72-year-old Coast developer set to start new project

143-UNIT development approved for Cotton Tree. Meet the man behind it and a string of other major projects in the sleepy riverside suburb.

GREEN LIGHT: The Cosmopolitan has been approved for development at Cotton Tree. Picture: Patrick Woods

THE CANBERRA-based, Serbian-born man who has shaped a major part of Cotton Tree will be given the opportunity to add another string to the sleepy suburb's bow.

Robert Milicevic, co-owner of Resemble Pty Ltd, the firm developing The Cosmopolitan at 53 The Esplanade in Cotton Tree said he fell in love with the suburb when he visited about 20 years ago.

"I honestly don't know (what it was that drew him to Cotton Tree)," he said.

"I just fell in love with the area."

Mr Milicevic has developed other Cotton Tree complexes like Space, Rovera and The Dunes.

He's lived in Canberra for more than 40 years and owns Rovera Scaffolding, a large company he said was the major source of his income.

He said he loved visiting Maroochydore and would've loved to see the new CBD development take place closer to the beach or river, but added he was also excited at the prospect of developing two other sites in Maroochydore some time in the future.

Sunshine Coast councillors unanimously voted to approve the Cosmopolitan proposal, a 143-unit complex bordered by The Esplanade and Memorial Ave which will deliver more than 1100 sq m of commercial space.

The proposal was approved despite sitting one metre above current planning scheme restrictions.

Planning portfolio holder Councillor Christian Dickson said the decision had been made to enable allowance for flooding and climate change, driven by public safety rather than developer yield.

Mr Milicevic, 72, said sales would begin now following the approval.

He bought properties in Cotton Tree about 20 years ago, slowly developing the sites.

Mr Milicevic said The Cosmopolitan was going to be a "special" product that would further add to the character of the area.

There had been concern raised by some nearby residents about the proposal, but Cr Dickson said the height issue did not mean open slather for future developments as all developers would be working off the same set of rules when it came to flood-level projections.

Originally published as 72-year-old Coast developer set to start new project