On Friday, public submissions close on one of Brisbane's biggest-ever land use debates – the future of one kilometre of riverside land at South Brisbane between the Gallery of Modern Art and West End.

Brisbane City Council has outlined its vision for the land, which is home to several empty factories, the Parmalat Milk Factory, a concrete factory and glass factory and several properties owned by Australia Post.

The Parmalat Milk Factory will eventually close and move, according to the stsate government.

The 25 hectares of riverside land is also home to one of Brisbane's heritage-listed hotels, the Coronation Hotel on Montague Road, across Montague Road from the milk factory.

From Thursday night, the Coronation Hotel's ground floor will be reborn as The Milk Factory, a swanky new cocktail bar run by the owners of well-loved Valley establishment, The Bowery.

Dan Gregory has returned to Brisbane from seven years in Melbourne and Sydney where he opened and ran the Baxter Inn, Shady Pines and Black Pearl cocktail bars.

With his business partners Asher Blackford and Mal Gill, he has taken a 25-year lease on the ground floor space at the Coronation Hotel that housed The Joynt for almost five years.

Mr Gregory knows the area is earmarked for a massive revitalisation and the heritage-listed hotel will be right in the middle.

"It will concern the business at the end of the day, but whatever they do around the area is always going to benefit this area," Mr Gregory said.

Mr Gregory sees the revitalisation of the area as part of the West End, inner city and Paddington shake up.

"It is the last of the inner city areas where they can actually do things like that," he said.

"I can see why a lot of people are upset about the higher buildings, but is just of those things.

"I think urban sprawl in Brisbane is just one of the biggest things to deal with. So all you can do is go up, I suppose."

The Coronation Hotel will be left as one of the last oldest buildings standing in South Brisbane.

The Milk Factory is "Boston Dock" styled, with heavy, dark hardwood timbers replete with a seafaring theme.

It will be place for people to tell tales, with a "travelling" menu that changes every three months.

"It is will be like a boat on an old sea map. It's going to leave the old 'Boston Docks' – so to speak – and travel through world."

The menu will move through Hawaii and Japan, then Korea and then picks up new food ingredients.

From here it could shift to Jamaica and India.

"So every three months the food menu changes.

"It gives us the chance to play with different things and ingredients and gives us a good opportunity to explain to customers why we are doing it, mixing the cuisine and ingredients."

However, Mr Gregory's enthusiasm for the opportunities to come with the future growth of South Brisbane is juggled against the concerns of 30-year resident, Professor John O'Toole.

Professor O'Toole lives in Norfolk Street, a timber and tin part of West End.

He believes Brisbane is missing the chance to extend the "ethos and ambience" of South Bank Parklands around the river at Kurilpa Point by concentrating on high-rise apartments at the expense of alternatives.

"It does need more people, it does need some visitors and some workers, but it needs more arts and leisure and cultural facilities," Professor O'Toole said.

"And it needs more greenspace. South Bank is actually getting too small for the city."

Public submissions close on Friday, October 3. You can make a submission here.