Gold Coast development: Council set to approve five tower giant retirement village

A site once home to a derelict ‘theme park’ is set to be transformed into a giant five tower mega development as council prepares to give it the green light.

A GIANT five-tower retirement village planned for the site of a former Gold Coast markets site is aiming to get the tick of approval this month.

Gold Coast councillors will consider Reside Communities plans to build towers of up to eight levels on a 3.4 hectare Hope Island site once home to the Village Square Markets which had sat derelict for years.

Artist impressions of a proposed retirement community with several towers planned for Sickle Ave, Hope Island. Picture: Supplied

The markets built in the mid-1990s were originally intended to be a major attraction but failed to fire.

A decision was due on the impact-assessable project earlier this year but was delayed because of its proximity to the March council election.

City planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell, who was also the area councillor before the election, said the project would create a significant number of jobs once work began.

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There will be five towers in the project. Picture: Supplied

“The old eyesore village is set to become home to hundreds of retirees,” he said.

“This is a key site in Hope Island and it will provide a major economic boost to the area.”

No objections were lodged against the project by the public.

Council staff have asked new area councillor William Owen-Jones to approve the project under delegated authority, meaning it would not go before the planning committee.

The development application was submitted last year Picture: Supplied

Council’s meeting schedule has changed as a result of COVID-19 from fortnightly to monthly.

Cr Owen-Jones wrote on social media this week: “The exercising of a delegation now ensures that the application will be dealt with in a timely manner.

“This is a significant project for the Hope Island area, and ordinarily, I would have much preferred for the approval to have been dealt with through the usual committee process.

It will have 853 bedrooms. Picture: Supplied

“However we do currently live in interesting times, and we do have to continue to operate the best we can during these times.”

The developer has already spent more than $1 million clearing the site for the project and is expected to construct it in stages.

Beyond towers, it will also be a series of 15 villas on the ground level fronting Pendraat Parade.

Including the villas there will be 853 bedrooms.

Around 772 sqm of retail and business space will be included in the project for cafes, health care services, shops and offices.

The project is set to be approved this month. Picture: Supplied