Hicks family endorse decision to sell Bruce Bishop car park site to fund Gold Coast cultural precinct

THE Gold Coast family that gifted the Bruce Bishop car park site to the city have finally broken their silence on council’s controversial decision to sell the prime parcel of land.

THE pioneering Gold Coast family that gifted the Bruce Bishop carpark site to the city have finally broken their silence on council’s controversial decision to sell the prime parcel of land.

The Hicks family’s contribution to the city was yesterday recognised after the walking trail over the new outdoor stage at the Home of the Arts, at Evandale, was named the Hicks Family Lookout Trail.

The late Charles Joseph (Charlie ) Hicks donated the land that currently houses the Bruce Bishop Carpark to the city in 1938 on condition it remain a park. A previous council later built the carpark on the site but preserved a park on top of the building.

The green public open space atop the Bruce Bishop carpark in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams

The current council plans to use funds raised from the carpark’s sale — tipped to be anywhere from $60 to $100 million — to pay for Stage 1 of the new cultural precinct, which includes the newly renamed Home of the Arts, and an upgraded bridge to the Isle of Capri.

Five of Mr Hicks’ 15 grandchildren joined Mayor Tom Tate at HOTA yesterday to officially unveil naming plaques at either end of the lookout trail.

Charles Hicks, 59, said his grandfather would have approved wholeheartedly of council’s decision to sell the carpark to fund the cultural precinct project.

“We’re very, very happy with the way it’s turned out and we’re extremely happy with how our grandfather has been honoured in such a way,” he said.

“I couldn’t be happier. This is for future generations of Gold Coasters and visitors.

“Basically, this reflects my grandfather’s wishes in the sense that it will continue to give to the community.”

Charles Joseph Hicks at the trail dedicated to his grandfather, Charles ‘Charlie’ Joseph Hicks. Photo by Richard Gosling

HOME OF THE ARTS OPENS WITH HOTA SHOW

Mr Hicks said the family had chosen not to comment on the carpark sale up until now but had been consulted by council ‘every step of the way’.

“I don’t need to get into any political debate,” he said.

“I’ve seen some very strange comments about people wanting to give the land back to the Bishop family.

“It didn’t come from the Bishop family. It came from the Hicks family and they are happy that it continues to be a gift that will continue to give to the community for years to come.”

The Hicks family arrived on the Coast in the 1920s and became key supporters of service groups including the Country Women’s Association and Rotary.

The family worked with horse-drawn equipment to build the road from the Coast up to Springbrook, opening up the hinterland to new families.

Charles Joseph Hicks and Mayor Tom Tate officially open the Hicks Family Lookout Trail which arches over the new outdoor stage at the Home of the Arts. Picture: Richard Gosling

FIRST LOOK AT COAST’S INCREDIBLE NEW OUTDOOR STAGE

“Importantly, the family also donated a portion of land to the city,” Mayor Tate said.

“This later became a carpark and the intention was always that the open space gifted by the Hicks family would be retained.

“That is the case today with an elevated park forming a section of the facility known as Bruce Bishop Carpark.”

Whoever buys the Bruce Bishop site will have to incorporate parkland, a set-down area for buses and at least 740 carparks as part of any redevelopment project.

“Any new development on that site must also retain that amount of public open space,’’ Mayor Tate said.

Mayor Tate said the development of the cultural precinct at Evandale had created an additional 1.7 hectares of open space within the Surfers Paradise precinct.

“What was once the old Council administration area is now part of HOTA so the precinct of Surfers has even more open space for millions to enjoy,’’ he said.

Mr Hicks encouraged more people to consider making philanthropic donations to the city.

“There aren’t enough of them,” he said.