Mount Gravatt Archives - Page 4 of 5

Median House Price Rises As Demand Grows for Homes in Mt Gravatt

Investing in a house in Mt Gravatt remains a good decision for those looking to cash in on a spacious but affordable property close to the Brisbane CBD, with a strong potential to continue the upward trend in value over the next few years.

From July 2020 to June 2021, Mt Gravatt’s property market has shown an uptick and the median house price rose by 13.64 percent, as buyers from interstate consider leaving congested Sydney or Melbourne to move to Brisbane’s suburbs.

In Mt Gravatt, the cost of buying a family home close to the CBD is a sound investment as residents could live in a beautiful detached home to raise a family near the best schools, enjoy a comfortable lifestyle with heaps of employment options, and still have savings in the bank.

The median house price for this suburb sits at $750,000, higher than the Queensland median. Homes in Mt Gravatt can be had for a reasonable budget for many buyers looking for a location with good access to the Gateway Motorway and other transport infrastructure; lifestyle and retail centres like Westfield Garden City; and schools such as Griffith University; and medical facilities.

During this 12-month period, 60 properties, listed at an average of 28 days on market, were sold in Mt Gravatt, indicating a tight market with such high demand, per data from Property Market Updates.

Unit Price Growth

Off the back of a resilient housing market, Mt Gravatt’s unit market has also improved in the same time period with an 8.60 percent growth on the median unit price. Listings were on the market for an average of 48 days, fetching a median unit price of $505,000.

Mt Gravatt’s apartment market attracts downsizing households who need access to good transportation and recreation, as well as young families who want a good education and employment opportunities.

Los Tacos by Baja Now Available at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market

Did you know that Los Tacos, a special taqueria concept created by the people behind the Cali-Mex eatery Baja, is now available every Saturday at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market?

From the minds behind the popular Cali-Mex eatery Baja is Los Tacos, a taco-centric concept that opens at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Festival every Saturday. It pays homage to the classic Mexican meal with a special menu that serves up four specific types of taco: pork carnitas, fried chicken tacos, beef barbacoa, and vegetarian tres frijoles.

Tacos won’t be the only meals available , however, as their menu also offers classic Cali-Mex snacks such as street corn, fresh ceviche, and guacamole to cater to those looking to help themselves to some authentic Mexican food. Also available on-site are their margaritas, allowing people to wash down their meals with an indulgent and alcoholic kick.

The concept first emerged in Fortitude Valley, popping up at the Baja venue every Tuesday to test the waters and see if these specially-made tacos sold enough to warrant the creation of a stand-alone taqueria.

Eventually, Los Tacos launched at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market to see if the concept is well-received in other suburbs. Plans are in the works to find the taqueria a permanent hope, and judging by its popularity, it’s likely that it won’t remain a mere concept for long.

Photo credit: Instagram/mtgravatt_streetfood

Those interested in reserving a spot can do so via Baja’s booking system, however Los Tacos also caters to walk-in customers.

Los Tacos can be found at the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market, which is hosted at the Mt Gravatt Showgrounds at 1644 Logan Rd, Mt Gravatt every Saturday from 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. For more information on Los Tacos, follow their Instagram page here. To learn more about the Mt Gravatt Street Food Market, visit their website here, and follow their social media pages on Facebook and Instagram for the latest updates and announcements concerning the weekly event.

New Proposal Calls for Mixed-Use Twin-Tower Development in Mount Gravatt

Did you know that a development application calling for the construction of numerous buildings on Logan Rd, Upper Mount Gravatt has been lodged with Brisbane City Council?

The slew of new buildings, each designed by Mode Design Group, will consist of one residential tower, one commercial office tower, retail outlets and restaurants across a large area consisting of 18,926 square metres of gross floor area, with 60% site cover over the 4,589 square metre development site.

This proposal aims to create a mixed-use development that provides Mount Gravatt with a combination of retail, offices, food and drink, and multiple dwellings through the use of a commercial and residential tower which can potentially stand up to 15 storeys tall.

