Plans approved for $4.9m shop top apartment complex on McDonald Pl and Elm St, Evans Head

A three-storey shop-top housing development has been given the green light in a popular tourist town on the state’s north coast. See the plans.

Artists impression of the new shop top housing project greenlit by Richmond Valley Council for the corner of McDonald Place and Elm Street Evans Head.

A three-storey shop-top housing development has been given the green light in a popular tourist town on the state’s north coast.

The $4.9m mixed-use project by 17 The Evans Pty Ltd and Barker Architects includes a 154 sqm ground floor commercial area – with renders showing a street level cafe – and 10 units above in a mix of one, two, and three bedrooms covering 931 sqm.

Artists impression of the new shop top housing project in Evans Head.

Located at the corner of McDonald Pl and Elm St, Evans Head, the project also includes 14 parking spaces.

“The proposed building is in a visually prominent location and will help to define the future character of Evans Head,” a spokesperson from surveyors Newton Denny Chapelle said.

The new shop top housing development greenlit for the corner of McDonald Place and Elm Street, Evans Head.

“The building form draws architectural references from prominent art-deco buildings within the town centre such as the Illawong Hotel.”

Awnings will cover footpaths on McDonald Place and Elm Street and kerbside dining will service the commercial space.

Brick and concrete will be offset by lightweight materials, providing a neutral and natural material palette in harmony with the proposal’s coastal setting, its subtropical climate, and the existing streetscape, developers said.

“The sculptural qualities and strong horizontal line of the roof and deep awning establish a more dynamic landmark in response to the monolithic volume of the RSL,” a spokesperson from Evans Head-based Barker Architects said.

The new shop top housing development with Club Evans RSL behind on the Evans river.

The surveyors said the project was “ideally suited” to medium density and accessible housing supply thanks to the site’s proximity to existing amenity and infrastructure.

A permanent occupancy only condition has been marked for the project, forbidding short-term rental accommodation, serviced apartments or similar.

Proposed hours of operation for the commercial premises will be from 6am to 10pm Monday to Sunday.

Artists impression of the new shop top housing project greenlit by Richmond Valley Council for the corner of McDonald Place and Elm Street Evans Head.

The popular holiday destination has seen an influx of affluent retirees and downsizers post-pandemic, many from outside the region.

With the village surrounded by national parks, development of the town is limited, with the largest development being the $50 million Thyme Lifestyle Resort.

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