Southport’s Chinatown will be the site of two new towers including an 88-storey skyscraper that will be the tallest in the Southern Hemisphere, under a new development application lodged with Gold Coast City Council, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.
The development, located on a 4300 sq m site between Young, Nerang and Garden Streets, will include a mix of retail and commercial spaces to podium level, with the towers containing apartments.
The developer is the Cienna Group, a NSW-based company with five directors, two of whom are based in Singapore.
Area councillor Dawn Crichlow and representatives of Mayor Tom Tate have met with Cienna Group executives to discuss the project.
Project manager Gavin Baxter, from GMP Management, told the Gold Coast Bulletin the meeting had been positive.
“Cienna has been specifically designed to activate Chinatown with pedestrian connectivity and provide vibrant active street and laneway experiences,” he said.
“We believe Cienna will reinforce and build on Chinatown, and contribute to the transformation of the Southport CBD.
“The development has recently been lodged with the council and GMP Management look forward to working with Council through the approval stage.”
The development site is inside the Southport Priority Development Area (PDA) which makes it far more likely that it will win approval.
The land has been empty since 1989 when it was cleared for a development that did not proceed.
Cr Crichlow said the development had her full support.
“It is an absolutely beautiful looking development and I understand the developers are also looking at a site on Young Street to expand into as well so we will see the growing Asia influence there too,” she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“It will feature retail, commercial and an Asian culture centre right onto Young Street.
“This is an exciting project that will give Southport a big boost as well as extend the Chinatown precinct which is what we need.”
The Cienna development will include two towers, with the largest to be 88 storeys while its smaller counterpart will be around 38 levels.
The Q1 tower, which is currently the southern hemisphere’s tallest building, is 78 levels- Urban Developer.