Bond University: Student accommodation towers planned for Varsity Lakes street
A Gold Coast university has unveiled plans to build a giant twin tower high-density student accommodation development in a suburb which has been plagued by parking difficulties and already narrow streets.
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BOND University has unveiled plans to build a giant twin tower high-density student accommodation development in the heart of Varsity Lakes.
The two towers, which will be 15 and 17 storeys tall, are earmarked for a 7063sq m site on Lake Street will become the suburb’s tallest buildings and will have nearly 500 two and three-bedroom units and room for 646 residents.
The site is owned by the university and would connect to the campus through a pedestrian bridge.
The University says the project will take pressure off the city’s housing market and provide greater accommodation for overseas students travelling to the city.
A Bond spokesman said a construction start date had not been decided.
“The university has had long-term plans for new accommodation facilities to complement the various on-campus options currently available,” he said.
“Today’s students expect high-quality amenities such as self-catering facilities, private bathrooms, connectivity, and shared learning and networking spaces.
“This development addresses those needs as well as the tight rental market, alleviating the pressure on Bond University students seeking affordable housing.”
The building will have 159 resident carparks and 81 bike spaces.
But with the area already plagued by narrow streets and a lack of parking, area councillor Hermann Vorster said it was a “large and intense” use of the site.
“Given the pressures in the Varsity Lakes CBD, I expect City officers will make sure it is thoroughly assessed before making any recommendation for approval,” he said.
“This street will also sit on a future rapid bus link between the light rail and heavy rail, and I want to see that reflected in the design.
“Most importantly, I want a traffic analysis of Lake Street and University Drive intersection done, to see if this is a trigger to bring forward that necessary upgrade.”
Mr Vorster said it was critical to revive the Varsity Lakes CBD, which has struggled with commercial vacancies in recent years.
“I wonder whether this is the panacea for the woes of some local businesses by putting hundreds of international students on their doorstep with big wallets and huge appetites for the Gold Coast experience,” he said.
“The best thing is they can walk to the local businesses without clogging the roads with unnecessary traffic.”
The Bulletin revealed in February that Gold Coast universities were facing a housing crisis, with tens of thousands of international students pouring into the city and nowhere to house them.
The situation has reached breaking point, with Study Gold Coast sending out letters to 55,000 Gold Coast families under Mayor Tom Tate’s letterhead asking them to consider taking on homestay students.
The peak education body has even pleaded with hotel operators to allow students to stay in empty rooms during down periods.
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Originally published as Bond University: Student accommodation towers planned for Varsity Lakes street
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