A development application for two 15-storey towers containing 312 co-living units has been lodged for 24-26 and 26A Constance Street in Fortitude Valley, proposing one of the suburb’s largest purpose-built co-living projects yet in a precinct already transforming rapidly.
Read: Transit-Oriented Development Proposed Near Alderley Train Station
The proposal, designed by Rothelowman with planning by Urbis and landscaping by LatStudios, would deliver 312 self-contained one-bedroom rooms across two podium-and-tower buildings on a site of approximately 1,551 square metres. The application was lodged on 27 February 2026 under reference A006972487. Each room includes a private living area, kitchenette and bathroom, with shared facilities including a swimming pool, gym, indoor dining areas, barbecue and outdoor dining spaces, communal seating and landscaped recreation areas distributed across the buildings.
Ground level activation is a prominent feature of the design. A publicly accessible but privately maintained laneway would run through the site, lined with small retail kiosks, a town-square style open space, concierge and resident lounge areas, landscaped seating and planting. The laneway concept connects through from Constance Street and is intended to add a pedestrian dimension to what is currently an underutilised block directly opposite the BMW dealership, about 250 metres from The Wickham hotel.
What Co-Living Means in Practice
Co-living sits somewhere between a traditional apartment and a serviced residence. Each unit in the Constance Street proposal functions as a self-contained room with its own bathroom and kitchenette, but residents share a significantly broader suite of communal amenities than a typical apartment building provides. The model is particularly popular with young professionals, students and short-term residents who prioritise location and community over space, and it typically comes at a lower price point than a comparable standalone apartment.
The application classifies the units as rooming accommodation and short-term accommodation under Brisbane’s planning scheme, reflecting the flexible way the operator intends to use the building. Urbis notes in its planning report that the proposal is consistent with the planning intent of the Principal Centre Zone and the Fortitude Valley Neighbourhood Plan, both of which support high-density residential development in a location well served by surrounding amenities and public transport.
No on-site car parking is proposed, with 30 bicycle spaces planned instead. The application notes that parts of the block may be susceptible to flooding, a detail that will form part of the formal assessment process.
Fortitude Valley’s Co-Living and Build-to-Rent Boom
The Constance Street proposal arrives in a Valley already thick with development activity. Arklife, the developer behind the current application under the “Arklife Little Constance” branding, previously lodged plans for a 31-storey build-to-rent development nearby on Constance Street with 327 units alongside retail and office space. A separate development application for two build-to-rent towers directly above The Zoo music venue on Ann Street was lodged in 2023. Earlier this year, plans emerged to redevelop the historic former Keating’s Bread Factory between Warry and Kennigo streets with 100 units across 17 storeys.
Together, these projects point to Fortitude Valley as one of the most active apartment development corridors in south-east Queensland, driven by its central location, excellent transport links and the strong demand from young professionals and students who want to live close to the inner city without the price tag of New Farm or Teneriffe.
Fortitude Valley sits within Brisbane’s Principal Centre Zone, which explicitly supports high-density residential development, and the suburb’s relative affordability compared to adjoining inner-city precincts continues to attract both developers and renters in large numbers.
Why This Matters to the Fortitude Valley Community
For residents of Fortitude Valley and the surrounding inner-city suburbs, the Constance Street proposal raises questions that are worth engaging with now, before the assessment process concludes. Co-living development at this scale brings genuine benefits, including more housing supply in a high-demand area, ground-level activation through the public laneway and the kind of rooftop and communal amenity that enlivens a streetscape. It also raises practical questions about pedestrian flow through the laneway, the absence of on-site parking in a street with existing congestion pressures and the flooding risk flagged in the application documents.
No public submissions have been received on the application at the time of writing, which means the window for community input remains open. Residents, nearby businesses and anyone with an interest in how the Constance Street block develops can lodge a submission through the development application portal. Submissions should be based on planning grounds and address specific aspects of the proposal such as built form, traffic, flooding, amenity or neighbourhood character.
The application reference is A006972487 and can be viewed in full through this link. The submission period is open and residents are encouraged to engage with the proposal while the formal assessment is underway.
Read: Transit-Oriented Development Proposed Near Alderley Train Station
Published 18-March-2026.
