Gympie Bypass, Guzman y Gomez among 10 Gympie developments in 2024
From projects that promise to transform the entire region forever, to those that will be happily welcomed by a specific suburb, plenty of changes are coming to Gympie and its surrounds.
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A much-desired indoor sports stadium might still be a ways away from reality but there is no shortage of major developments on the radar for Gympie heading into 2024 and beyond.
From projects that promise to transform the entire region forever, to those that will be happily welcomed by a specific suburb, plenty of changes are coming to Gympie and its surrounds.
These are the biggest projects coming to the region in the coming years that promise to boost jobs, increase housing, improve quality of life or simply provide convenience.
Gympie Bypass
The most obvious project on the list is the long-awaited $1 billion Gympie Bypass, which will reshape the region in 2024.
The 26km, four-lane wide stretch running east of Gympie city from Kybong to Curra will dramatically shift the region’s future growth and economy, with businesses already moving to be closer to it and the council eyeing a possible industrial estate at its northern tip.
Traffic is expected to be using the Hwy by mid to late 2024.
Excelsior Medical Centre
Gympie’s range of health care services is getting a shot in the arm with a new medical centre near-completed and now waiting for a tenant to move in.
The centre at the corner of Excelsior Rd and Stanley St, is less than 200m from Gympie Central Shopping centre.
The single-storey centre overlooking the Bruce Hwy is the latest in a growing number of medical services along the lower end of the road, which is already home to River Dental and the Gympie Central Medical Centre.
Guzman y Gomez
The popular Mexican fast food chain is setting up shop opposite Gympie Central Shopping Centre, with the doors likely to be open early in 2024.
Construction work on the block, which was once home to a chain of shops, is well under way having started in mid-2023.
The company has started advertising positions for the new outlet online in preparation for its as-yet-unknown grand opening.
Imbil grocers
Changes to Imbil’s supermarket offerings are on the way to the Mary Valley town, although not without controversy.
A vacant block at the western end of the 4km stretch of Yabba Rd, itself home to several heritage-listed buildings, is the proposed home of a new commercial hub which will include a new supermarket.
Sitting opposite this block is the town’s original General Store, a heritage-listed building that is home to the Imbil Friendly Grocer which is subject to its own proposed facelift.
Gympie Regional Council has not yet approved the plans to renovate the Friendly Grocer.
Southside Sewerage
One of the less spectacular projects on the list, but one which promises to still transform people’s lives in the region, continued rollout of the Southside Sewerage scheme which had been left in limbo for a number of years.
The council finally unclogged the funding pipeline for the project in March, which has a remaining cost still running into the millions of dollars.
The next three stages of the 16-stage project will allow for homes around the Southside to connect to the service well into 2024, and the remaining six stages expected to finish rolling out across 2025 and 2026.
Tozer St Childcare
A new childcare centre catering to more than 100 children near the Mary Valley Rattler has been given the green light to go ahead.
Brisbane-based developer IC No. 2 Pty Ltd plans to open the centre on vacant land within 100m of the historic train station at Tozer St.
The two-storey building will be split into seven rooms, with a carpark and playground underneath.
Tozer St retirement village
Gympie’s retirees will have the chance to kick their heels up, stay in the city and spend their days in style in a 153-lot retirement village planned to be built off Tozer St.
McGovern Developments was given development approval in July to build the centre on 7.33ha of vacant land, only a few hundred metres from the Mary Valley Rattler and historic Gympie station.
Residents will be able to enjoy a bowls green, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, pickleball courts, gymnasium, theatre, library, games room, and stage and dining hall.
Bellagrove Estate
A new 308-lot housing estate at the Southside is one step closer to reality after the first stage was given the green light by Gympie Regional Council in October.
The developer, DPR Southside, plans to transform the 12ha block into 15 new houses and four commercial buildings, the first step in the wider Bellagrove subdivision in the heart of Gympie’s growth corridor.
The commercial precinct will include a medical centre and pharmacy, veterinarian, offices, a gym, a childcare centre and shops including a cafe or restaurant.
New caravan park
A Monkland couple have been given approval to turn a vacant block of land at Old Imbil Rd into a caravan park with 12 large sites on offer.
The park has been designed to accommodate larger vehicles, and would work under a “leave no trace” policy.
Once built it will increase the options for tourists visiting the area, and help fill the void left by the shutdown of the Jane St caravan park in early 2021.
Sorensen Rd subdivision
Dozens of new houses are about to spring up at the Southside as part of a 72-lot subdivision squeezed between four roads.
Noosa Heads-based Rojan Property Development is opening the new housing development on a vacant 6.4ha block sandwiched between Sorensen Rd, Watson Rd, Australia Dr and Koumala Rd.
Several new roads will be built within the development, which will be accessed from Sorensen Rd.
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Originally published as Gympie Bypass, Guzman y Gomez among 10 Gympie developments in 2024
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