A $15 million redevelopment of Launceston’s historic Birchalls building has been formally lodged with council and is now open for public comment.
The development application proposes converting the long-vacant Brisbane Street Mall site into a mixed-use precinct featuring 21 residential apartments, retail spaces, food and beverage outlets.
The application was submitted by S. Group on behalf of the Birchalls Build Co consortium and is classified as a discretionary application under the city’s planning scheme.
Public submissions on the proposal close on March 2.
The project centres on the conservation-led adaptation of the c.1831 Georgian Regency building, with plans to preserve the original upper Brisbane Street façade and significant first-floor fabric.
According to planning documents, the scheme includes demolishing later rear additions and constructing a new three-storey residential building above ground level, with a rooftop terrace, gym and meeting space.
The ground floor will feature a through-site public laneway linking Brisbane Street Mall to Dechaineux Way, with micro food and beverage vendors, new public amenities including toilets and a parents’ room, and two commercial tenancies.
The heritage façade will be retained and restored, with new glazing and signage sympathetic to the building’s historic character.
Planning documents indicate the building height will not exceed 17 metres, below the zone’s 20-metre limit.
The development will consolidate two existing lots at 118-122 and 124 Brisbane Street.
Birchalls Build Co spokesperson Sam Haberle previously said the vision was to create a north-south connection through the site “with food, drink, art and greenery bringing that passageway to life.”
The City of Launceston purchased the building for $8.8 million in 2020 and signed a term sheet with Birchalls Build Co in October 2025 to transfer the site to the consortium.
Under the agreement, council will provide short-term rates relief until apartments are sold, though the duration has not been disclosed.
Mayor Matthew Garwood last year said the deal would benefit the community through renewed mall activation, new housing and future rate returns.
Construction is expected to begin mid-2026, taking approximately two years to complete.
The Birchalls building is permanently registered on the Tasmanian Heritage Register.
