Backing in the North
IT’S NOT UNUSUAL FOR A VISITOR TO OUR CITY TO FALL IN LOVE WITH THE RELAXED, TROPICAL LIFESTYLE. BUT SYRIAN BUSINESSMAN GHASSAN ABOUD DID MORE THAN THAT, WHICH IS WHY HE WAS NAMED OUR MOST INFLUENTIAL FOR 2017
THERE was a coolish breeze coming off the sea making things comfortable amid the concrete. A chef tended a simple but effective barbecue turning out culinary delight after the other. Laughter and a gay mood filled the air as bubbles flowed into glasses ready to be chinked. And then there was the view. Joggers pounded the footpath, the setting sun cast a mellow light and the ocean kept up its methodical yet tiny roll of waves into shore. This is why we were here. In about eight months a new five-star hotel on the site of the former Rydges Tradewinds fronting the Esplanade will be opened and visitors will be able to enjoy that same beautiful view. The hotel will feature 311 suites and rooms, four restaurants and bars including a spectacular rooftop bar and a lagoon pool sure to please any sun- seeker young or old. A function this week on the worksite revealed the names of Syrian businessman Ghassan Aboud’s trio of CBD hotels under the Crystalbrook Collection – Riley, Bailey and Flynn – all part of the same family but with their own distinct personalities.
There was an air of excitement among the gathering and at the centre was Mr Aboud, who revealed his travel plans to attend the event had changed four times due to a busy schedule.
But he persevered, he said, because he wanted to show the same level of support to a community that had embraced him.
Much has been done in a very short space of time.
A great deal of research and planning went into what we are seeing rise out of Mr Aboud’s fascination with the Far North. His leading men, Crystalbrook Collection chief executive Mark Davie and Prime Constructions director Andy Taylor, have worked solidly since Mr Aboud’s $600 million-plus FNQ portfolio began in 2016.
Ironically, the region and civic leaders were still grasping at Aquis straws as these new players placed their chips. They have everyone’s attention now. From the start the GA Group has ticked off milestone after milestone, gathering momentum and earning the GFC-battered region’s confidence.
Land was purchased, plans were drawn, approvals were gained, people were employed, then in drove the cranes.
Mr Aboud was humbled at being named the Cairns Post’s Most Influential for 2017, and thanked the city for embracing his investment.
He does not exude arrogance or even flamboyance often associated with grand plans and wealth. What he does display is confidence and passion for this tropical paradise. He questions doubters and other developers – why wouldn’t you invest here? Why not indeed, Mr Aboud.