A $220m development around a beloved heritage site has made a record sale before launching to market, and celebrated the start of public sales with a performance by Queensland Ballet.
The Tannery in Brisbane’s West End is a new 11-storey project by McNab, which has sold 60 per cent of its 87 units before sales officially begin on Thursday.
The project on Montague Rd is wrapped around a restored conversion of the old Dixon Tannery, which gave Queenslanders work for 77 years after it was built in 1893.
McNab executive chairman Michael McNab said the restoration work was designed to make The Tannery a social and recreational hotspot for its residents.
“At The Tannery, we’ve deliberately invested in creating places where residents can move, unwind, work and connect every day ‒ not just somewhere to live,” he said.
“That’s why we’ve transformed the original tannery into The Retreat, a dedicated wellness sanctuary that sits at the heart of the community.”
The Retreat will feature resident-only amenities across the ground floor and roof such as a pool, dining space, gym and garden, with recreation areas both indoors and outdoors.
“Selling more than half the project before public sales open tells us buyers are actively seeking apartments that offer something genuinely different,” Mr McNab said.
The Tannery will feature 26 apartment styles ranging from two to four bedrooms, beginning at $1.55m for some of its two-bedroom units.
One apartment sold for $2.57m during pre-sales, a suburb record for a two-bedroom unit.
Meanwhile, three-bedroom apartments will range from $2.8m to $4.5m, with prices on some units expected to increase over the coming weeks.
Homes will be available to purchase from levels one through nine when public sales begin. Meanwhile, the upper two floors will be released to market later, with costs expected to range between $5.5 and $6m.
The project’s launch event featured a performance from Queensland Ballet, a dance company based out of the neighbouring Thomas Dixon Centre.
McNab will be sponsoring the company’s production of The Nutcracker, to launch in December with choreography by Derek Deane.
Ballet repertoire and philanthropy engagement director Rachael Walsh said the sponsorship marked the first part of an ongoing collaboration, with further events to be decided.
“We have a shared history with the Tannery and the Thomas Dixon Centre,” she said. “They’re about building place and community, so it was a natural alignment.”
“The Nutcracker will be one of the greatest artistic investments of our history …
“We hope to build one of the most inspiring new productions that will be enjoyed for generations year on year.”
Construction is well underway, with builders currently reinforcing timber and protecting the brick within the heritage site.
Building is expected to be finished in the second half of 2027.