Southport Masterplan to reboot Gold Coast CBD to be delivered in early 2025

Southport, the Gold Coast’s official CBD is at a turning point after a decade of disappointment. The new masterplan cannot fail to reboot the suburb and deliver on its potential.

Southport is a suburb in flux.

The Gold Coast’s official CBD has experienced some serious highs and lows in the last decade, from being given priority development status to the resulting disappointment when little of the flood of projects this promised ultimately eventuated.

Now we are just months away from the unveiling of a new masterplan for Southport.

Council staff, Mayor Tom Tate and area councillor Brook Patterson have been working for months on the masterplan, which they hope will revive the area’s fortunes and ensure that the many failed development sites are finally activated at long last.

A masterplan for Southport is expected to be unveiled in early 2025 Picture: Supplied

In a hugely positive step, Mr Tate reveals that the masterplan is suitably advanced that it will be presented to council in early 2025.

“Southport is our City’s CBD, and I continue to be very confident in its future,” he said on Monday.

“We are progressing the Southport Masterplan and are expecting a report to council in the first quarter of 2025.”

Anything which can ensure Southport is a true CBD for the Gold Coast and reach its full potential is something this city should get behind.

Mayor Tom Tate. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images for Football Australia)

There are other moves afoot too, as some of those long-dormant development sites changing hands or going on the market.

Recent weeks have seen Cienna, the local arm of Singapore-based Lee Kim Tah group sell a giant 4400 sqm site which is now earmarked for tower by its new owner.

Now, ASF Consortium, which were behind the controversial mid-2010s cruise ship terminal and Spit integrated resort proposals, are selling their Scarborough St site which they had secured the green light for a pair of golden towers.

A central Southport site on Scarborough Street, which has long been owned by developer ASF Group and was earmarked for a giant gold tower development The AU, is on the market from Canford Estate Agents. Picture: Supplied

This wasn’t an unexpected development, with the site having been totally bereft of activity since the project was approved closed to a decade ago.

What is interesting is that the site’s proximity to a potential boutique stadium, one which is yet to even be approved by council, is being marketed as a selling point.

The next year is set to be a major turning point for Southport and the masterplan must pave the way for the revival of our central business district.