Cairns CBD development: Gasparin doubles down on Rodeo Drive project
A property investor pushing to transform a CBD dead zone says he has beaten the odds before and will do it again despite political resistance.
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A PROPERTY investor pushing to transform a CBD dead zone says he has beaten the odds before and will do it again despite political resistance to his plan.
Frank Gasparin is campaigning for Cairns Regional Council to carry out a $2.5m overhaul to create Australia’s answer to Beverly Hills’ Rodeo Drive.
He has personally funded a design and 3D flyover video and offered to pay the interest for three years on any loan the council takes out to do the job.
The project is nowhere near the top of the council’s list of priorities – but Mr Gasparin is not letting that curb his enthusiasm.
He faced a similar uphill battle when he wanted to develop the City View housing estate at the top of Mooroobool.
History has shown Mr Gasparin’s persistence paid off, with City View becoming one of the city’s most prestigious addresses over the ensuing years.
“City View was my first baby,” Mr Gasparin said.
“It was hard to make it happen but I designed it, I managed it and I supervised it and now everybody thinks it turned out to be one of the best.
“I’m hands on, and it only happened because I kept on it.
“I talked to the mayor in those days, the engineers and I stayed on site to supervise the whole thing all of the way through.”
The T Galleria building owner said he was similarly committed to making the Rodeo Drive plan happen.
The Adelaide-based businessman will be in Cairns next week, seeking meetings with councillors and council CEO Mica Martin to press the urgency of the project.
“They need to realise that Abbott St is dead,” he said.
“The shops are all empty but everyone is still paying rates.
“If we do what we propose to do, it will definitely bring people in and give us something to put out on the market to attract tourists.”
Mr Gasparin acknowledged there was some scepticism over the $2.5m price tag he had placed on the project, which included a new water fountain, extensive pavement works and the introduction of hanging flower gardens lining the street.
It seems a small figure given the recent council’s Esplanade outdoor dining precinct project had cost ratepayers $28m.
However, he was adamant it was on the money as assessed by Vision Built director and surveyor Grant Wilson.
“We’ve done the costing and it’s about $2.5m to $3m max,” he said.
“It’s all surface work, we don’t have to do the sewerage or dig things up.
“We can prove the cost.”
The council said it was open to discussion but it was planning to start a citywide centres and employment land study this year to look at the relationship of the CBD and other centres in Cairns.
It was also considering the establishment of “precincts” within the CBD to guide future investment in renewal works.
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Originally published as Cairns CBD development: Gasparin doubles down on Rodeo Drive project
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