Towers of confidence

THE $550 million Nova City luxury residential project in the Cairns CBD seems to have turned the corner for the better.

There have been lingering doubts about when actual construction begins, but tomorrow the Singaporean developer seeks final Cairns Regional Council approval – not for one or two towers – but all seven.

Nova sales director Zac Thaker is very upbeat, buoyed by sales gathering pace, the completion of piling works for the first two towers and multimillion-dollar access road and extra land for a car park.

It’s expected the builder will be appointed in a couple of months with work to start immediately on the 187apartment Nova Light high rise.

Mr Thaker says Aspial has no intention of dawdling, stalling or stopping and starting.

He says that after one tower is finished, the second will begin.

It has been a long time coming. A premature start was announced with much fanfare by former LNP premier Campbell Newman three years ago as part of a failed election campaign.

The project comes on top of construction of the three new Crystalbrook hotels worth about $370 million. All buildings are well under way which has given the city more confidence.

Cairns Airport has just announced a $55 million upgrade of the domestic terminal, expressions of interest have been called for the $120 million harbour dredging project and the Global Tourism Hub proposal garners international interest.

What all this needs now is for other investors to enter the marketplace and, in particular, start helping to fill the many empty retail and other tenancies in the city. Nick Dalton Deputy editor