THAT’S GOLD
Gleaming towers to light up Surfers nightclub strip
THERE are plans to demolish a chunk of the Surfers Paradise nightclub precinct to make way for two gold towers dubbed “the new entertainment hub for Southeast Asia”.
Wanderlust would have more than 1000 rooms, including a five-star hotel, and occupy space currently filled by popular nightclubs The Bedroom and SinCity.
The party vibe would live on at a massive pool club designed to attract international DJs.
SURFERS Paradise’s nightclub precinct will be split by giant gold supertowers under a plan to transform the city’s heart.
The Wanderlust towers, 71 and 51-levels each, will feature a high-end open-air venue which is being pitched as “the new entertainment hub for Southeast Asia”.
It is earmarked for a 5254 square metre site between Orchid Ave and Surfers Paradise Boulevard, meaning Sydney developer EG Funds Management would have to demolish the existing Paradise and The Forum centres, the home of popular nightclubs The Bedroom and SinCity.
The two new towers will have more than 1000 rooms, including a 400-room, fivestar hotel.
At its heart will be the 4733sq m Wanderlust Pool Club which is intended to attract world-class DJ and entertainment
acts to Surfers Paradise.
No value has been put on Wanderlust but a property expert estimated it to be a $1 billion venture.
Grant Flannigan, development director for EG Funds, said the project would provide the best “internationally geared” facility in the city.
“It will go beyond enhancing the Gold Coast’s reputation as Australia’s entertainment capital, with a vision of it becoming the entertainment hub for Southeast Asia.”
EG Funds said the Wanderlust Pool Club would be “an iconic live entertainment facility” in the heart of the entertainment precinct.
The club, on the first podium level at Wanderlust, is to include a DJ stage and video screen, pools, bar and lounge areas, poolside cabanas, dance floors and entertainment suites.
It will operate primarily as an afternoon evening venue, with a 10pm shutoff and for major events 12 times a year.
The development application was lodged with the Gold Coast City Council yesterday and has been welcomed by city leaders, including planning boss Cameron Caldwell.
“This would be a transformational project for the heart of Surfers Paradise and the ability to attract world-class entertainment in a uniquely Gold Coast setting,” he said.
“It would be a boost for tourism and is exactly the sort of urban renewal that our city plan encourages in the high density areas.”
EG Funds said the name Wanderlust, a term which meant a strong desire to travel, was chosen to instil a greater desire for both domestic and international visitation to Surfers Paradise, particularly to the project.
No timetable has been given for when work will start. EG Funds said was dependent on planning approvals.
EG bought the land from the listed Cromwell Corporation for $42 million in 2010 and moved it into the trust.
It has more than $2 billion of projects in the pipeline and was behind townhouse and unit complexes in Victoria and NSW and are also planning a tower in Brisbane.