On the QT: Tower planned for site of Surfers Paradise house on the Esplanade

THERE’S talk of a luxury boutique tower for a much sought after site. But there are plenty of question marks over the future of the site and the meaning of a mysterious billboard.

Kaia 32 The Esplanade

A BIT of a Chinese puzzle, with a beachfront twist, has emerged in the heart of Surfers Paradise.

A cynic might even call it a case of kite-flying or, alternatively, it could more charitably be considered a case of testing expensive waters.

A tower with 22 floors of beachfront luxury is being flagged on the Chinese-owned site of what, until it reverted to units late last year, was the only house on The Esplanade.

The tower, Kaia, would have only one apartment a floor.

A colourful board, graced by a beach beauty, has popped up in front of 32 The Esplanade, inviting potential buyers to register their interest.

The sign

However, no tower has been approved for the 433 sqm site, which sits between the Grosvenor and The Sands buildings.

In fact, there’s no sign of a development application having been lodged.

It appears that if Liang Sun, who bought the property through company Vividly, is behind the plan, he is testing buyer interest to see if Kaia is viable.

The move also might involve utilising plans drawn up for the previous owner of the property.

That fellow, former Canberrean Peter Batley, envisaged a 22-level tower and offered his plans when the property, Driftwood, was marketed nationally.

Kaia 32

The Batley tower mooted for the site, which included three levels of basement, serviced by two car-lifts, was discussed with the city council.

The building was to have 17 apartments, with a pool area on level one, residents’ lounge on level two, and a gymnasium on level three.

Any idea of actually building the tower apparently was dismissed by Peter because of building costs.

He auctioned Driftwood in late July and the successful bidder, Sunshine Coast town planner Jason Hague, told the Gold Coast Bulletin that he would use the house as a family holiday home.

However, when it came time to settle the buy in September, it was Liang Sun company Vividly which came up with the money.

The tower is planned for a site on the Esplanade.

Liang and Jason also have been involved in an apparently futile effort to amalgamate the St Tropez residential, retail and office holding, which fronts Orchid Ave and at the rear is close to Driftwood.

The exercise culminated with a Liang company going to court in January to try to get deposits back from more than 50 St Tropez owners.

The public quest for buyer interest in the Kaia tower on the Driftwood site before a development application has been lodged is a very different approach to the Gold Coast norm.

Northcliffe Residences

Developers usually get the council to sign off on their plans before they start targeting buyers, although there have been cases where buildings have been marketed early when the DA process is well under way and everything appears hunky-dory with the council.

A case in point is Northcliffe Residences, a beachfront tower under way south of central Surfers.

It not only was marketed before development approval was gained, but before the site was paid for.