Cairns Esplanade development: Which old homes are flagged for demolition?

Days are numbered for a handful of houses that stand as vestiges of Old Cairns on the Esplanade – a motley crew of modest homes on the most prestigious street in town.

A HANDFUL of houses still stand as vestiges of Old Cairns on the Esplanade – a motley crew of modest homes on the most prestigious street in town.

They stick out like sore thumbs among the multistorey apartment complexes and hotels that dot the glitter strip between Charles and Smith streets in Cairns North.

For better or worse, their days are numbered as progress marches on and developers eye the ultimate addresses for higher-density uses.

Already one has bitten the dust with Greg and Lenore Harbour demolishing their two-storey red brick home at 265 Esplanade to build the three-storey luxury Harbour House replacement.

Others are waiting in the wings – but not all wind up as rubble and memories.

261-263 Esplanade

A beautiful home believed to have been designed by architect Eddie Orchard in the late-1930s, this property is owned by Peter Conroy and was built by his parents.

It is one of the strip’s only homes protected from major redevelopment through a listing on the planning scheme as a place of significance.

257 and 259 Esplanade

The Hoffman family has owned this pair of raised homes for decades.

They would be ripe for redevelopment but no such applications have been made.

Costa Blanca

The Mediterannean-inspired holiday units have seen better days, but life as it stands could be short-lived.

Ocean View Terrace Pty Ltd owns Costa Blanca and the two adjoining homes – a rundown cottage and a two-storey set of red-brick flats.

Hong Kong developer Cityview Group has approvals in place to build a 13-storey unit tower across the site.

231 Esplanade

Owner Roseann Hall has the all-clear to knock down this old Queenslander, two doors north of Acacia Court Hotel, to build a three-storey unit complex.

She was granted a six-year extension to the approval this year after citing timing concerns in the wake of Covid-19.

Development approvals are still current for a proposal to build a three-storey luxury unit complex with one apartment per floor at 231 Esplanade in Cairns. Picture: Supplied

On a vacant block next door,a now-lapsed development approval from 2015 planned a holiday accommodation complex with more than 400 rooms, self contained units and a restaurant.

219 Esplanade

The prestigious former home of late-GP Dr Leslie Westaway has become dilapidated in recent years under the ownership of Benny Wu, who also owns the Acacia Court Hotel next door.

His company bought the house for $2.68m in 2015 and has flagged future plans to demolish and redevelop the site.

Originally published as Cairns Esplanade development: Which old homes are flagged for demolition?