Gold Coast property: Surfers Paradise Bruce Bishop Carpark to be sold
The sale and redevelopment of Bruce Bishop carpark by the council will “rip the heart out of Surfers Paradise” and leave elderly war veterans "on the scrap heap", community leaders say.
Gold Coast
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A Gold Coast City councillor has vowed to fight for public carparking to remain after the sale of the Bruce Bishop precinct in Surfers Paradise, despite his colleagues voting to remove the caveat only weeks earlier.
An international tender for the 18,137sq m site on Gold Coast Highway – home to the carpark and Surfers Paradise Transit Centre – will close next week.
However, there will be no condition for the buyer to retain public carparking on the site.
A coalition of business and community leaders from chambers of commerce, the Surfers Paradise RSL and surf lifesaving club are warning council they will be left financially devastated by locals avoiding the area without public carparking.
They are calling on the council to ensure some public carparking is retained for veterans and more than 250 nippers who take part in surf activities every weekend.
RSL secretary Charles Wright said many elderly or disabled veterans would struggle to go to its Beach Road venue without 30 free car spaces provided by council to veterans.
“Clearly, council have no sympathy for veterans and want to just throw us on the scrap heap,” he said. “All for the almighty dollar.
“We feel that the council does not care one hoots of the massive problems that this will cause for all our veterans, many in their late seventies to mid-90s, particularly around Anzac Day, Remembrance Day and many other special events, let alone cut them off from attending the Diggers and Sports Club, which many use regularly.”
Gold Coast Central Chamber of Commerce president Martin Hall said the loss of the last ratepayer-owned parking building would be the “final nail in the coffin” for many struggling traders.
“By losing this cheap parking, you lose the guarantee of business and we cannot afford that in the economy right now," he said.
“It will be the nail in the coffin for Surfers Paradise long before any revamp of the area is completed by council.”
The future of the carpark has been a hot debate for almost two decades, sparking protests by Surfers Paradise business leaders.
The council thought it had sold the land to China-based Far East Consortium in 2018 for $48m. Part of the condition of the sale was that public parking be kept on the site.
The buyer pulled out in mid-2020.
In March, councillors agree to put the precinct on the market again, but without carparking conditions.
Area councillor Darren Taylor said the council could not backtrack on its decision but he vowed to negotiate with the site’s future buyer.
“The decision has been made, but this site is an important part of Surfers Paradise and if it does get sold, hopefully we can work closely with the purchaser so that the right development will include parking and include it in any future development application,” he said.
“I will work hard to ensure the conversation with the buyers will benefit everyone in Surfers Paradise.”
‘Disgrace’: Carpark sale will ‘rip Surfers Paradise’s heart out
A former Gold Coast City councillor says the sale of Bruce Bishop carpark and loss of nearly 1600 bays is a “disgrace” and will “tear the heart out of Surfers Paradise”.
An international tender opened on Thursday for the 18,137sq m site, which is home to the carpark and Surfers Paradise Transit Centre, six months after the council voted to sell it. However, there will be no condition for the buyer to retain public carparking on the site.
Leading real estate firm Colliers is marketing the site as the future location of a “world-class landmark development project”.
Ex-councillor-turned real estate agent Eddy Sarroff, who helped lead the fight against the sale, said “it is being taken away despite the Surfers Paradise community screaming out to save their carpark”.
“It belongs to the city and this plan to sell it seems desperate and shows a disgraceful lack of leadership.
“Surfers Paradise needs council’s support, it does not need its heart ripped out.”
The council thought it had sold the land to China-based Far East Consortium in 2018 for $48m, but the buyer pulled out in mid-2020.
The new tender will close on April 12.
The future of the carpark has been a hot debate for almost two decades, sparking protests by Surfers Paradise business leaders and probes by the state’s corruption watchdog.
In 2019, the council was cleared by the Crime and Corruption Commission of several complaints, including the handling of the then-controversial planned sale of the carpark.
A year earlier the councillors had voted to sell the carpark so the council could build the HOTA culture precinct at Bundall without hiking up rates.
Parking pain as Glitter Strip set to lose 1600 spaces in sell-off
THE Gold Coast’s most controversial public-owned property is back on the market – but with a change of conditions.
An international tender has opened for the Bruce Bishop carpark in Surfers Paradise. The 18,137sq m site is home to the carpark and Surfers Paradise Transit Centre.
Leading real estate firm Colliers is marketing the site as the future location of a “world-class landmark development project”.
The Gold Coast City Council thought it had sold the land to China-based Far East Consortium in 2018 for $48m, but the buyer pulled out in mid-2020.
With the development industry on an upswing, Colliers director Steven King said the land, previously home to the Neal Shannon Park, had potential as both a carpark and a development site.
“The transit centre site is a rare offering in the current market, and we’re expecting it to generate strong interest from potential buyers,” said Mr King.
“The property has enormous development potential with unlimited height restrictions, while also offering holding income with major upside potential through its existing commercial uses.
“In the hands of a visionary owner, this property has the potential to redefine central Surfers Paradise.”
The tender will close on April 12.
The future of the carpark has been a hot debate for almost two decades, sparking protests by Surfers Paradise business leaders and probes by the state’s corruption watchdog.
In 2019, the council was cleared by the Crime and Corruption Commission of several complaints, including the handling of the then-controversial planned sale of the carpark.
A year earlier the councillors had voted to sell the carpark so the council could build the HOTA culture precinct at Bundall without hiking up rates.
The high ongoing cost of maintaining the carpark was also cited as a reason to sell.
Critics have argued against selling public land, fearful of what the loss of almost 1600 carparks would do for small business.
A condition of the Far East deal was that Bruce Bishop would have to retain a significant number of public parking bays post development.
However, unlike the 2018 sale, there is no such condition for the buyer to retain public carparking on the site.
Colliers associate James Crawford said big-name developers were tipped to bid for the site.
“The scale of the site and its prime location adjacent to every amenity central Surfers Paradise has to offer, makes this one of the best sites to come onto the market in a generation,” he said.
“We’re expecting the property to garner interest from major development groups, high net worth individuals and investors.”
Mayor Tom Tate, who did not vote for the sale due to his involvement in a consortium owning neighbouring land at the nearby Surfers Paradise Bowls Club, welcomed the site’s listing.
“Finally, we can test the market once more and obviously whoever gets it should provide ample carparking for locals,” he said.
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Originally published as Gold Coast property: Surfers Paradise Bruce Bishop Carpark to be sold
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