Gold Coast Council to put on the backburner a $300m twin officer tower project in CBD
The proposed Towers of Power that were to anchor Southport CBD’s revitalisation are on the backburner in a shock revelation. Find the timeframes and why
Gold Coast
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The so-called Towers of Power relocating council and government staffers to the Southport CBD are on the backburner and won’t happen for another ten years, according to councillors.
The $300 million project could even be two decades away, as Bundall strengthens its status as a growing commercial precinct and Robina works to cement itself as the top business hub.
The City’s short-term accommodation strategy recommendations focus on moving council staffers from Nerang to Bundall, where the City owns four towers including recently bought Wyndham.
A City source said: “If we do anything at Southport it’s at least a decade away.”
City CEO Tim Baker is driving the strategy for the city’s second biggest workforce, which will see almost 1000 employees relocated from poor conditions at the ageing Nerang Administration Centre to Bundall.
The review which remains on confidential papers is expected to deliver $53.6 million in savings on capital costs and about $20.3 million in operating and maintenance expenses.
The 11 recommendations backed by councillors do not mention the Towers of Power.
The City’s latest submission on the draft South East Queensland Regional Plan has a brief reference to supporting “Supreme Court facilities, as part of an upgraded courts precinct”.
Another council source said: “There isn’t a plan for that (Towers of Power). The plan is Nerang closes and those staffers are housed in depots and Bundall. We have four buildings.
“Why would you build a new building in Southport? Why would you want to move people from the buildings we own and the cultural precinct. It’s 20 years away at best.”
Cr Patterson who revived the project in 2021 after it stalled is planning an on-site meeting next month with “senior local and state government officers” at the Mal Burke car park.
“This is with regard to its potential as a catalyst site,” she said.
Mayor Tom Tate said he shared Cr Patterson’s enthusiasm for the Southport CBD but the accommodation plans were about getting the most efficient use of our existing facilities.
“The vision for a possible future accommodation tower in Southport has not been ruled out,” he said.
“I envisage it would need a private-public partnership whereby a private developer may build a tower and various levels of government (state-federal-council) would secure some floor space within the property.
“So it remains a potential future location for some of council’s staff and operations but right now, the CEO is focused on getting the best use out of our existing facilities.”
Cr Patterson said councillors had backed a resolution for the CEO to present a long-term accommodation strategy by end of 2024 where the business case “for and against Southport” would be presented.
The City’s chief investment officer by May would present an audit of all city-owned land.
“This audit will identify and highlight the catalyst sites the City can leverage such as Mal Burke Carpark,” Cr Patterson said.
“No one has enough information on it yet to make a decision on whether it is a good next step for our City or not. That is the point of this next step.
“As councillors, we have a duty to be open and persuadable when recommendations are presented to us so I am sure no councillor has made up their mind yet. This is where I wanted to get to – a full analysis and presentation of the potential of the CBD site for council to consider.”
A city spokesperson said the 10-year accommodation strategy was being developed and would consider a range of options including opportunities in key locations such as Southport.
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