Photo credit: Brisbane City Council/Development.i

According to the proposal (DA A005687490), retail, restaurants, and food and drink outlets will all be located at the ground floor of the new office buildings. It will also provide a split pedestrian entrance and a cross block link to the back of the residential tower.

Also located on the ground floor is a pedestrian plaza that gives visitors access to all of the site’s aforementioned retail and food outlets. Lifts will be available to bring people across numerous floors in the commercial and residential towers.

All in all, the ground floor common across the towers will provide a total of 23 parking spaces, four retail and food and drink outlets, lobbies for the two towers, a covered dining area and lounge, landscaping and a water feature, and loading and drop off areas for vehicles.

The southern tower, dedicated to office facilities, takes up a total of 6,580 square metres of gross floor area and will contain three podium levels of office and six tower levels of office, standing ten storeys tall. It will come with four levels of basement car parking which will be shared with the residential building.

On the other hand, the northern tower, which is residential, will be 15 storeys tall and located at the back of the site. It will have 38 single bedroom apartments, 24 double bedroom apartments, 24 double and single bedroom apartments, and 26 triple bedroom apartments. The second level offers tenants a communal space and swimming pool.

The proposal, which was lodged on the 19th of March 2021, has not yet been approved. The proposed towers can be found at 2188, 2192 and 2196 Logan Rd, Upper Mt Gravatt.

Mount Gravatt Instant Scratch-Its Winner to Receive $1,000 a Week for 5 Years

For the next five years, a man from Mount Gravatt will receive $1,000 a week, or $260,000 in total, after confirming that he has the top prize Instant Scratch-Its winning ticket.

The unnamed winner purchased his $5 Live the Life ticket at Sunshine News inside Mt Gravatt Plaza on Creek Road. The man said that he waited for weeks to scratch his ticket and could not believe his luck when he realised he has the winning numbers.

“I probably only buy scratchies every once in a blue moon,” he said. “I had it at home for 14 days before I scratched it.”

He bought two Instant Scratch-Its tickets from his recent “small win on Lotto” and is now looking forward to having “such nice security” every week.

Sharon Jiang, the owner of Sunshine News, said that they had two top prize winners in recent weeks and hopes that the streak continues with their customers.

“I feel like we’re on a roll at the moment,” the shop owner said.

Some 177 individuals across the country won the Instant Scratch-Its top prize in 2020, which grossed over $16 million. According to The Lott, players have collectively won more than a quarter of a million dollars of Instant Scratch-Its every day.

Instant Scratch-Its have different ranges and prizes with over a million tickets per category distributed across all participating outlets in Australia. To learn more about this game of luck, visit the official site.

Upper Mount Gravatt State School: New Building Nears Completion

Construction of a new general learning facility at the Upper Mount Gravatt State School, which has been underway since October, is estimated to finish in May 2021.

In October 2020, Upper Mount Gravatt State School announced that a new facility was in the works, setting itself up to provide the school with 10 new classrooms on top of shaded learning and play areas.

The construction of the new facility, a general learning centre that would serve as an extension of the main campus, will be spearheaded by the project delivery company Wiley, who have been working on site since October. Completion of the project is expected to finish in May 2021.

This new facility came about to replace the temporary classrooms the school had brought in using a crane following a fire on the 14th of June 2019 which ravaged the campus, destroying the books, possessions, and artwork of over 200 students.

Through the combined efforts of six fire crews, the fire was under control in 90 minutes. Despite the swift response, much of the building had been destroyed, which led to the implementation of the aforementioned temporary classrooms to replace what had been lost in the fire.

It only took the school two days to get classes up and running again. To this day, the cause of the fire remains a mystery, and both the police and the fire investigators have deemed it suspicious.

The Upper Mount Gravatt State School is located at 1899 Logan Rd. For more information, visit their website here. Likewise, learn more about the project manager Wiley here. Follow the Facebook pages of both the school and Wiley for the latest updates and announcements concerning the new building.

