Bowen furniture store to convert into unit accommodation

A Whitsundays furniture complex just a short walk from the ocean could soon be given an exciting revamp, with a novel plan to bring new life to the prominent location.

Plans have been lodged to convert the former furniture store along George St in Bowen to unit accommodation. Picture: CoreLogic

An old furniture complex in the Whitsundays could be given a new lease of life with a “unique” proposal to convert the commercial building into private accommodation.

Owners T Tran Vu, V Huynh Thi Dang and M T Ma have lodged an application with Whitsunday Regional Council to change the former single-storey furniture store at 37 George Street in Bowen into four units plus a communal area.

Huynh and co bought the property in February 2021 for $425,000.

A short walk from the ocean, it was once home to Bowen Furnishing Co, Robbo’s Bowen Furnishers, and a homemaker centre.

“The development will provide accommodation for a maximum of 18 persons,” documents state.

There would be four private rooms plus five common areas with communal facilities like the kitchen, dining room, laundries and bathroom amenities to be built “underneath the dwelling”.

Plans have been lodged to convert the former furniture store along George St in Bowen to unit accommodation. Picture: CoreLogic

Room 1 “provides for six beds with (a) room divider”; Room 2 for six beds; and Rooms 3 and 4 with one bedroom suite each.

“The premises is unique, whereby a large commercial tenancy and residential home are located on the same title,” documents state, adding the project would “add affordable accommodation stock” to Bowen and “suitably integrate” into the CBD.

Documents state to satisfy onsite carparking requirements, the project would need to designate one existing on-street carparking space as a disabled car park.

It adds the remaining parking requirements can be met with the “substantial on-street parking” already available on George and Herbert streets, and which were formerly assigned to the furniture shop.

WRC councillors are recommended to approve the development application at the first of 2023’s ordinary meetings of council on Wednesday.

If approved, infrastructure charges of $116,900.16 will apply.