New pool at Howard Smith Wharves to be open to public as expansion plans approved

A new public pool over the Brisbane River and expanded hotel are set to be built as part of an approved expansion of Howard Smith Wharves.

The plans were given a green light by Brisbane City Council on Wednesday.

An additional 8500 square metres of outdoor space, two new cliffside lifts and a cascading concrete staircase down to the water will also be constructed at the entertainment hub.

Artist impressions released on Thursday morning showed an overhauled Felons Barrel Hall and tiered public gardens.

The new hotel – which was initially slated to have 77 rooms – will have 106 rooms.

A spokesperson for developer Artemus Group said the pool would be open to the public for a portion of each day, but possibly be exclusive to hotel guest during other periods.

Construction is likely to start soon, with the developer adamant the whole project would be completed before the 2032 Olympic Games.

“As we’ve been planning … Howard Smith Wharves 2.0, we’ve constantly been asking ourselves how do we want to showcase our beautiful city to the world,” Howard Smith Wharves CEO Luke Fraser said from the site on Thursday.

He was joined by founder Adam Flaskas, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie.

“They took a derelict site, they invested in it, and they turned it into one of the best loved parts of Brisbane, so I know that they can take it to the next level,” Schrinner added.

“We’ve seen what they can do, we’ve seen their vision … and I’m genuinely excited about the future because, what is a great part of Brisbane now, will become even better.”

Plans for the expansion were lodged in 2024 but have undergone significant changes since.

The wharves were first used by their namesake Captain William Howard Smith, as part of his inter-colonial passenger and freight network in the 1880s.

They were then used for cargo until 1960s before the Queensland Water Police used it as a base until the 1980s.

The revitalisation of the wharves was first floated in 2006, but did not come to fruition until 2019.

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