Parramatta Park attracts development

DEVELOPERS have their eyes on the inner-city suburb of Parramatta Park, with five new projects on the cards.

Parramatta Park is one of the oldest areas of Cairns, with plenty of Queenslander-style homes and a growing number of apartment complexes.

Its proximity to the CBD has made it a favourite among international students and workers, leading to an upswing in developers converting older homes into rooming-style accommodation.

Among the new proposals is a major change to plans to replace an old Queenslander with a flash new office block at 5 Palm Ave, Parramatta Park.

Developer MiHaven received approval in late 2019 to build a block with four 160sq m offices, a central atrium area with lift access, 22 carparking spaces on the ground floor and driveway access.

“The proposal will include demolishing the existing dilapidated buildings and structures on the site,” the original application stated.

“The central area will provide tropical gardens and outdoor terrace areas where office workers and guests can enjoy meetings and socialising.

“The design intends to set a new benchmark for boutique offices maximising the benefits of the warmer tropical climate conditions.

“There will be a significant contribution to creating a ‘sustainable’ office building, including solar panels and openable windows to maximise fresh air and cross-ventilation and reduce need for airconditioning and power usage.

“With both buildings being freestanding and set back from neighbouring properties, each floor level of office space will benefit from an abundance of natural light.”

The developer has now submitted a new application proposing to change the project to a single office tenancy to be used by MiHaven.

“This will be a singular twostorey office building with storage area at the rear of the allotment,” the fresh proposal states.

The new design includes 10 parking spaces compared to the previous 22.

No decision has yet been made on the new plan.

Other new proposals include plans to raise an old Queenslander at 65 Charles St onto stilts, a major refurbishment and expansion for Cape York Land Council’s offices at 32-34 Florence St, the conversion of an old raised Queenslander home at 7 Terminus St into a small backpacker hostel and the redevelopment of a house at 307 Severin St to become a boarding house.