The earth moves for Maroochydore CBD

HEAVEN has not moved yet but plenty of earth has to make the new city centre in Maroochydore.

FUTURE VISION: An artist' impression of the Corso in the new Maroochydore city centre, looking west. Picture: Contributed

HEAVEN has not moved yet but plenty of earth has to make the new city centre in Maroochydore.

About 60,000 cubic metres - 6000 full tip trucks - of soil has been shifted since bulk earthworks on the old Horton Park golf course grounds began seven months ago.

The earthworks have so far focused on 11 hectares of stage one on the site north of the Maud Street drain and have included realigning the drain in preparation for a new waterway which will be a key feature of the development.

Workers have relocated a high voltage power line that ran underground through the site feeding power to elsewhere in Maroochydore, repositioning it to the side of the site.

About 18km of underground electrical conduit and 330m of sewer has so far been laid for the project.

Work on site has also included marking out the city grid of blocks and new roads in readiness for civil works next year.

SunCentral chief executive officer John Knaggs said he was happy with progress on the site so far.

"We were upset a little bit by some unseasonal rain in May-June but that was about it. It's gone reasonably smoothly,” he said.

Mr Knaggs said the Coast residents could expect to see a real transformation in the site next year as streets and landscaping took shape.

He said tenders had been shortlisted and some designs were being refined but he expected the work to be contracted out in the first quarter of next year.

About 150,000sq m of commercial space, 65,000sq m of retail of retail space and 2000 residential apartments are expected to be built on the 53ha site during the 20 year life of the project.

Originally published as The earth moves for Maroochydore CBD