Sherpa Property Group: ‘Significant milestone’ for controversial Palm Beach tower Perspective Nexus

A developer who controversially offered $5000 to nearby residents to stop objecting to his tower has scored a big win, which he dubbed a “significant milestone” for the beachfront suburb.

A developer who controversially offered $5000 to nearby residents to stop objecting to his Palm Beach tower has scored a big win.

Sherpa Group has been given approval by the Gold Coast City Council to build its nine-storey Perspective Nexus in Palm Beach overlooking Currumbin Creek.

It will replace shelved plans to build a 14-storey tower on the Gold Coast Highway site which came under fire from locals more than 18 months ago.

Sherpa boss Christie Leet said LPS Group had been appointed as builder, with construction set to begin within weeks.

“Receiving development approval and having a reputable builder locked in and ready to go marks a significant milestone for Perspective Nexus, affirming its journey from vision to reality,” he said.

Artist impression of the Nexus development which is planned by Sherpa Property Group for a site in Palm Beach. Picture: Supplied.

“LPS Group shares the same ‘less is more’ approach that we take with our business.

“We only take on the work we can handle which allows us to focus on delivering a quality finished product and in LPS we are partnering with a builder that fully understands our vision for Nexus.”

Nearly half the units in the proposed tower have already sold.

Construction is expected to begin before April, with a completion date between July and September 2025.

The tower will be Sherpa’s 12th on the Gold Coast and will have 32 units.

The previous version had 34 units and had been approved by the council in March 2022.

Sherpa’s previous proposal for the site had been approved by the Gold Coast City Council but the decision was overturned on appeal in the Planning and Environment Court in August.

Christie Leet, CEO of Sherpa Property Group. Photo: supplied

The body corporate of neighbouring Currumbin Sands Holiday Apartments lodged an appeal, arguing the tower was too high and would damage the visual amenity of the area.

Mr Leet, in a letter to the body corporate, said some of the buyers in the project had offered to help fund his court battle and that he was confident of a win. It said, if residents voted against continuing the court action, he would consider making “a financial contribution towards your body corporate”, saying his company’s architects were “working on a design on how this may look for you”.

Mr Leet added that such an arrangement would be “more worthwhile than me funding this appeal”.

The Sherpa Property website separately offered residents $5000 cash if they agreed to vote against the continuation of the appeal, as long as the appeal did not go ahead and the development was allowed to continue.

“Say NO to throwing money at legal costs and pocket $5000 cash for yourself instead,” the since-deleted web page said, along with an agreement for owners to sign.”