WINGATE ON A CENTRE HUNT

WINGATE, a Melbourne funds manager that’s been backing Gold Coast highrises, has held shopping centre ambitions in the city.

It’s emerged that three years ago Wingate, which owns 75 per cent of the new Mercato on Byron centre, had a tilt at the Soul Boardwalk retail area in Surfers Paradise. Wingate offered $70 million-plus but receivers took the centre off the market and last June sold it for $90 million to Macau casino owner Loi Keong Kuong.