Next GA project may be boldest
A TRIO of luxury hotels has been named but the largest Cairns project by GA Group could still be in its infancy.
Cyrstalbrook Collection chief executive Mark Davie said the Grafton St property recently snapped up by the burgeoning company would be home to the “biggest development yet”. It comes after the Cairns
Post reported this week that GA Group spearhead, Syrian billionaire Ghassan Aboud, had bought the half-hectare CBD site fronting Grafton and Lake streets.
“Grafton St was the last of the major (Cairns) plots which could be built upon, and that’s why we went ahead,” Mr Davie said.
“We’re yet to make any hard decision on what will be on that property – we’re working with council on what could be built there and the density studies.
“It will be another very distinct and attractive property for Cairns.”
He said the former Cairns City Library site had the potential for a 250-room hotel, as well as residential and commercial facilities.
“We hope the commercial space will grow. We expect it will, and we’re building for it, but without any guarantees,” Mr Davie said.
Final plans for the GA Group development – the company’s fifth large-scale Far North project – are likely to be known in mid-2018.
GA Group this week revealed that the three Crystalbrook Collection hotels being built in Cairns would be named Riley, Bailey and Flynn.
Riley, a luxury resort being built at the former Rydges Tradewinds site, is due to open in August next year.
The remaining two hotels are scheduled for 2019 and 2020 openings respectively.
Mr Davie said the company, which only emerged on the Cairns accommodation scene 18 months ago, was now looking at properties “all over Australia”.
“We keep our eyes open. At this stage we’re fairly limited with Cairns, simply because of the available properties,” he said.