
Highline is definitely targeted at the younger high income market. People who work in and around the city and want to enjoy the cafes, restaurants and more that is on offer in West End, South Brisbane and the City. Buyers of these apartments won’t be looking for large, spacious apartments to come home to. They will be looking for a beautifully designed space that they can use in between going to work and out for dinner.
The main thing that differentiates Highline from the local competition is its design. The all-white facade is cut into many different sized boxes by horizontal and vertical walls. This not only looks cool and a bit different to other apartment buildings, but it will offer residents an added level of privacy.
Highline building detail. Supplied by developer.
Highline comprises 140 apartments over eight levels. The majority of the apartments in this project are two bedroom configurations, of which there are 96. There are a further 44 x one bedroom apartments and just 2 x three bedroom apartments.
The three bedroom apartments are located on the ground floor. They are both 90m² internally which is probably the average size of a new three bedder in Brisbane. It’s not as large as some of the bigger three bedroom apartments in strictly owner occupier projects, but not the smallest either. These apartments also have large 65m² courtyards which is a big plus. They feature a large master bedroom with an ensuite and small walk in robe. The third bedroom is quite small and is almost more of a study than a genuine bedroom. These are priced from $700,000 and they have two car parks each.
The two bedroom apartments range from 64m² to 86m² internally. The 64m² apartments are really quite small for two bedroom, two bathroom apartments but there aren’t many of these and they will likely be purchased by investors. The majority of the two bedroom apartments at Highline are of a larger size and feature kitchen islands and separated bedrooms that are accessible from opposite sides of the living area. The balconies on the two bedroom apartments range from 11m² to 40m². These apartments are priced from $520,000 to $615,000. They come with a mixture of 1 or 2 car spaces each. It’s important to mention that all on street parking near Highline is paid, so adequate car parking is essential. At this time we are unaware of how many guest car parks will be available.
The rooftop area at Highline will feature an infinity pool with BBQ and entertaining area. The artist took a little bit of creative license with the render below, showing the pool overlooking The Gabba. This will not be the case, it will overlook industrial buildings and other apartment buildings in West End and will not have the elevation that this render implies.
Rooftop infinity pool render. Supplied by developer.
Apartments will alternatively look towards the city and river or towards an internal garden that is created by the ‘U’ shape of the entire building. Overall, the views will be quite suburban and there is the possibility of most views getting built out to varying degrees given the level of development that will happen in West End in the coming years.
Rooftop entertainment space render. Supplied by developer.
Location:
Highline is located at 8 Bank Street in West End. It is next door to Bohemia, another new project that is currently under construction. It is also just down the road from two other BPM developments called Onyx (recently completed) and Black Fold (under construction). Bank Street is a busy, inner city street that will likely see a large amount of construction in coming years.
Highline construction site. Photo taken by Property Mash 27/10/2016.
Highline’s location is within walking distance of shops, transport, restaurants, cafes and education. West End has a reputation for being home to artists and creatives, so it has a bohemian vibe to it. However, in the last few years there has been massive redevelopment in many parts of West End which has brought a new demographic to the area. Although the suburb still retains its grungy heritage, there are a lot more $5 coffees and boutique breweries than there were in the past.
Plenty is a cafe on nearby Montague Road. Photo taken by Property Mash 27/10/2016.
The Boundary Street precinct is one of Brisbane’s busiest restaurant/shop/bar/cafe areas. It is just 500m away from Highline, meaning residents can walk there in a few minutes. Here, you will find places like Rumpus Room, Archive Bar, Brisbane Brewing, Grill’d and Little Greek Taverna among many others. This is a great strip at any time of the day.
Davies Park transforms into one of the best markets in Brisbane every Saturday. Photo taken by Property Mash 27/10/2016.
500m in the other direction is another great little entertainment spot on Montague Road and in Davies Park. Davies Park is home to the West End Markets which are on every Saturday and are renowned for their good produce and big crowds. Montague Road also has lots of shops and cafes.
West End State School is essentially across the road from Highline. Photo taken by Property Mash 27/10/2016.
Highline is also essentially across the road from West End State School which is an old, well-established primary school with a large oval and swimming pool on campus. The project is also within the Brisbane State High School catchment area. Brisbane State High School is arguably the best publicly funded high school in Brisbane and getting a spot in the school is very difficult if you don’t live within the catchment. Being close to the city, Highline is also close to the major private schools like Grammar, Terrace and All Hallows. University of Queensland (UQ) is easily accessible by bus, bike and foot via the Eleanor Schonell Bridge which connects nearby Highgate Hill to UQ.
West End is a small inner city suburb that is located 1km south of the CBD, on the other side of the Brisbane River. It is bordered by Highgate Hill and South Brisbane. The median apartment price in West End is $563,000, a figure that has softened by 2% over the past 12 months. The median rental value is $495 per week.
Bus stops are littered throughout West End. Photo taken by Property Mash 27/10/2016.
Public transport from West End is easy, particularly into the city. There is a bus stop less than one minute walk from Highline that has regular services into the city that take around 10 minutes. Cycling is an increasingly popular option in West End due to the dedicated bike paths along the river and the dedicated bike and pedestrian bridge into the city. The closest train station is just over 1km away at South Bank.
Quality and Finishes:
Being a BPM project, you know that the inside of these apartments are going to be trendy. The aesthetic that these apartments have is being emulated by a number of new projects in Brisbane at the moment, but BPM wear this look as their brand. The apartments are very sleek, clean and minimal inside with lots of sharp lines and contrasting colours. It’s a sophisticated and modern approach to interior design which works very well in our view.
There are two colour schemes at this project – light and dark.
These apartments come fitted with Smeg appliances. They will have a 60cm Smeg oven and Smeg gas cooktop. The rangehood is from ILVE and the dishwasher is Fisher & Paykel.
The bedrooms at this project have built in robes with drawers and hanging space which is essential in a smaller apartment. They are inherently tight wardrobes, but at least the provision of some storage space will make life easier.
The majority of apartments in this project are two bedroom apartments. For these configurations, it is expected that they will rent for between $480 and $580 per week. Body corporate rates are between $3,000 and $3,500 each year at Highline. Investors
Being located in West End, there is a lot of competition for Highline. Just on the same street is Black Fold, by the same developer. Black Fold is a smaller project with smaller, cheaper apartments. Around the corner is Bohemia, which offers similar sized apartment with a much different design and vibe. For those who want larger, owner occupier apartments, Ferry Road and Virtuoso are great.
We recommend that if you are in the market, speak to the sales agents to see which project would suit your needs best. Or, read the Property Mash reviews to see how they compare!
BPM is a very well known developer from Melbourne with many years experience. They have recently made an entrance into the Brisbane market with several major projects including Black Fold, Night Edge, White Dawn, Highline and Escent.
Hutchinson’s is building this project. They are a top tier builder, one of the largest in Australia.
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