February 20, 2023 | By Bronwen Largier
The first bridge of the Sky Deck at the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf development on the Brisbane River is in place as the Queensland Government, The Star Entertainment Group and the Destination Brisbane Consortium celebrate the city-reshaping project which is set to begin opening before the end of 2023.
The Star Entertainment Group managing director and CEO Robbie Cooke said the Sky Deck would be a first for Brisbane.
“It will be open day and night, 365 days a year for up to 1,500 people as somewhere to celebrate a special event, to bring visiting friends and family or even as a meeting place for a drink after work.
“It’s a 250m long open-air rooftop with a signature restaurant, all day casual dining and a hero bar as well as a sky-high events space and a glass floor viewing platform at the mid-way mark to further enhance the incredible views,” said Cooke.
Destination Brisbane Consortium (DBC) project director Simon Crooks highlighted the sophistication of the engineering required to put the three Sky Deck bridges in place.
“The upcoming second bridge link will be more complex than the first with three sections weighing 220 tonnes coming together on the podium before being safely jacked into place directly above William Street,” he said.
“It really is a unique engineering feat with the third, final and largest sky deck bridge link expected to be installed in the coming months completing the distinctive arc shape.”
Spanning more the 12ha of land in Brisbane’s CBD, the Queen’s Wharf development will have four new luxury hotels, more than 50 bars and restaurants and approximately 1,500 residential apartments, alongside the equivalent of over 12 football fields of public space.
The Star will move its Brisbane casino operations into Queen’s Wharf from Treasury Brisbane this year while the development will also include a 2,000m2 ballroom by The Star with capacity for up to 1,500 attendees – already taking bookings for 2023 – The Star Grand hotel, with 340 luxury rooms across two towers, also expected to open this year, and a Dorsett hotel. Two other hotels will open in the precinct beyond 2023.
“The Sky Deck will be a magnet for the estimated 1.4 million international, interstate and local visitors to the city each year,” said Queensland’s Deputy Premier Steven Miles.
“The sky’s the limit for Queensland – and this magnificent attraction will showcase that to the world in the lead-up to Brisbane 2032 and beyond.”
The recruitment process for the 1,400 staff required to service The Star’s offerings at Queen’s Wharf has already begun, with DBC’s Crooks flagging a strong response to the first call-out for team members.
