PICS: What Bundy’s revamped ‘whale building’ will look like

SSS STRAWBERRIES have announced big plans that will give back to the community, in a Bundaberg first.

Photos of the refurbished whale building.

SSS Strawberries are renowned as one of the leaders in the region's agriculture sector and today they have announced big plans that will give back to the community, in a Bundaberg first.

Construction in what was formerly known as the whale building on Bourbong St is expected to commence in 2020.

Stage one will house a tower for student accommodation and the ground floor will feature cafes for the public use.

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: A first look at the proposed SSS Tower that will be built in the City Centre Arcade on Bourbong St.

"Our vision is to bring something back to the Bundaberg community and the CBD," SSS CFO Toan Nguyen said.

"We realised there is an urgent need for student accommodation, particularly international students and we also know that car parking is an ongoing issue here."

MAJOR DEVELOPMENT: A first look at the proposed SSS Tower that will be built in the City Centre Arcade on Bourbong St.

CQUniversity's associate vice-chancellor Luke Sinclair said the development would attract international students, retain local students and open up doors for tourism and business opportunities.

"This is an absolute game changer for the Bundaberg region and we have an opportunity here to keep people here in the region and attract people from outside the region and Australia," Mr Sinclair said.

Photos of the refurbished whale building

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"The rental market at the moment is really hard to tap into and for students it's virtually impossible, so having accommodation is definitely one of the missing pieces of the puzzle."

InsiteSJC town planner Shane Booth said the exciting project was the largest development that the Bundaberg community would have witnessed over the past 20 years.

"SSS Strawberries have invested heavily in agriculture which is the first pillar of what they've put into the community and the next step now is investing in education," Mr Booth said.

"The vision for what we're doing in here will really revitalise the area and we've got a vision for retail, commercial and restaurant so a really good mix.

"We hope to deliver this in late 2020 and I think it's going to be a really great project, not just for the town but for the region."

Burnett MP Stephen Bennett said the whale mural that the building was famous for would unfortunately not be salvaged but the family run strawberry business was invested in showcasing local artwork in its replacement.

Stage two of the project will see additional car parks created for student and public use.

Pending on approval, stage three will propose an additional tower.

More to come.

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