Gold Coast development: Giant Robina site next to Cbus super stadium on market

Developers are circling land next to the future location of the Gold Coast’s giant parklands, with a range of huge new projects coming the city’s way

DEVELOPERS are circling land next to the future location of the Gold Coast’s giant parklands, with plans for a hospital or retirement community in the works.

The giant 7074sq m site, next to Cbus Stadium on Cheltenham Drive, has been put on the market by Robina Group, with the sales campaign to target developers.

The site is already zoned for residential and commercial development, with towers of up to eight storeys allowed.

Retirement communities, housing, office and medical projects all available options, the Bulletin can reveal.

CBRE Gold Coast managing director Mark Witheriff is leading the team marketing the project and said it was an ideal site to develop ahead of the 2032 Olympic Games.

“The site enjoys a premium, central location with the train and bus interchange, expanding Bond University campus and new TAFE all within 500 metres, while Robina Health Precinct, Robina Hospital and Robina Town Centre are just a short walk,” he said.

“This significant investment in infrastructure and development, together with Robina’s transport connectivity and proximity to the M1 Motorway, is underpinning strong population and jobs growth in the area.”

The land, held by Robina Group since 1981, sit just 500m from the entrance to the Gold Coast City Council’s 241ha Greenheart botanic gardens precinct. It is being developed this year, as well as a short walk from the proposed Olympic Games Athletes Village.

Mark Witheriff.

The village is at the heart of a dispute between the Gold Coast City Council and the state government over what form the development will take and its traffic impact on the suburb’s narrow and already congested roads.

Area councillor Hermann Vorster, who has long campaigned for the Athletes Village to be designed for use as a retirement community and housing for the vulnerable post-Games, has urged the state to plan for its post-Games use. He is also warning it can’t become “The Smith Collective 2.0”.

The proposed satellite Athletes Village for the 2032 Olympic Games at Collyer Quays in Robina.

The built-to-rent Smith Collective took over the former Commonwealth Games Athletes Village site at Parklands, but was plagued by low vacancy rates and poor conditions within the Health and Knowledge Precinct.

It has long been the target of criticism for failing to live up to expectations. The state opposition argues little of the $1bn in promised economic impact from the Southport precinct had eventuated, leaving it as a white elephant.

CBRE development director Brendan Hogan said he expected strong demand from local and interstate developers for the site, never previously offered for sale.

Robina’s fast-growing population was fuelling demand for medical services, commercial office space and residential accommodation, he said.

Recent Australian Institute of Health and Welfare research highlighted an increasing shortfall in supply in the retirement and aged care sectors in the central Gold Coast, he said.

“Developers looking to take immediate advantage of those solid market fundamentals by securing a pre-approved multi-use development site will uncover an opportunity at Cheltenham Drive to quickly deliver hospital and medical services or residential accommodation including retirement and aged care,” he said.

Follow @GCS_Pottsy