Aria Property Group said it wants to turn Fish Lane into "Australia's premier cultural and dining precinct" after submitting a development application for a new urban park at the site.

The 'Fish Lane Town Square' signals the next step in Aria's transformation of the area, which began with the construction of the Austin residential development more than four years ago, and has since incorporated 29 venues.

Project Manager Michael Zaicek told WILLIAMS MEDIA the completion of Austin "opened their eyes" to the potential of Fish Lane.

"The location is primarily what makes it suitable for this type of project," he said.

"Once you cross the road, you are in South Bank among all the cultural drivers, such as the Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Centre, and Gallery of Modern Art.

"Fish Lane is also effectively a connector through to West End."

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Fish Lane has become a hotspot in South Brisbane. Source: Aria Property Group

The 1500 square metre project will include significant landscaping, informal seating and gathering spaces, the enhancement of two pedestrian links through the site, a stand alone demountable bar/cafe tenancy, and public dining areas beneath the railway overpass.

There will also be a redevelopment of the existing Quinn's House, as well as the establishment of twelve retail/dining/bar tenancies at 49 Melbourne Street.

Construction is slated to begin in March, with Aria aiming to have the project completed by November.

Mr Zaicek said the park would be another welcome addition to Brisbane's burgeoning laneway culture.

"We've found businesses are really keen to adapt to these inner city kind of spaces," he said.

"Brisbane is undergoing a relatively rapid gentrification at the moment, so it's only natural for people to look for little nooks and crannies.

"Fish Lane's trajectory is really significant, and is underpinned by residential density."

The town square is the first of two phases for the site, the second of which will encompass the other side of the laneway.

Mr Zaiceck said while there were some ideas for the next stage, the public response to the town square would be used to dictate aspects of the development.

"We have a unique opportunity to learn from what we do in phase one," he said.

"Elements such as wayfinding, amenities, and the use of audio visuals are what we will be keeping an eye on."

Sources: BrisbaneDevelopment.com, Aria 

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