Tennis champ serves up mega Maroochydore development
CONSTRUCTION is set to start on a luxury, riverside, residential apartment block in Maroochydore.
Sunshine Coast
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CONSTRUCTION is set to start on a luxury riverside residential apartment block in Maroochydore.
Former Australian tennis champion and caravan king Mark Kratzmann is behind the development, The Ivy Picnic Point.
To date, almost 50 per cent of The Kratzmann Group's 37 apartments have been sold off the plan.
There has been strong interest from southern capitals, with buyers from Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and New Zealand.
The development is expected to help drive the Coast's growth further.
Data from the May CoreLogic Home Values Index shows that dwelling values on the Sunshine Coast grew by 5.8 per cent over the past 12 months, well above Brisbane values, which increased by just 0.9 per cent.
New Zealand buyers Jo Ruane and John Skevington said The Ivy's Maroochy River location was the ideal base for escaping the harsh NZ winters.
"We like Maroochydore as a whole: the proximity to everything, and the atmosphere which is relaxed but humming,” they said.
"We are also looking forward to the possibility of direct flights from Christchurch to the Sunshine Coast airport in the future, especially in light of the airport extension.”
The $300 million Maroochy Airport expansion is expected to be completed in December 2020, with the new runway opening up access to more Australian cities and international markets in Asia and the Western Pacific.
Located just 10 minutes from the airport, the eight level The Ivy Picnic Point development offers two and three-bedroom apartments, sub penthouses and four-bedroom penthouse apartments, with absolute river frontage and a favoured north-east aspect.
Another positive for the development is its proximity to the new Maroochydore CBD, currently being constructed on a 53 hectare greenfield site in the heart of Maroochydore. The master-planned CBD will establish the town as the centre of commerce, entertainment and civic life on the Sunshine Coast.
The Ivy Picnic Point's incorporation of design elements such as lush green gardens, external timber features and European appliances make the sophisticated development something out of the box for the region. In addition, the stylish apartments are also considerably more affordable than riverfront properties at nearby Noosa, with prices starting at $499,000.
Mr Kratzmann, who himself plans to reside at The Ivy, said the apartments were attracting couples looking for a spacious permanent home, close to amenities and with communal areas for socialising.
"Many apartment buildings on the Coast have a mix of holiday letting and permanent living. This is a compromise we didn't want to make and we have designed each residence to be a well-loved home,” Mr Kratzmann said.
Local retirees Geoff and Marie Shires spent years looking for the ideal place to transition from acreage living to a relaxed waterfront residence.
They said, apart from the stunning location, accessibility, size and security were major factors in their decision to buy at The Ivy.
"The square line of the interior of the units maximises floor space, as compared to other units that have curved feature walls,” Mrs Shires said.
"That also makes it more wheelchair accessible, if need be. The lift services the units from public space and is not integrated with the units as such, which we felt is far more secure.”
She said another advantage was the proximity to cycling and walking tracks and the nearby business precinct.
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