‘Green’ bridge to cultural precinct on horizon as Gold Coast council snaps up Chevron land

PLANS for a “green” bridge to the Evandale cultural precinct are one step closer to reality with the city buying a Chevron Island parcel of land.

GOLD COAST CULTURAL PRECINCT for Des Houghton

RAND plans for a “green” bridge to the proposed Evandale cultural precinct are a step closer to reality with the city buying a multimillion-dollar Chevron Island parcel of land.

The Stanhill Drive property will be resumed by the Gold Coast City Council to make way for the intricate bridge, which will become part of a proposed “art walk” across the island.

The Bulletin understands the land now has a duplex on it and its owners negotiated with the council for several months before agreeing to sell.

The cost of the bridge across the Nerang River remains unknown.

Details of the land sale are confidential but it is understood to have cost more than $1 million.

The bridge is likely to be built in early 2016 to coincide with construction of the precinct’s $37 million first stage.

Acting Mayor Donna Gates said the bridge would provide a “great link” for commuters travelling from the light rail to the precinct.

“The deal has been done and will pave the way for a great link to Chevron Island and Evandale and will also include an arts walk,” she said.

“Between the light rail in Surfers Paradise and Evandale we will hopefully get some arts activities happening so people can walk through and enjoy expanded performance arts and perhaps curated gardens.

“This (concept) has been in discussions for many years and it is exciting we are reaching the point where once the funding is in place, it will be ready to go.”

Council documents show that the city will bear the cost of sale, as well as land valuation fees, legal costs and stamp duty.

A spiral helix green bridge is featured in artist impressions released by precinct architect and Melbourne firm ARM ­Architecture in November last year. However, this design is preliminary and may be changed.

While pedestrians will have new facilities, motorists crossing Chevron Island are unlikely to see any improvements to road infrastructure in the near future.

Area councillor Lex Bell confirmed there were no immediate plans to upgrade the island’s two ageing bridges, which were built in the late 1950s and mid-1970s.

“The bridges are both near the end of their useful lives and will have to be replaced at some point in the future,” he said.

“There are no immediate plans to build additional bridges and we are unlikely to vastly increase the capacity of the existing structures because it would attract even more vehicular traffic to the island, which locals do not want.”

Construction of the precinct’s first stage will begin in early 2016 after the council’s headquarters are vacated by the Gold Coast Titans and it is expected to open in early 2018 before the Commonwealth Games.

It will feature a 2500-seat amphitheatre with a capacity of 8000-10,000 people which will be the centrepiece of Games