Ex-Olympic Village Site to Supercharge Brisbane’s Inner-North
The banks of the Brisbane River once destined to house the world’s elite athletes during the 2032 Olympics are back on the development starting blocks in a move predicted to supercharge the city’s inner‑north boom.
And according to Queensland developer‑architect Joe Adsett, the new vision for the 6.1ha slice of Northshore Hamilton will drive sustainable growth long after the Olympic flame goes out.
“What you’re going to see is that it evolves similar to what’s happened down in Newstead—almost like a Gasworks 2.0 … but actually bigger,” he said.
Under the reset blueprint, the site is poised to become a benchmark residential and mixed‑use hub—including 2200 homes—serving Brisbane’s northern catchment.
In March, the Queensland Government announced the Brisbane RNA Showgrounds at inner-city Bowen Hills as the new main site for the Olympic athletes village—citing it being closer to major Games venues as well as saving an estimated $2 billion infrastructure costs.
As part of a state‑run competitive process, the former designated village site at Northshore Hamilton has been carved into five parcels, each awarded to Queensland-based, predominantly builder‑developers.
Adsett’s group—Joe Adsett Developments—has secured a 1.1ha holding on which it is proposing two residential towers comprising 435 apartments.
The other homegrown proponents chosen to transform the riverfront precinct are Graya, Lancini, Red & Co and Greyburn.
Economic Development Queensland fielded 18 proposals across the five sites in just eight weeks, reflecting strong appetite from the private sector to invest in the new vision for the designated priority development area.
Overall, its long-awaited transformation will also include a mix of one, two, three and four-bedroom homes, a hotel, supermarket, as well 21,600sq m of retail and dining tenancies, alongside potential medical, childcare, education, business and community facilities.
Construction is slated to start in 2028, once $154 million of enabling infrastructure works are completed, with the first residents expected to move in from 2031.
Adsett, who has lived in Hamilton for the past 20 years, said the opportunity to now help shape its future was “both meaningful and motivating”.
“It is a place I have watched evolve and often reflected on in terms of its potential,” he said.
And he confessed not many residents of Hamilton were thrilled with the idea of having an Olympic athletes village in their backyard.
“Everyone kind of assumed the worst, that it would be temporary accommodation… and what it would be afterwards was a big question mark.”
Adsett said the shift away from a transient Olympic overlay with uncertain legacy value toward permanent stock materially changed the risk‑return profile for both residents and investors.
“Olympic villages have pros and cons—some of them are wildly successful, some of them are wildly unsuccessful…built cheap and quick.
“So, you know, it could have been something amazing. Or, it could have been an absolute disaster where after it’s done, it’s almost like ‘Well, does anyone actually want to live here?’ No, might have been the answer.
“Whereas, this is far more targeted…this will be housing for actual owner-occupiers who want to live in Brisbane.
“And it’s far more predictable what the outcome will be, which gives greater certainty.
“It’ll be an organic growth of the suburb. It will be a far better outcome in my opinion.”
*This post was originally published on (https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/brisbane-northshore-hamilton-graya-joe-adsett-lancini-red-and-co-greyburn)
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