Gold Coast development: Tower plan for former Jazzland site at Coolangatta

A Gold Coast icon from the city’s distant past will be reborn as part of a proposed tower redevelopment after the popular building was snapped up. SEE WHAT’S PLANNED >>>

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A GOLD Coast icon of the 1920s will be reborn as part of a proposed redevelopment in Coolangatta.

Developer Beckdev has bought the ex-Jazzland Dance Palais site on McLean Street with plans for a new tower on the site including a significant tribute to its original use.

The dance hall was at the heart of the southern suburb’s social scene from its opening in 1928 until its closure in 1951.

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The Coolangatta building which was once home to Jazzland is now the site of a proposed development by Beckdev.

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Beckdev head Ben Beck said he wanted to rekindle the Coast’s link to the jazz hall, lost eight decades ago.

“This site holds an important part of the history of Coolangatta and our final design will reflect that,” he said.

“Our connection to the past underpins our sense of community, so it’s our intention to restore, re-use and recreate this unique social heritage to ensure the facade and dance floor live on in some form.

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Inside Jazzland in 1950, the year before its closure. Picture: Ray Sharpe.

“We are delighted to have secured such a prominent site for an exciting new residential development in the heart of Coolangatta, just a stone’s throw from one of the Gold Coast’s iconic beaches.

“We are now working closely with BDA’s architects to ensure this project is welcomed by the local community for an innovative design that also pays tribute to a long-forgotten part of our history that delighted so many generations before us.”

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Picture of the former Jazzland building at 31-35 McClean Street. Picture by Richard Gosling

The site is currently home to an antiques shop.

Beckdev was among six local and interstate buyers vying for the 2355 sqm property through an expressions of interest campaign which closed in April.

The purchase price has not been disclosed.

Griffith Street, Coolangatta in 1935, looking north towards Jazzland Dance Hall.

Mr Beck and his father Max Beck are experienced developers, having completed projects in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Among them was the restoration of the historic 333 Collins Street in Melbourne which was built in the 1890s and was expanded to create an office tower while retaining its original interior.

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Coolangatta State School’s fancy dress ball was held in Jazzland in 1950.

The retention of historic Gold Coast landmarks has been a contentious debate for more than 40 years, with several famous buildings from the city’s early days including the Surfers Paradise Hotel demolished to make way for new developments.

It has reignited again in the past decade, with protests against the demolition of Miami Ice and the planned redevelopment of the Old Burleigh Theatre Arcade at Burleigh Heads.

Opponents argue the city should not continue to wipe out its past.

Jazzland was a popular venue from the late 1920s until it closed in 1951.

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Originally published as Gold Coast development: Tower plan for former Jazzland site at Coolangatta