Site’s new lease of life
Retirement towers plan for Hope Island
THE site of a failed Gold Coast theme park will transform into one of the city’s largest retirement villages.
Plans have been filed to build five towers of up to eight storeys across a 34,390 sqm site on Hope Island’s Sickle Ave.
Until last month it was the site of the Hope Island Village Square marketplace.
The developer is unknown but represented by a Brisbane town planning agency.
Unlike many other developments, the five towers will all share a giant single podium which will connect them together.
City planning boss and councillor Cameron Caldwell said: “It is great to see this key Hope Island site identified for future development.
“Hope Island provides a wonderful lifestyle and is an attractive proposition for this kind of development.”
It is the latest in a range of retirement age developments approved by the council.
More than $1 billion in projects are under construction or in the planning stages.
But rather than go into nursing homes, many are selling the family home and downsizing into luxury units.
Data released last year showed over-65s will be worth more than $3.5 billion to the city’s economy within the next five years.
Hopes of a Kaufland supermarket on site fell through. According to plans filed with the city council this week, it will have 348 two and three-bedroom units.
There will be a series of 15 villas on the ground level fronting Pendraat Parade.
All up there will be 853 bedrooms.
The 772sq m of retail and business space will be for cafes, health care services, shops and offices.
The project is expected to be built over five stages, with 517 car spaces provided once completed. A boardwalk will be created along the Hope Island Canal.
The site sold last month for $17 million.