Early works begin at long-dormant One Queensbridge site in Southbank

Early works have begun at developer PDG’s long-awaited One Queensbridge development in Southbank, marking the first visible movement on one of Melbourne’s most prominent dormant riverfront sites in well over a decade.

The project, now branded No.1 Queens Bridge, will rise on the former Crown-owned site at 1-29 Queensbridge St and is set to deliver a 71-level mixed-use tower with 588 residences, a hotel, dining and wellness uses overlooking the Yarra River.

PDG said demolition and other early works had now commenced, describing it as a major milestone for a site that has remained largely untouched for more than 15 years.

The start of works follows PDG’s acquisition of the 5059 sqm site in December 2024, after it was sold by Crown Resorts’ owner Blackstone. As previously reported by Southbank News, the purchase brought fresh momentum to a site long associated with failed ambitions, most notably the abandoned Crown-Schiavello supertower proposal that once promised to become Australia’s tallest building.

PDG’s plans are more restrained in height but are still significant in scale, and the latest material indicates the tower has grown from the 67 storeys outlined when plans were lodged last year to 71 levels in its current form.

A key feature of the project remains the retention and reuse of the heritage-listed Queens Bridge Hotel, originally built in the mid-1800s. PDG says the former pub will become a central arrival point for the development and anchor a new hospitality offering, including a rooftop bar and grand atrium entry integrated into the podium and hotel levels.

Designed by COX in collaboration with ODO and PDG, the tower’s architecture is intended to draw on the movement of the Yarra River, with a sculptural façade made up of six vertical pleats running the full height of the building. PDG says the form is designed to capture changing light and give the project a distinctive presence on the skyline.

Residents are also promised more than 5500 sqm of amenities across multiple levels, which the developer describes as an “urban village in the sky”.

The site sits opposite Crown and nearby is the Arts Precinct, placing it at one of the most visible gateways to Southbank. In earlier comments to Southbank News, local stakeholders including Freshwater Place and the Southbank Residents’ Association broadly welcomed PDG’s proposal, particularly its retention of the historic hotel and plans for better pedestrian connections through the site.

PDG said its plans for No.1 Queens Bridge remained before the Department of Transport and Planning, with sales expected to launch in the coming months. •