Gold Coast development: First look at $10m Gold Coast Suns AFL childcare centre at Carrara

A giant state-of-the-art $10m AFL-theme childcare centre will be built by the Gold Coast Suns in one of the largest projects of its kind in the city’s history. SEE THE VIDEO

A GIANT state-of-the-art $10m AFL-theme childcare centre will be built by the Gold Coast Suns at Metricon stadium in one of the largest projects of its kind in the city’s history.

The first sod will be turned on the 13,000 sqm complex on Monday after more than five years of planning and is the latest step in the Suns expanding its reach beyond football.

Built in a partnership with Autism Queensland and childcare giant Kool Beanz, it will have room for 203 students, including 30 specifically for children requiring extra care.

Suns CEO Mark Evans said the centre, named Kool Beanz SUNS, would open in mid-2022.

“Since our inception we’ve strived to mean more to our community than just the Gold Coast’s AFL team. We want to have a lasting impact on the next generation of talented children growing up on the Gold Coast and hopefully both on and off the football field,” he said.

The complex is expected to open in mid-2022.

“We are excited about the opportunities that lay ahead with this state-of-the-art facility and it’s integration with the Gold Coast Suns and Autism Queensland.”

The centre will feature 13 classrooms and facilities including an art room, library, LEGO room and master chef kitchen.

The centre will have up to 30 places for children with special needs.

It will also have a large auditorium for stage performances, and a large outdoor area with a running creek, walk-through aviary, animal farm and vegetable garden.

It will be filled with 1200 shrubs and 150 trees.

Kool Beanz founder Bruce Coulson is the Suns Number one ticket holder and said the new Carrara complex would be the first of its kind.

There will be a runing creek through its outdoor component.

“This project has been more than 5 years in the making, researching leading operators worldwide, gathering inspiration and ideas to ensure we are creating a first-class service,” he said.

The Suns filed its development application for the project with council in July 2019 and it was ticked off in 2020.

The centre will have room for 203 students.

Its centrepiece is a 13.5m tall Aussie rules “ball’’.

It will create 45 jobs.

Autism Queensland general manager Jen Catts said the project came at a time when the need for services supporting children on the spectrum was growing dramatically.

“To know we are providing another opportunity for families to access evidence-informed early childhood assessment and therapy services that will help their children now and into the future is wonderful.“

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