The Hive project on track for 20-storey, five star international brand hotel

Townsville is in the box seat for another five-star hotel to be built in the CBD. Find out where it will go.

An artist’s impression of The Hive development. Image: Townsville eplanning/The Hive Townsville, Landscape Masterplan Report

Another five-star hotel could soon join Ardo in gracing Townsville CBD’s skyline after the developer of the Strand’s The Hive project revealed he had a verbal agreement with a top tier hotel brand.

In early April, former-Gold Coast and now-Townsville based developer Centurion Global Developments reached an agreement with the Gleeson Group to purchase the 1.7ha site – encompassing almost the entire city block bounded by Flinders St, King St, The Strand and Wickham St.

Following 10 years of planning, Townsville City Council approved the first stage of the Hive development in 2021, with the estimated $450m project offering retail, entertainment, cultural, education and community space, civic areas, mixed use and open spaces, incorporating the heritage-listed Queens Hotel.

Centurion Global founding director Mark Tonge said on Friday that he’d been in talks since June with a “top level international brand hotel” to build a 200-room five-star hotel at the site, in one of the two 20-storey towers with development approval.

“We’ve reached a verbal agreement with them on terms and so forth, and are progressing to the next stage with that. It’ll be really exciting,” Mr Tonge said.

Centurion Global founding director Mark Tonge. Picture: Supplied.

The Hive development site bounded by The Strand, Flinders, King and Wickham St in Townsville.

“We’re not disclosing the brand or the pictures at this point in time, but it’ll be forthcoming shortly … probably four to six weeks.”

Mr Tonge confirmed that The Hive was also on the shortlist of proposed locations for the future $98m Townsville Concert Hall project, for which the business case was still being finalised.

A concept image of a concert hall at The Hive. Picture: Griffin Group

“That dictates some of the end uses and the area allocated for that, so we will wait and see what that report says and see whether there is a potential for it to be integrated into the development,” he said.

“My understanding is that we’ll probably hear next week sometime in relation to that.”

Mr Tonge anticipated that construction of the King St South commercial precinct, a four-level building proposed for 45 Flinders St, opposite Reef HQ, and the refurbishment of the Queens Hotel would be among the first works to get under way.

An artist’s impression of The Hive redevelopment of the Queens Hotel area on Townsville's Strand.

“(With the) Queen’s Hotel, the intention with that will be for it to be utilised as some of the hospitality offerings,” he said.

“We’re in discussions at the moment with multiple different national and local hospitality venues to go into there.”

Despite not going to market with an active campaign to acquire tenants, Mr Tonge said there was tremendous interest, where he’d been directly approached by over 20 hospitality and commercial operators who had heard about the project.

“Realistically, it’s a not-to-be repeated site in Townsville, as far as we’re concerned,” he said.

With Townsville’s future looking bright and Centurion Global’s other local projects powering ahead, “either on schedule or ahead of schedule”, Mr Tonge said they were looking to acquire further projects.

Giovanni Spinella and Mark Tonge show off the view from Centurion Global’s Magnetic View Estate at Pallarenda. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Regional Development Minister Local Government and Territories Kristy McBain said the Australian Government continued to work with the Queensland Government, Townsville City Council and other key stakeholders to honour all commitments to the Townsville region, including delivering a business case for a concert hall in Townsville.

“A project steering committee, comprising representatives of the Australian Government, Queensland Government and Townsville City Council, is working with AECOM to produce a business case that is fit for purpose and meets the needs of stakeholders – and this will be finalised soon,” Ms McBain said.

“To date, AECOM has undertaken consultation with a wide variety of cultural sector, community and business stakeholders to inform this business case.”

Originally published as The Hive project on track for 20-storey, five star international brand hotel