Advocates Pick Legal Representation To Save Seton College

“It is only a small school but it is making a big difference,” so goes the battle cry of the advocates to save Seton College in Mount Gravatt, following the announcement that they have hired legal representation in the fight to prevent the school’s closure in 2024.

The group, Save Our Seton College (SOS) Inc., has picked the legal team from Elliot & Harvey to help them win this fight.

It comes as a former staff member, who resigned in 2020, warned that the closure will have a long-term outcome on its remaining students who will have to move to a mainstream school and could likely struggle with the curriculum and the new environment.

The staff said that there’s nothing like Seton in terms of adjusting to the children’s abilities and needs, as assessed by their teachers, especially among those with developmental challenges. For many of these kids, Seton is not just an educational centre but it’s also a home where they can “have a place in society” and never have to fear expulsion from school.

In early 2020, Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) confirmed the closure of Seton College due to the dwindling number of enrollees. But concerned parents and students have challenged this decision by claiming that it is the school that hasn’t accepted new students.

BCE appointed representatives to assist parents and students in the transition. One parent said that a representative told them there are more than 140 schools in Brisbane’s southeast that could be suitable for special needs students from Seton. However, based on their experience, four of the five potential schools approached by BCE representatives turned down their child.

In the meantime, SOS is holding Zoom meetings regularly to update each other on the progress of their fight to save the school. For more information about the group, follow the Facebook page or visit the official site.

“The impending closure of Seton College by 2024, will leave an enormous gap in the schooling options available to Brisbane families. There will no longer be a contemporary Catholic, coeducational Secondary College purpose-built for personalised learning on the south side of Brisbane,” the group said.

Concerned Stakeholders Launch Petition, Pledges to Save Seton College

A group of concerned stakeholders has launched a petition to Save Seton College from permanent closure in Mount Gravatt in 2024. The petition has received over 6,500 signatures whilst pledges to help reverse the proposal have reached more than 1,000.

Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) announced late this year that Seton College will cease accepting new enrollees in 2021, claiming that enrolments have been dwindling in recent years.

The stakeholders are challenging BCE’s claims after learning that the school actually turned away 60 students in 2020. In 2019, the school apparently sent emails to parents that it reached maximum capacity “with a waiting list already in place.”

“It appears that BCE is orchestrating the decline in enrolments by enrolling less than 25% of applicants for year seven 2020, and, furthermore, stopping ALL and ANY future enrolments, regardless of year level,” the stakeholders said in a statement. “It appears BCE are winding things up much quicker than originally anticipated, with an exodus of teaching and support staff and the shocking redundancy of the school’s IT manager, who was recently applauded for his work in developing an effective online classroom platform during the COVID shutdown.”

The group has been holding Save Our Seton (SOS) meetings on the Zoom platform. The first meeting for next year is scheduled for 17 Jan 2021.

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Seton College is a typical co-educational Secondary College that offers personalised learning. It’s described as “the school that fills the gap between mainstream schools and special schools” for including individual student support, pastoral care and personality development that aren’t found in a mainstream school’s curriculum.

“Seton College is the most welcoming, helping, accepting and the best school I’ve ever been to,” a former student, Tayhlia Shaw, said when she launched the petition. “Education is taught in many different fun ways to help students not only enjoy their classes but take in more from what they are learning about.”

For updates on the activities of the SOS, follow their Facebook page or become a member on their official site.

Old Scurr Bros Site Transformation as a New Health Hub Set for 2021

The former site of Scurr Bros, a familiar southside Brisbane landmark for over 100 years, will soon be a health and wellness facility. Plans are underway to redevelop the property for 2021.

P3 Projects Pty Ltd will handle the project development for the property owner, the Pigozzo Group. The commercial and retail site on Logan Road received Council approval in 2019 and it’s expected to bring in new business and jobs once completed.

Health practitioners and members of the fitness and wellness industry are currently in discussions with the developer for possible tenancies. Construction of the new building is set for early 2021 and should open by the end of the year.

