The Gold Coast’s rapidly growing population and increasing lack of development land is forcing civic leaders and developers into solutions which will reshape suburbs.

Experts argue the size of older shopping centres, which cover significant amounts of land which is largely taken up by carparking, are a bad use of the limited space the city has left.

“Many neighbourhood centres on the Gold Coast are on large sites, often spanning up to 10,000 sqm, and are primarily under private ownership,” City planning boss Mark Hammel said.

“These centres, developed 20 or 30 years ago, often no longer align with our community’s contemporary commercial and retail expectations.

“Given their strategic locations, these key sites present an opportunity not just for revitalisation, but also for delivering much-needed residential housing supply during the current housing crisis.

“Integrating residential development into these redevelopments is essential to addressing housing shortages as our city grows by more than 300,000 people to one million residents in the 2040s.”

First on the chopping block is the Benowa Gardens shopping centre, which is set to be redeveloped according to fresh plans lodged this week with the Gold Coast City Council.

Built in the early 1990s, the 17,660 sqm complex is set to be demolished and replaced by three towers of more than 20 storeys each, with retail outlets in its podium.

The towers – to be known as Carrara, Benowa and Ashmore and named for the three streets surrounding the centre – will have more than 441 residential units and a further 41 short-term accommodation offerings which would allow for hotel rooms.

The Carrara tower will be the largest at 16 levels, while sitting upon a four-storey podium.

There will also be retail shops, offices, gyms, restaurants and a medical centre.

A 4000 sqm “anchor” shop would be at the heart of the complex’s lower levels.

The redevelopment of the recently renovated complex would also see the demolition of the existing KFC on the site.

The developers have asked council to allow the project to proceed despite being dramatically taller than the current two-storey height limit.

Patrick Hefferan, a director of property consulting firm Urbis, said combined residential and shopping developments was “the type of development which is much-needed in the city”.

“(It) represents efficient use of land allowing for redevelopment and upgrade of the existing shopping centre, though also allowing increased residential density in the well located suburb.

“The role and contribution of centres of this scale have shifted in recent times, with a greater importance on this scale of centres and the services demanded beyond traditional strip shopping with increased lifestyle, retail and commercial range, and food and drink offerings.”

The last new large-scale shopping centre to be built on the Gold Coast was Westfield Coomera, which opened in 2018.

Since then, existing centres have been upgraded, while a proposed shopping centre at Mermaid Waters’ The Lanes site is yet to proceed after being pitched pre-Covid

Professor Paul Burton, a member of the Cities Research Institute at Griffith University and a leading planning expert, said the economics of stand-alone shopping centres no longer stood up, with residential components becoming an increasingly key aspect of projects.

“Here on the Gold Coast there is a policy ambition to try and accommodate a significant population within the existing urban footprint and it is sensible to build up existing centres which already possibly have reasonably good public transport access,” he said.

“We have seen this in North America where big shopping malls are becoming redundant and people are coming up with alternative uses for them rather than just having a big shed with lots of shops surrounded by a massive carpark.

“This would represent a good step in the discussion of housing affordability too.”

WHAT BENOWA LOCALS THINK

A proposal to install a 20-storey apartment building at a Benowa shopping centre has had a mixed reception from locals.

Kerrianne Pearce said the proposal was terrible. “We don’t need it here in Benowa,” she said.

“It’s already congested here with the schools and the hospitals all in proximity.”

She said the apartments would be an eyesore. “Visually not appealing,” she said.

Resident of 30 years Peter Dyer echoed her thoughts.

“That’s obviously going to make a big impact on things such as the traffic congestion,” he said. “At the moment we’ve got a nice convenient shopping centre that suits our needs and this is a relatively good area. It’s close to Bundall but the problems of course are if you’ve got 300 or 400 more houses all of a sudden.”

He said the roads were already heavily congested, particularly at school pick-up time.

“At the end of the day, there’s not much you can do about it if they go ahead with it but it would be a crying shame for the area,” he said.

Ros McCarthy said she was concerned about changes to parking.

“I don’t think I want it because we need the car park, there’s not enough room underneath,” she said. “I don’t believe in underground car parks because that encourages criminal activity.

“Tell the developers to get st***ed.”

Joanne Goldie was in support of the move – if the parking could be dealt with.

“If you look now at how busy it gets and you add on top of that the accommodation and most people have got two cars,” she said. “I don’t know what they can do about parking.”

Doug Cameron said that the proposal was a good idea.

“It’s not much of a shopping centre. It struggles a bit,” he said. “You can get a car park here, that’s the only good thing about it.”

Shopper Carol Gordon said she wasn’t worried about any potential congestion from the new apartments.

“As long as they’ve got enough parks in their building, that should be okay,” she said. “I don’t think it would be a problems long as the shopping centre stays because it’s a good little shopping centre,” she said.

Michael Clarke also wasn’t worried about congestion or the proposed apartments.

“Doesn’t bother me at all,” he said.

Christine Matthews said she was shocked by the proposal.

“I’m surprised to be honest,” she said. “I was born and bread on the Gold Coast so this little local shopping centre has been here years and years and years but I guess we are getting closer and closer to Surfers Paradise.”

She said the area was becoming more densely populated so she could see it was a decision from that perspective.

“I just never thought that Benowa would become a high density living suburb,” she said.

MARK HAMMEL ON THE FUTURE OF THE GOLD COAST

I am aware that an application in Benowa has been lodged with the city and look forward to a thorough assessment by our City’s development team.

Many neighbourhood centres on the Gold Coast are on large sites, often spanning up to 10,000 sqm, and are primarily under private ownership.

These centres, developed 20 or 30 years ago, often no longer align with our community’s contemporary commercial and retail expectations.

As a result, many owners of these sites are exploring redevelopment opportunities.

Given their strategic locations, these key sites present an opportunity not just for revitalisation, but also for delivering much-needed residential housing supply during the current housing crisis. Integrating residential development into these redevelopments is essential to addressing housing shortages as our city grows by more than 300,000 people to one million residents in the 2040s.

It also helps to ensure the long-term success of retail and commercial tenancies. A built-in residential population provides a steady flow of foot traffic, which is critical for the viability of businesses within these centres.

Neighbourhood centres play a vital role in our communities, serving as local hubs that offer essential services such as schools, shops, cafes and restaurants, hospitals and medical facilities.

Research from the work the city is currently doing developing its local growth management strategy is telling us people are more accepting of well-placed residential developments when they are supported by these kinds of amenities. By co-locating housing, commercial and retail offerings within these centres, we also importantly reduce reliance on cars, meaning residents can access services easier within a short walking or riding distance.

Beyond housing, redeveloped neighbourhood centres can also incorporate local design elements that reflect community expectations, including better landscaping, public plazas and green space, and eating and drinking outlets.

Many currently outdated sites currently use their land inefficiently, with large car parks occupying valuable space.

By relocating parking to basements or podiums, these areas can be transformed into vibrant, inviting community spaces rather than expansive bitumen parking lots.

Property owners are starting to recognise that maintaining the status quo is not sustainable. Without revitalising these spaces and integrating housing, these centres risk losing tenancies, foot traffic, and long-term business viability as customers will choose to shop at locations elsewhere that are more modern and enjoyable experiences.

Residential development is the key to ensuring our neighbourhood centres remain vibrant and sustainable for the future.

Mark Hammel is the chairman of the city planning committee