Gold Coast Development: Sunland’s $250m four-tower residential project at Clear Island Waters

THE men behind the southern hemisphere’s tallest residential highrise want to build four “boutique” towers as part of an inland $1.3 billion luxury mini-city on the Gold Coast.

THE men behind the southern hemisphere’s tallest residential highrise want to build four “boutique” towers as part of an inland $1.3 billion luxury mini-city.

Sunland Group’s Sahba and Soheil Abedian have unveiled plans for The Lanes Residences, a series of four midrise buildings to rise over the newly named Lake Unity in Clear Island Waters.

Artist impression of The Lanes Residences proposed by Sunland. Picture: Sunland Group

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The $250 million towers will feature 298 luxury one, two and three-bedroom apartments on the corner of Bermuda St and Hooker Boulevard and become home to more than 500 people.

The project, if approved, will go to market early next year, with construction expected to begin before Christmas, alongside the $200 million Lanes Shopping Centre and Lakes residential precinct.

Sahba Abedian, Sunland’s managing director, said the project’s design was inspired by “the organic forms of plant life found at the water’s edge”.

“The two 10-storey buildings at the centre of the design feature ground-level retail and commercial spaces that will link to the future retail village at The Lanes, while the two 12-storey buildings will accommodate extensive resident amenities,” he said. “Each building will capture lakefront, city skyline, and hinterland views.

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Sahba Abedian and Soheil Abedian. Photo: Richard Gosling

“Residents will enjoy an abundance of landscaped areas including a public outdoor amphitheatre, which is predicted to form the heart of The Lanes Residences and become a focal point for the outdoor retail promenade.

“Lake Unity will also become a popular recreation space for both residents and visitors.”

Sunland filed a development application with the Gold Coast City Council for the project yesterday.

The height limit for the site is 12 storeys.

The towers overlooking Lake Unity Picture: Sunland Group

It is expected to go before the council’s planning committee early next year.

A detailed report on the project’s expected traffic impact is expected to be published as early as next week.

The towers were designed by Sunland’s in-house design team and Sydney-based firm Contreras Earl Architecture, headed by architect Rafael Contreras Morales who worked with late designer Zaha Hadid.

Artist impression of The Lanes Shopping Centre proposed by Sunland for a site at Clear Island Waters. Picture: Sunland Group

City planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell welcomed the application and said it brought a high-quality product to the city’s market.

“This is a project of high architectural merit and one which add four exciting new elements to the city’s famous skyline,” he said.

“As the Gold Coast continues to grow, new investment will continue to boost the economy.

“Council will of course carefully assess this project in the new year.”

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The Lakes site.

The tower application comes a year to the day since Sunland filed plans for the Lanes shopping precinct.

The project will be built on six hectares and feature 80 shops — cafes, restaurants, a fresh food hall, health and wellbeing services and a boutique cinemas — across 17,000sq m.

The Lanes Residences application caps off a busy year for Sunland, which recently marked its 35th anniversary. Palazzo Versace and Q1 are among its signature projects on the Coast.

The past six weeks has been a flurry of activity for the prominent developer, including construction beginning on a $250 million luxury tower overlooking Hedges Ave.

A revamped development application was also lodged for a boutique $90 million residential tower on Labrador’s former KFC site.