Gold Coast development: Southport split over plans for 100-storey Park Lane supertower
Southport residents are divided about plans to build Australia’s tallest tower in their suburb, with fears thousands of new residents and workers will create a “traffic nightmare”.
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THE Gold Coast’s CBD is split on being home to Australia’s tallest tower with residents predicting it will cause a “traffic nightmare”.
Area councillor Brooke Patterson has talked up the $400 million planned “vertical neighbourhood”, saying she was assured the Park Lane project would go ahead, revitalising Southport.
But many residents, including those living in apartments, believe new tower unit owners will still use their cars, even with the light rail outside their door, worsening congestion on Southport streets.
“Whilst I’m not against the idea, that location will be a nightmare of traffic issues,” a resident wrote to Cr Patterson on her Facebook page.
Long-term trader Glenn Crawford said: “I’ve lived and worked in Southport for 30 years, and watched council and especially the parking cops systematically destroy it. It’s a ghost of it’s former self and a shadow of what it could be,” he said.
Better planning advocate Wayne Purcell said: “I’m bullish on the future of Southport. But, super-thin towers. Over 100-storeys tall. I’m not sure this is what’s needed or desirable.”
Cr Patterson admitted infrastructure needs as the city works to meet population targets imposed by the state government were “a real concern”.
“That is why I think major height like this near major infrastructure - in the CBD - is better for our city as it enables us to protect our character areas,” she said.
Cr Patterson remained confident about the project going ahead and said “this is the strongest (project) financed on I have seen come across my desk”.
The consortium behind the project includes Melbourne-based funds manager Payton Group, Australian architect BKK, town planning firm Urbis, and engineering consultancy Van der Meer.
Plans filed with council late last week on the development next to the Southport Bowls Club show it will feature two towers of 100 storeys (325 metres) and 60 storeys.
The larger tower will encompass 197 units, while the smaller tower will become the city’s first new office building in a decade.
Southport Chamber of Commerce president Ariana Margetts said the unnamed towers had the potential to “completely transform” the CBD by drawing thousands of workers and permanent residents into its heart.
“One of the most exciting things about this proposed project is the injection of up to 12,000 sqm of A-grade office space in the heart of Southport, which is desperately needed to attract and retain companies to the CBD long term,” she said.
“This type of office space has the potential to completely transform the business landscape in Southport, attracting thousands of workers to the suburb during the day, which we know will have direct flow on effect to our hospitality and retail traders during business hours, and our night time economy supporting Southport’s bar, restaurant and live music scene.
“The Gold Coast needs to be focused on future development that caters not only for our population and business growth, but projects that create long term, sustainable employment opportunities for our City.”
‘Horrendous monstrosity’: Coast weighs in on mega towers
A Melbourne consortium wants to build Australia’s tallest tower in the heart of Southport.
Plans expected to be filed with the Gold Coast City Council on Thursday reveal the unnamed $400m mega development, on Park Lane next to the Southport Bowls Club, will feature two supertowers of 100 and 60 storeys.
The larger tower will encompass 197 residential units, home to more than 580 people, while the smaller high-rise will become the city’s first new office building in a decade.
Gold Coast Bulletin readers have had a mixed reaction to the project, with some back it, while others say they doubt it will ever happen.
Jackie wrote: “To me, this horrendous monstrosity, requiring a gigantic hole in the earth right at the coastline, then filling it with tens of thousands of tonnes of steel and concrete and glass and plastic is surely contrary to the green ideology the rest of us have to abide by?”
David said: “Fantastic, hope it happens. Great for everyone involved.”
Ellen wrote: “Looks great but its in Southport so it will never happen.”
Q said: “Great, we need as many landmarks as we can not grey, boring apt buildings.”
$400m: First look at 100-level Coast mega tower
A Melbourne consortium wants to build Australia’s tallest tower in the heart of Southport.
Plans expected to be filed with the Gold Coast City Council on Thursday reveal the unnamed $400m mega development, on Park Lane next to the Southport Bowls Club, will feature two supertowers of 100 and 60 storeys.
The larger tower will encompass 197 residential units, home to more than 580 people, while the smaller high-rise will become the city’s first new office building in a decade.
The tower, expected to have more than 12,000sq m of office space, comes months after the Bulletin revealed the city faced a critical shortage of office space.
The two buildings will be linked at their 22nd level by a three-storey skybridge that is expected to include a restaurant, function space and public bar.
The consortium behind the project includes Melbourne-based funds manager Payton Group, leading Australian architect BKK, town planning firm Urbis, and engineering consultancy Van der Meer.
The consortium claims the project will create more than 1000 jobs during construction.
