Samford Parklands is an important community precinct for Moreton Bay. The site provides a scenic gateway to Samford Village and is a place for the community to come together to share and connect over its many uses and functions.

Council has been progressively delivering a masterplan to ensure the site reflects a balance of community, cultural, environmental and recreation values. The Parklands are currently home to the Samford Community Hub, urban farming, sports and recreation activities, an eco-corridor, pastures and a Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service precinct. The Village Green project will soon commence, and deliver an events and picnic lawn, play area, gathering plaza and edible landscapes.

We are now planning the revitalisation of another key part of the site, the Glasshouse Precinct.

The Glasshouse Precinct is a 2400m² area within the parklands located close to the Community Hub and Village Green. Click here to see the location of the Glasshouse Precinct within the Parklands.

We want to deliver a multi-purpose facility in this Precinct that acknowledges the site's history and Samford's local character, while flexibly providing opportunities for community and economic outcomes.

Consultation is now closed.

From 4 November to 4 December 2023, we invited community feedback on the future of the Samford Glasshouse Precinct. You told us you wanted:

• a facility that enhances the arts community by providing more space for workshops, performances and showcasing work by local artists
• urban farming to continue in the Samford Parklands and for it to integrate with future development in the Glasshouse Precinct
• a "branded destination" that attracts tourists while acknowledging the rich history of the site and character of the local area
• the future occupants to have shared values that contribute to the successful operation of the facility and align with the values of the broader Samford community.

Council has commissioned artist's impressions of the reimagined future for the Glasshouse Precinct. These artist's impressions illustrate the design direction for the project. They consider:

• multiple uses of the facility
• community values associated with the site (as heard during consultation) including the site's history and character of the local area
• best practice design principles
• site constraints
• potential budget.

These artist's impressions are intended to form the basis for the design going forward.

To deliver a flexible space that achieves community and economic outcomes, the existing structures need to be removed and preparatory works done on the site. Retaining and repurposing the existing structures has not been recommended. The existing glasshouses were designed for horticultural/agricultural research. This original design purpose, combined with the structural integrity, age, deteriorated condition and potential contamination of the existing structures means they are not safe or compliant with contemporary building standards. It also means they are not fit-for-purpose for community uses.

Before any other work can take place on the site, the existing structures need to be removed and site preparatory works completed.

Designing and delivering new structures in the Glasshouse Precinct will involve significant costs.

Timeframes for the design and delivery of the project are subject to Council budget deliberations and funding advocacy to other levels of government.

Once a project budget is resolved, Council will commission design experts to progress from concept to detailed design. The design will build on the existing artist's impressions (April 2024) for the reimagined future of the precinct and consider community feedback, site constraints and potential budget.