Development Gold Coast: Construction begins on The Star casino’s $400m 63-storey Broadbeach supertower
Construction of a giant $400 million, 63-storey supertower has begun on the Gold Coast, with promises it will help solve a major weekend parking shortage once the waterside site is completely transformed. SEE THE PHOTOS AND VIDEO
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STAR Gold Coast is adding a 300-bay carparking facility as it begins construction of its new 63-storey, $400 million supertower.
Workers have begun piling works on the foundations of The Star’s unnamed “tower 2” on the southeastern side of Broadbeach Island before the next stage of the building starts in June.
It will feature the Star’s fourth hotel and nearly 460 residential units.
Project director Jaime Cali said the new carpark would be built within a six-level podium of the new tower which will include more than 300 spaces
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Ms Cali said the first columns of the tower would be installed on Casino Drive mid-year at the base of the future carpark.
Parking spaces can often be at a premium at the complex especially events are on.
The tower was expected to be completed in 2024.
“This second hotel and apartment tower is a significant development that will provide great job opportunities here on the Gold Coast,” she said.
“We have 60 workers on site currently undertaking the piling and in-ground activities that will prepare the site for above-ground column construction.”
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It’s expected to create 1800 direct and indirect jobs, reaching peak construction in 2023, she said.
It’s expected to required 500 people on site at any one time.
The first sod was turned in late February.
The 200m tall tower will need more than 32,000 cubic metres of concrete – enough to fill 17 Olympic-sized swimming pools – and 8000 tonnes of reinforcing steel with more than 22,000 sqm of window glazing.
“We are drilling around 280 piles into the ground, each one ranging up to around 40 metres in length and up to over a metre in diameter,” she said.
“Three drill rigs have been used to dig the holes for the piles, extracting dirt on the way and filling the holes with concrete, with the largest rig weighing over 100 tonnes and using a 40 metre long drill.
“Once all the piling has been completed, a 2.5 metre thick concrete raft slab will be poured, creating the base slab for the tower with further slabs, or levels, to continue being built well into 2023.”
The tower’s residential units have had strong pre-sales figures.
More than 76 per cent of one, two, and three-bedroom apartments have sold, with only two-bedroom apartments remain.
Prices are $710,000 to around $1.1 million.
The state government approved Star’s $2 billion masterplan in 2018. It allows for up to seven towers total including the existing Star Grand and Darling towers.
A 54-storey Dorsett is under construction and will open in late 2022.
The mixed-use fourth tower will be home to an “internationally recognised” five-star hotel brand, expected to be a Marriott brand W Hotel.
The 210 hotel rooms will sit on the lower levels while the residential component, known as The Star Residences, will be on the upper floors.
The building will have a six-level podium featuring an “active” retail concourse and more than 12,050sq m of retail and resort facilities including a luxurious day spa, wellness centre, restaurants and lifestyle services.
The giant sundeck will also have a large lagoon pool, private cabanas and dining areas.
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THE Star Gold Coast became a double construction site with early works starting on a $400 million, 63-storey tower on Broadbeach Island on Friday.
Work on the new tower starts as the adjacent Dorsett passes the halfway mark at 33 storeys, with a new floor added almost every week as it approaches its 53-floor pinnacle.
Turning the sod on the new tower, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the projects would help cater for a mass migration to Queensland that saw 7000 new residents move here in the December quarter alone.
“Can you blame them? There is no better place,” she said.
“The investment of Star on the Gold Coast is absolutely changing the landscape here. More towers means more jobs.”
Star Group chairman John O’Neill, who is also chairman of Queensland Airports Ltd, and the development joint ventures Destination Brisbane and the Destination Gold Coast Consortium, said progress on the Gold Coast was great cause for optimism after a tough year.
“It was only five years ago we only had one hotel here, and a property that was undergoing a much-needed refurbishment,” he said.
“There had been no money spent on the old Jupiters in 35 years.
“Today we stand here ready to break ground on a 63-storey tower here on the Gold Coast.”
Mr O’Neill all but confirmed the Bulletin’s revelation the tower was likely to house Marriott brand W Hotel.
“It’s a tower that will house a core hotel – there’s speculation in the Gold Coast Bulletin today that hotel may be the W.
“I’ve never argued with the Bully, I’m not going to start now and they might well be right – it could be the W,” he said.
“In the past handful of years we have built and now operate the Darling, the Dorsett hotel and apartment tower. It’s up to 33 storeys and has 22 to go.
“It certainly says we are committed to the Gold Coast and we are committed to Queensland.
“We remain confident about the future and the tourism industry will recover.
“It’s been hammered, it’s been smashed, but it will recover, and the Gold Coast will remain Australia’s tourism diamond.”
Mr O’Neill said The Star and its partners had committed around $5 billion to tourism and entertainment infrastructure in five years.
“The best is yet to come.”
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CONSTRUCTION of a $400 million, 63-storey supertower will begin in Broadbeach today as its operator secures one of the world’s foremost hotel brands to run it.
The Star Entertainment Group’s unnamed “tower 2” is set to open in mid-late 2024.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the project would create more than 1800 jobs during construction and a further 500 once completed.
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“Construction is absolutely vital to rebuilding our economy and creating local jobs on the Gold Coast,” she said.
“We approved the masterplan for The Star Gold Coast because we know how important it is to partner with the private sector to deliver new tourism infrastructure in this city.
“To have construction starting on multimillion-dollar developments like this just proves that business confidence on the Coast is strong. This is only possible thanks to the way Queenslanders have responded to the coronavirus pandemic.
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“While other jurisdictions around the world continue to deal with deadly outbreaks of the virus, we’re able to focus on rebuilding our economy – rolling up the sleeves and getting back to work with great projects like this one.”
The sod-turning comes just three weeks after Star announced it would fast-track the project to be ready for the post-COVID era.
In a major coup, industry sources have told the Bulletin the tower will become home to the Gold Coast’s first W Hotel.
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The Star is understood to be in final negotiations with the Marriott Group to bring the premium hotel brand to the Coast. An announcement is expected in the next month.
There are more than 55 W hotels in 25 countries. One operates in Brisbane.
Star CEO Matt Bekier said the company had big plans for the region.
“We thank the Queensland government for supporting our vision,” he said.
“We aim to be Australia’s leading integrated resort company and we’re developing properties on the Gold Coast and Brisbane that will be compelling must-see destinations for locals, interstate and international visitors.”
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The state government approved Star’s $2 billion masterplan in 2018. It allows for up to seven towers.
The 210 hotel rooms in tower 2 will sit on the lower levels, while the residential component, known as The Star Residences, will be on the upper floors.
More than 70 per cent of the one, two, and three-bedroom apartments have been sold since pre-sales began in May 2019.
Prices range from $596,000 to about $1.8 million.
The building will have a six-level podium featuring an “active” retail concourse and more than 12,050sq m of retail and resort facilities including a luxurious day spa, wellness centre, restaurants and lifestyle services.
The giant sundeck will also have a large lagoon pool, private cabanas and dining areas.
Global construction company Multiplex has been awarded the contact.
The Star’s 54-storey Dorsett is under construction and will open in late 2022, following the existing Star Grand and Darling towers.
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