It has been welcomed by city leaders, including area councillor Brooke Patterson who said the suburb needed greater investment.
“This is a great opportunity for Southport to be recognised as the growth corridor it is,” she said.
“Great architecture, a positive contribution to self-sustainability and the creation of a well-designed public realm are attributes important to any development application.
“The 1 Park Lane team seem to have embraced this in their submission which our planning officers will now assess.”
The 1227sq m site is owned by Constatine Simonidos and One Park Lane, a company headed by Melbourne developer Anthony John Goss.
It neighbours land owned by the Australian arm of Chinese developer ASF, which has longstanding plans to build a pair of giant gold towers.
The Park Lane project is virtually certain to be approved as it sits within the Southport Priority Development Area.
The project is the third 100-storey supertower pitched for the Gold Coast in the past decade.
Southport Developer Robert Badalotti has approval for a 108-storey tower in his $2.3bn Imperial Square project. It is unknown when it will be built.
Park Ave architect Simon Knott said he hoped the project would be a catalyst in unlocking further investment in the CBD.
“Southport has been primed for a development like this for some time. It has everything going for it, but with so many dormant sites in the CBD it has been a sleeping giant for too long. This development will activate a site that has been under-utilised for years.
“The 1 Park Lane proposal will bring to the market a broad range of apartments that will have direct access to extensive public amenities in the area, including the light rail, Australia Fair shopping centre and access to CBD facilities and the Broadwater Parklands.
“Our consultant team’s research also shows that the office tower will be a significant driver of economic activity in its own right.”
A pair of new reports in June – by real estate firms CBRE and Colliers International – both reveal office vacancy rates are at their lowest level since the global financial crisis and any reprieve is several years away. Business leaders want the council to throw incentives at developers to build prime office space to help make up the shortfall, which they warn is preventing the Coast from attracting major corporate powerhouse.
Revealed: Site of new 100-storey Coast supertower
A FELLOW once ‘bitten’ by the corporate watchdog is involved in a tall-storeys proposal that might not sit well with members of the Southport Bowls Club.
A company directed by one Anthony John Goss has signalled it wants to build towers of 101 and 60 levels on the club’s western boundary.
The mooted towers would take in a site occupied by what’s been tagged ‘the little house on the prairie’ – it sits alone between the club’s greens and a major vacant development site.
The house is at the head of the dead-end Park Lane and the balance of the tower-plan site would be a property on the opposite side of the lane.
The plan appears dependent, before a development application can be lodged on the eastern end of the lane being closed and the land freeholded.
The company behind the towers plan, One Park Lane, has filed paperwork seeking that closure and the creation of volumetric lots under the road.
Anthony Goss, a 68-year-old British-born Melburnian, is sole director of One Park Lane but not the beneficial owner of its 100 shares.
In 2007 he was banned from managing corporations for three years after ASIC investigated his involvement in four failed companies, two of which it said had traded while insolvent.
The Park Lane land around which the two-tower plan revolves is in the Southport Priority Development area, in which heights aren’t restricted.
The house on 655 sqm at 1 Park Lane, bought for $2.4 million 15 months ago, previously has been approved for a 25-floor building.
The site, which is intended to take the 101-floor building, looks east across the bowling greens, tennis courts and parkland to the Broadwater.
The large vacant site on its western side is owned by listed entity ASF and was approved several years ago for two high-rises, one of them ‘golden’.
The property across the lane, at No. 6, that is earmarked for the 60-floor tower spans 572 sqm, is occupied by a two-level building, and was bought by Constantine Simonidos for $855,000 in 2006.
The One Park Lane entity’s proposal is being described as a ‘significant mixed-use one’.
The mooted 101-floor tower would house 198 apartments and the 60-floor building 55 levels of offices, a rooftop restaurant, and a cafe at ground level.
It’s suggested the towers could be connected by a sky bridge at level 22 that would house a restaurant and function space.
The buildings also would be linked by a ‘unique awning structure’.
A basement spanning five levels, and taking in the area under the road, would serve both buildings and have only one entrance – via the taller and northern tower.
Should the Park Lane project get out of the starting gates, the 101-floor tower might not be the tallest in Southport.
Developer Robert Badalotti has visions of erecting a 108-level biggie on the corner of Ferry Rd and Meron St.
Meanwhile, the directorship of One Park Lane isn’t the only role Anthony Goss holds in companies that appear to be linked to the Southport tower plans.
He’s also a director of other One Park companies, including One Park Developments.
Over the years his links have taken in companies with names such as Frozen Motion, Hardcorp, Think Again, Gardenflower and Usury.
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