Gold Coast development: Residents express concern over 12-storey tower planned for shopping centre site

Residents of a northern Gold Coast suburb have hit out at plans to build a 12-storey tower at a local shopping centre, claiming roads will be “unable to cope”. WHAT THEY’RE SAYING >>>

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PLANS to build a 12-storey tower at a northern Gold Coast shopping centre have sparked a heated debate among residents, with many claiming local roads will be “unable to cope” with the development.

The proposed development, first revealed by the Bulletin last week, would see the tower built at the site of a Red Rooster drive-through restaurant at the Helensvale Plaza shopping centre.

It would be the second such tower at the centre.

An artist’s impression of the new tower planned at Helensvale Plaza.

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Local residents have expressed concern about the proposal, telling area councillor William Owen Jones they feared the tower would lead to traffic congestion in the area.

“We don’t need a multistorey monstrosity dead bang in a quiet part of Helensvale. Traffic will be atrocious,” Storm Brooke said, after Cr Owen-Jones posted information about the development on social media.

“The roads there can barely cope already and will be a huge nightmare when being built,” Cherie Fletcher wrote.

Adam McCann commented that he ”(does not) believe Helensvale has the long term infrastructure to support such developments”.

Dannii Finglas agreed, saying “the infrastructure in this area is not going to cope with the development, it’s going to become a nightmare for residents and locals”.

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The tower will replace a Red Rooster restaurant.

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Cr Owen Jones told the Bulletin that the City Plan allowed for higher-density developments at the location of the proposed tower, which is close to the Helensvale light rail and heavy rail stations.

“We’ve got an application to develop a 12-storey tower with 45 units in a centre zone that has long imagined there would be both height and density,” he said.

“If you were going to put height and density anywhere you would put it where there is public transport and amenity.

“Helensvale Plaza is within 800m walk of the only place in Queensland where heavy rail and light rail meet.”

Cr Owen Jones said traffic volumes might actually be reduced by the loss of the Red Rooster restaurant currently at the site.

“There’s a very strong possibility that there will be less traffic movements than there are today,” he said.

The Bulletin has contacted the owners of Helensvale Plaza for comment.

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A POPULAR fast-food restaurant at a northern Gold Coast shopping centre will be demolished to make way for the suburb’s second-ever tower.

Horizontal Investment, the owners of Helensvale Plaza shopping centre, this week filed a development application for a 12-storey mixed-use medium-rise building which will feature 45 units and space for restaurants and commercial tenancies on its ground floor.

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Map showing where new tower will be built at Helensvale Plaza.

Units will be spread across levels three to 11, with much of the podium taken out by a multistorey carpark.

It is earmarked for the site of the complex’s existing Red Rooster restaurant which will be razed to make way for the development, which will neighbour the Helensvale Tavern and front Sir John Overall Drive.

Planning documents filed with council reveal the building has been designed to fit in with the suburb’s character.

“The aesthetic of this proposal will reflect the commercial nature of the existing site while incorporating natural elements suitable for a residential use,” the planning report reads.

The proposed development will go before the planning committee later this year.

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