The plan to transform this quiet suburban street with almost 200 units

A quiet suburban strip lined with timber cottages and red brick buildings could become unrecognisable, with plans to demolish existing homes and build a 15-storey tower made up of almost 200 units.

The proposal for Chermside in Brisbane’s north comes amid a wider push to accommodate the city’s booming population by transforming some suburbs with significantly taller buildings, which experts say will help maintain access to vital services by minimising urban sprawl.

Five properties from 10 to 18 Kelso Street would be bulldozed for the proposed development. Inset parking spaces would be added to the road, with a new footpath built.

The address is within walking distance to the Chermside shopping centre, Prince Charles Hospital and Chermside bus interchange.

The Kelso Street tower would comprise 193 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments over 15 stories and about 3000 square metres.

It would also include a large swimming pool, spa, sundeck, gym, steam room and sauna. There would be 282 parking spaces across three underground levels.

The land falls within the proposed Chermside Suburban Renewal Precinct Plan, announced in February and yet to be implemented, although the area has already become a development hotspot.

There are multiple major projects nearby, including the recently completed Adina hotel.

Just a few streets away, Curwen Terrace has been transformed with highrise apartment blocks replacing many freestanding houses along its western edge.

There were few people on Kelso Street on Tuesday afternoon, but several neighbours spoke to this masthead and aired concerns about the project.

They said they were worried it would overshadow their own homes, cause property values to drop, and change the nature of the area they had chosen to live in.

One said a recent development had caused major congestion along the street during construction due to the presence of large trucks, and builders had blared loud music during work hours.

Brisbane City Council’s LNP administration has argued more homes are needed across the city, and the ideal place to build them is near public services and shopping precincts.

“We want Brisbane to be a city where everyone, no matter their circumstances, can find a home that suits them,” Northgate councillor Adam Allan said when the Chermside precinct plan was proposed in February.

“[We’re] focused on putting homes in the right places, that means locations with transport, shops, health services, parks and jobs close by.”

Sebastien Darchen, an urban studies academic at the University of Queensland, said projects similar