Charter Hall secures site for AFP’s new Brisbane base
EXCLUSIVE
Don O’Rorke has stitched together three inner-city Brisbane blocks, won approval for a 10-level office, secured the Australian Federal Police as sole tenant and agreed to sell it on a funds-through basis.
Charter Hall has just settled on the Fortitude Valley block, 925-949 Ann Street, for $32.775 million.
Actually three holdings, held by two parties, it spans 2335 square metres at the corner of Chester St.
Mr O’Rorke’s Consolidated Properties Group will deliver the project with Hutchinson Builders, chaired by Scott Hutchinson, his childhood friend.
The office, to be known as 949 Ann St, will be the AFP’s Northern Command Centre, for specialist operational functions.
The force is expected to occupy from 2029 quitting two leased Fortitude Valley buildings.
The end value would circle c$85-$90m applying the c$7230 rate per sqm Quintessential paid last year for 515 St Paul’s Terrace, Fortitude Valley, otherwise known as Green Square North, and $7494 per sqm Sentinel outlaid for Green Square South (505 St Georges Tce).
Amalgamated site
The corner site (949 Ann St) was the priciest, worth $19.575m.
The neighbouring #927 set Charter Hall back $7.7m while #925 cost $5.5m.
All are zoned Mixed Use. One of the holdings contains a 1930s building.
RWC Queensland’s Tom Barr negotiated the site amalgamation via option agreements on the three lots (continues below).
Consolidated obtained the development permit – the proposed office will contain 11,856 square metres of gross floor area with ground floor retail, two basement levels, with 72 car parks and 75 bike bays, and a 535 sqm public plaza
The AFP pre-commitment is for 10,494 sqm.
Mr O’Rorke will oversee delivery of the base building and integrated fit-out under a development management agreement with Charter Hall.
AFP to consolidate
The AFP plans to consolidate its Brisbane Northern Command to 949 Anne St from two leased Fortitude Valley offices: 7396 sqm at 45 Commercial Road, Newstead, and 1993 sqm at 180 Alfred St.
The new lease covers 7112 sqm of office accommodation and 3066 sqm of specialist and technical space.
The proposed fit-out is estimated to cost $89.3m excluding GST, and will be funded through a lease incentive offered by the developer rather than existing AFP departmental funds.
The new premises are intended to accommodate about 576 staff, including an additional 95 officers by 2029, and bring the Australian Centre to Counter Child Exploitation into Northern Command.
The AFP expects to occupy the new premises by July 2029, ahead of the expiry of its existing leases in 2029 and 2030.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Public Works recommended the project proceed in its August 2026 report.
Charter Hall also owns an office leased to the AFP, in Melbourne’s Lonsdale St.
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