‘Tremendous interest’ in Coast’s new home office project

Huge interest is expected in the Sunshine Coast’s newest Small Office Home Offices, following the working from home boom.

An artist's impression of Habitat Development Group's Market Lane Residences at the Maroochydore City Centre.

HUGE interest is expected in the Sunshine Coast’s newest Small Office Home Offices, following the significant rise in people working from home.

Habitat Development Group is starting work in August on the $83 million Market Lane Residences at Maroochydore City Centre, which will feature 146 units and six SOHO townhouses across two towers.

SOHOs are a modern take on the fish and chip shop home/business, with a small retail space on the ground floor and a unit or townhouse above.

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Market Lane’s SOHOs will be three-storeys, with an office space with street frontage downstairs, and storage spaces and living areas in the upper floors.

An artist's impression of the rooftop terrace at Habitat Development Group's Market Lane Residences at the Maroochydore City Centre.

Director of the Brisbane development company, Cleighton Clark, said he expected strong interest.

The office and accommodation style development was previously described as a “gamble”.

But is now seen as more attractive, after the global health pandemic led to many working from home instead of big office spaces.

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“We’ve had tremendous interest in them … I don’t think we’ll have any problem selling them,” Mr Clark said.

Habitat given green light for $83M development in Maroochydore CBD.

REIQ Sunshine Coast zone chair Matt Diesel said developers and councils could be forced to rethink future commercial properties, with a greater focus on home offices.

“There could be a transition away from big office spaces and that’s where SOHOs can really reinvigorate those areas,” he said.

He said the Buderim main street was a good example of where this could work well, where currently commercial spaces take up most of the “prime real estate”.

Mr Clark said construction would take 24 months on the 4518 sqm site at the Mundoo Blvd entrance.

At peak there will be 300 workers onsite, with about 25 subcontractors to be engaged.

Mr Clark said during the early days of COVID-19 restrictions the business was prepared to delay constructions if worksites were shutdown.

But he commended the sector’s response to the pandemic and the ability to continue work while social distancing.

“We worried construction sites would shut and when you’re doing a big project that would have a huge cost implication on the project itself and staffing,” Mr Clark said.

“That was our biggest fear, but as its played out construction sites have been able to remain open.”

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