Revealed: The four super tower plan which will see the Bruce Bishop car park demolished

The Bulletin is aware of “marketing information” which reveals what could replace one of the city’s most popular carparks. See the details

Three super tower towers and a commercial centre can be built on the Bruce Bishop Carpark site, if Gold Coast City Council is successful in selling its biggest public asset.

But in a twist, those companies or consortiums bidding for the tender are not required or being encouraged to create any public carparking.

Bruce Bishop Carpark currently provides 1600 spaces and the potential loss of all of those public parks in Surfers Paradise will spark a business backlash in the tourism heart.

The Bulletin is aware of “marketing information” for the site which shows three residential towers fronting Remembrance Drive, all above 40 storeys, and a smaller commercial building.

A marketing drawing showing three residential super towers, just one of the potential development options for the Bruce Bishop car park site in Surfers Paradise.

Council restrictions on earlier sales agreements, including keeping public carparking impacted previous bids to attract buyers. A $48m deal collapsed in 2018.

In the latest sale, the successful bidder failed to meet payment deadlines in December which has put the process under review, leaving four other conforming tenders in the dark.

A report will be presented to councillors later this month, but they are divided on the sale and way forward on the 18,000sqm site which could cost $84m to fix but fetch $50m.

A political source said: “The tender documents call for a four-tower concept. The (Surfers Paradise) Transit Centre and Bruce Bishop car park are demolished, as per the drawing.

“You could put up three towers and a commercial centre with no public parking. There are swimming pools and a landscaped area.

“If you followed the tender document, you did not have to provide that public carparking.”

The planning concept allows for a total of 2598 car spaces, divided up into 470 for retail, 375 for commercial and 1562 for residential.

Bruce Bishop car park.

All of the spaces would be on the main podium level. A mix of one and two bedroom units would accommodate 1820 residents.

The political source said the concern for tenders was the backlash about public carparking.

The designs which were put forward for the “sale of asset” are understood to have been used in a proposal floated almost a decade ago.

Their release puts the spotlight again on the tender process which since July last year has been dogged by “integrity issues”. Area councillor Darren Taylor has called for a review. Council documents confirm there was a top five list of tenders and delays would impact timelines for any future works, leaving a “bomb site” before the 2032 Olympics.

The Bulletin asked council to comment on the four-tower proposal allowing for demolition of the Surfers Paradise transit centre and Bruce Bishop car park.

Council was asked if no allowance was made for any significant “public” car park facilities.

A City Hall spokesperson in a statement said: “A report will be presented to council for consideration in January.”

The Bruce Bishop carpark in Surfers Paradise. Picture: Jerad Williams

On the “integrity issue” which came to light in December, no information has been made public, only that council had conducted the process in accordance with the conditions of tender and “this has been confirmed by the probity advisor”.

The Bulletin earlier asked council to confirm “a regulatory and probity oversight” occurred in the lead-up to nominating the preferred tender, explain what it was and how it was resolved.

“The City of Gold Coast engaged an external probity advisor for the sale of Bruce Bishop Car Park,” a council spokesperson said.

“Their advice was that the process should be referred to council for decision. The matter was subsequently referred to council which delayed the process by two to three weeks and tenderers were advised of this delay.”

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