Parts of the old Scurr Bros building will be retained but the structure will get an updated look and features. It will include multi-level offices with its individual entrances. The parking area will have improvements as well, whist a telecommunications tower at the south end of the car park will be redesigned as an architectural landmark.

The site will also retain the Scurr Bros’ name to honor an integral part of the history of Mt Gravatt.

A Look Back at the Old Scurr Bros Site

The Scurr Bros hardware store started as a small, family-run business over 100 years ago. They were originally blacksmith forgers who shifted to motor body work and then to hardware and timbre.

William Scurr built the first building on Logan Road in 1913, whilst his brother Edward established a blacksmith shop on the site in 1928. By 1931, two more brothers joined the business to focus on motor body building.

Photo Credit: Friends of Scurr Bros Hardware Mt Gravatt/Facebook

The Scurr brothers shifted to the hardware business in the 1950s and became a founding member of the Mitre 10 chain. Three decades later, the site was redeveloped into what is currently the iconic yellow-brick building.

By 1995, the business was sold after three generations of the Scurr family management.

Southeast Brisbane Welcomes the Health Hub

Residents in Brisbane’s southeast side like the idea of turning the Scurr Bros building into a health hub, whilst retaining parts of its history. Thousands of people could benefit from the services to be offered at the hub and it will bring in more jobs and businesses to the suburb.

A descendant of the Scurr family is also happy knowing that the building’s structure will be retained. In 2015, the Pigozzo Group received Council approval to redevelop the site as a 110-unit residential area. They ditched this plan for the health hub after realizing that this is what Mt Gravatt needs.

Brisbane Small Business Expo: Learn From Professionals at the Biggest Networking Event in Upper Mt Gravatt

Photo Credit: Small Business Expo/Facebook

The biggest networking event in Brisbane is happening on the 4th of April 2019 in Upper Mt Gravatt! Some 1,600 local business professionals are expected to be at the Hibiscus Sports Complex on Klumpp Road for the Brisbane Small Business Expo.

The event, mounted by Paula Brand Small Business Expos, will feature more than 200 exhibitors. It’s set up to be a great opportunity to find sales leads or reliable suppliers, as well as exchange business cards with different professionals.

From 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., guests may participate in a flurry of activities:

catch four speaker sessions
speak with the employees of the Office of the Small Business, Brisbane City Council
listen to eight TINAx Talks (for women in business)
get free headshots for their business profile
take advantage of a free massage and brow waxing
Speed Networking (from 2:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.)

Exhibitors and sponsors of the Brisbane Small Business Expo will also be giving away several prizes with a combined worth over $20,000.

Entrance to this event is free for all businesspeople, but you have to register your attendance online. To keep things livelier, there will be food trucks on site while Jodie Joy will provide the entertainment.

*Photo Credit:* *Small Business Expo/Facebook*

If this will be your first time to attend the event, take a look at what happened at the Brisbane Small Business Expo in 2018 in the video below:

Turn Your Creativity Into Beautiful Works Of Glass Art In Mount Gravatt

Unleash your creative side by making glass art. The Rocketfrog Stained Glass Studios in Mount Gravatt East offers an array of workshops that you can participate in to hone your glass art-making skills.

Photo credit: Rocketfrog Stained Glass and Mosaic Studios / Facebook

The studio is owned by glass art expert Jet Carroll who has a BA in Architectural Glass. Since 1991, she has been following her passion and now she has opened her studio to teach other individuals interested in making such art.

From 8-10 June, she will be holding glass fusing classes that will teach all the basic skills to put creative ideas into a magnificent piece of glass.

The glass fusing classes are as follows:

8 June – 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
9 June – 9:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
10 June – 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

This is the ideal workshop for beginners and is also a great date idea if you’re looking for fun and creative activities to do.

During these classes, you will be able to make your own coasters, sun catchers and many more. Your artworks will be kiln-fired and will be ready for collection the following week.

The fee for the classes per person is $110. Call 0421 063 369 to book.

Address: Ginahgulla St., Mount Gravatt East, Brisbane Queensland, Australia 4122