Greenmount Resort: First look at Arium Group’s $400m redevelopment for Greenmount Residences

Plans to redevelop the Greenmount Resort to build three towers has divided the community, with some southern residents warning development was “killing our town”. FIND OUT MORE

The famous Greenmount Beach Resort will be demolished in early 2025, with three towers set to rise in its place overlooking the Coast’s hottest surf spot.

Developer Arium Group, headed by former Sunland managing director Sahba Abedian, has lodged plans with the Gold Coast City Council for what will become the first two towers of the Greenmount Residences

The two boutique 13-level medium-rise projects, which will front Marine Parade and Hill Street, will have 63 units which will be aimed at downsizers and the health-conscious.

A third tower, the Eden Residences, was unveiled last year and will front Eden Ave.

It will be built after the two newer buildings.

Artist impression of the Greenmount Residences. Picture: Supplied

Mr Abedian said he was hoping to secure approval for the project in the second half of 2024 and take it to market before Christmas.

“We are anticipating demolition of the existing hotel in early 2025 with construction (of the new buildings) beginning thereafter,” he said.

“It is clear when you look at the southern Gold Coast that it is going through a profound renaissance and there has been a strong move to the south by local residents as well as the great immigration coming from Sydney and Melbourne.

“This is once of the most unique sites on the Gold Coast and there are few north-facing sites which look along the coastline from that southern tip to the north of the city so it is quite profound and unique in that circumstances.”

Sahba Abedian. Photo: Richard Gosling

The Eden Residences, sitting above the famous Snapper Rocks break, will be 16-storeys and will feature 54 units containing nearly 150 bedrooms.

According to documents lodged with council, the Greenmount Residences will feature:

* A concierge service.

* A health and wellness centre which will include a snow room, magnesium salt cave, four temperature-controlled plunge pools, a yoga and pilates centre, state-of-the-art gym and indoor lap pool.

* Private meeting rooms as part of its work-from-home facilities, a children's centre and outdoor playground and giant sculpted water feature between the towers which will have enclosed floating seating pods.

The southern tip of the Gold Coast has become a development hotspot in recent years, with several new towers rising.

Artist impression of the Greenmount Residences. Picture: Supplied

Mr Abedian said it was critical for each to suit the area.

“This area deserves to have something quite remarkable in terms of architecture and design aesthetics and as a flagship project for our company, we are hoping to add to the wellbeing and betterment of the area we are working in.”

The Greenmount Resort opened in 1980 and has been the target of multiple redevelopment bids since 2000.

Sunland unsuccessfully attempted to buy the site for $35m in January 2007 before it was snapped up by City Pacific.

Artist impression of Eden Ave Residences, a redevelopment of the Greenmount Beach Resort planned by Arium Group.

Mr Abedian got his wish in March 2016 when the resort was bought for $26m by the publicly listed Sunland, which was at the helm of until it was wound down in 2023.

Sunland in 2017 lodged plans for a $370m, two-tower project of between 14 and 17 storeys with 247 apartments overlooking Coolangatta Beach.

However, the development group went back to the drawing board after proposed changes to the City Plan and did not end up lodging the revised plans.

The plans were opposed by many southern Gold Coast groups on grounds it was inappropriate in size and scale for the area.

Sunland, put the site on the market in late 2020 and announced in January 2021 it had sold the site to Arium Group, which both Mr Abedian and his father Soheil Abedian have an interest in.

Plans to redevelop the Greenmount Resort to build three residential towers has divided the community.

Bulletin readers are divided over the proposal, taking to social media to voice their opinions.

“Our beautiful headlands should not be covered with these towers,” wrote Joy Wort, while Sam McLauchlan said “the Greenmount Hotel is tired, for sure but why do we need to overdevelop?”

“The streets around Cooly cannot cope as it is,” he added.

“Overdevelopment is killing our beautiful town.”

The Community Alliance Association slammed the proposal.

“This iteration of towers on the significant Greenmount headland is even uglier than the original. Are there no architects out there who can design something in keeping with this beautiful place?” the group’s account posted.

Originally published as Greenmount Resort: First look at Arium Group’s $400m redevelopment for Greenmount Residences