Gold Coast development: Retirement and residential care tower planned for Southport

A giant tower with an unexpected purpose is being planned for a site once earmarked by a rugby league legend as the location of a futuristic building. SEE THE PLANS

A site once planned for a futuristic drug rehab facility by a rugby league legend will instead be transformed into a giant tower.

A 20-storey vertical retirement facility and residential care project is planned for a site on the corner of Southport’s Garden and White streets by Victorian-based developer Rays Projects, headed by sole shareholder Rui Zhao, 45.

Artist impression a propose retirement tower in central Southport on the corner of Garden and white streets.

It comes four years after council ticked off plans by Paul “the chief” Harragon to create a “cutting edge” seven-storey centre on the same site to assist the “growing number of people” needing help.

The project never went ahead.

Filed with the Gold Coast City Council this week, the new tower will have more than 104 units, with 66 earmarked for retirement units and the remaining 38 for residential care.

Paul “the chief” Harragon during his league career. (Photo by Getty Images)

Of the residential car units, 16 will be for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) patients.

It will have 77 car spaces spread across three basement levels, while its ground floor will have shops and cafes.

A report filed with council said the project aimed to change the way care facilities looked.

“Traditionally aged care & NDIS facilities were designed to be more comparable to a hospital or medical facilities, with a medical/cold experience due to design and lack of sunlight,” the report reads.

Artist impression a propose retirement tower in central Southport on the corner of Garden and white streets.

“With the current design we have encouraged the use of natural light to filter through each housing/apartment to ensure the residents feel at home and one with nature.

“The seamless integration of the balconies and greenery to most levels provides an environmentally sustainable outlook on the entirety of the building.”

Director and co-founder of The Demographics Group Simon Kuestenmacher. Picture: Brendan Radke

Demographer Simon Kuestenmacher, who will be the keynote speaker at next week’s Future Gold Coast summit, said the city needs more such facilities to cater to its ageing population.

“The region is ageing quite dramatically and people will continue to retire to the Gold Coast at a higher rate (in the future) and they will need homes,” he said.

“However, they turn up and magically expected there will be people and places which can take care of them.”

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Originally published as Gold Coast development: Retirement and residential care tower planned for Southport