Queen Street Village: Social housing tower planned for Southport site on old hospital land

A social-housing tower earmarked for one of the Gold Coast’s newest shopping centre precincts will be fast-tracked to deal with the city’s accommodation crisis. FIND OUT MORE

A social-housing tower earmarked for a site next to one of the Gold Coast’s newest shopping centres will be fast-tracked to deal with the city’s accommodation crisis.

The 17-storey high-rise will be built on the corner of Southport’s Nerang and Little High streets on the former Gold Coast Hospital site, which is currently the Queen Street Village precinct.

The block of land, which will border the complex’s IGA, has been sitting empty since the retail hub was completed in late 2022.

New plans for social and affordable housing in a 17-level tower in Nerang Street, Southport.

Housing Minister Sam O’Connor said the project, which will be delivered by Brisbane Housing Company (BHC) in partnership with the Queensland Investment Corporation and the Australian Retirement Trust, would be prioritised to get it off the ground.

“Construction is scheduled to begin in the new year to deliver these 158 safe, long-term, quality social and affordable homes,” he said.

“These new homes will be for people at risk of homelessness, women and children escaping domestic violence, First Nations people, single older women, families, young people, seniors and people with disability.

“The affordable homes will provide critical housing supply for local workers in the nearby retail, health and administrative services precincts.

Sam O'Connor. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Progressing projects like this is a critical step in the new Crisafulli Government’s efforts to address Queensland’s housing crisis.”

The project, which also received state government funding, was first announced in July.

Then-housing minister Meaghan Scanlon unveiled the concept and said at the time it was critical to get projects built to house the city’s growing population.

Brisbane Housing Company bought the land in 2022 after former owner Nerang St Holdings went bust, causing the land to fall into the hands of mortgagee Makro Finance

Queen Street Village shopping centre. Picture: Supplied

The Bulletin revealed in 2023 BHC had paid $5.62m for its 2554sq m holding, bought with an approval in place for a building of 22 floors, with 102 apartments above ground-floor commercial and retail space.

The BHC project is one of several tower developments planned for the Queen St Village site.

Experienced healthcare provider Bolton Clarke is behind plans for a twin-tower project of between 19 and 30 storeys.

Less clear is what will be built on the vacant western portion of the site.

Accor Group had planned a 17-storey Mercure Hotel, which was to be targeted at the business market, but that project was put on hold years after it was approved by the council.

The vacant land on the corner of Little High St and Nerang St, next to the Queen Street Village shopping centre. Picture Glenn Hampson

Plans from 2020 suggest the site would ultimately feature seven towers ranging from 16-25 storeys, plus the shopping centre and retirement facility.

It comes a week after the Bulletin revealed the city was falling further behind housing targets.

A new report by property consulting firm Urbis showed more than 50 new towers need to be built every single year for the next decade for the Gold Coast to meet state-set housing targets.

The Queensland Government’s ShapingSEQ Regional Plan calls for a further 38,800 high-rise apartments to meet population growth targets across the Gold Coast by 2031.

Originally published as Queen Street Village: Social housing tower planned for Southport site on old hospital land