Gold Coast Development: Business leaders back plans for new Southport commercial towers for council and state

MOMENTUM is building behind a bold plan to build commercial towers on council-owned carparks in the heart of Southport. And they say such projects would revamp the face of the city’s central business district.

MOMENTUM is building behind a bold plan to build commercial towers on council-owned carparks in the heart of Southport, as business leaders back the proposal.

The Gold Coast Bulletin yesterday revealed Mayor Tom Tate had developed a proposal which would see the Mal Burke, Athol Paterson carpark and the Southport library sites would be transformed into the mixed-used commercial high-rises.

The buildings, if realised, would be the Coast’s answers to Brisbane’s ‘tower of power’.

These buildings would be home to a Supreme Court, state Government departments, ministerial offices, a new library and the council’s chambers.

Southport MP Rob Molhoek will tonight ((WEDNESDAY)) speak in support of the proposal in State Parliament.

He said that the proposal would realise the potential of the area as it was conceived five years ago as a ‘priority development area’ (PDA).

Rob Molhoek, Member of Parliament for Southport. Picture: Regi Varghese

“The PDA was intended to promote businesses and there is a long-standing protocol that would require both the council and state to eventually co-locate principally around areas such as Southport.

“Having the council and state relocate in time to Southport would resolve a lot of issues and would also attract a lot of commercial interest.

“The reason this has not previously happened was the lack of A-grade office space which means we have a scatter state offices all over the Gold Coast.”

Gold Coast Titans owner Rebecca Frizelle said the proposal ‘just made sense’.

Gold Coast Titans owner Rebecca Frizelle. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Southport is the CBD of the Gold Coast and is home to world class education and health facilities,” she said.

“It is necessary for the growth of our city CBD that we attract local & state government departments, including a Supreme Court. This is not a new idea.”

The Mayor said yesterday he had been developing the plan for eight months and will take it before councillors soon to gain their backing.

Southport’s Mal Burke carpark.

He will also write to State Development Minister Cameron Dick to officially pitch the proposal.

Southport RSL general manager Paul Burton said it was ‘one of the more sensible ideas which had been put forward in a while’.

“On its face it has merit as opposed to some of the other proposals which have come to light,” he said.

“Obviously we would like to know more about it but anything which would enhance Southport would be good and I have no objections to a Supreme Court.”

But not everyone is impressed.

Area councillor Dawn Crichlow was livid at the proposal.

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Councillor Dawn Crichlow. Photo by Richard Gosling

“None of this has come before the council, it is frightening people and I am angry about this,” she said.

“We know nothing about this.”

Relocating the council chambers from Southport to Bundall would allow the existing building at Evandale, built in the early 2000s, to be converted to a public art space as part of the cultural precinct at the Home of the Arts (HOTA).

Athol Paterson carpark in Southport.

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Southport Chamber of Commerce president Laird Marshall was enthusiastic about the idea and said both sites were ‘logical’ locations.

“We need to do more with the State Government and one of the issues may be that there would not be a suitable building,” he said.

“Therefore looking at a purpose-built large-plate building could be a good idea.

“These are logical sites which are close to the light rail and I would like to see more detail on it.”