Development spots selling
A FORMER rugby league talent has traded his boots for the cut and thrust of commercial real estate as part of an expansion of Colliers International Townsville.
Mitchell Barnes, who previously played in state competitions for the Newcastle Knights and the North Queensland Cowboys, has been appointed a leasing executive with Colliers.
Colliers managing director Peter Wheeler said the firm was looking to get on the front foot with a growing level of inquiries and tackle the city’s considerable backlog of buildings for lease.
“We are seeing an increasing level of inquiry in general within our business,” Mr Wheeler said.
“At the same time there is still a reasonable level of vacancies of building stock.
“We have lured Mitch here to help try and reduce some of those vacancies for owners and clients.
“We’re going back to grassroots real estate where you talk to prospective tenants and try and match their needs to what we have and be more proactive rather than reactive.”
Mr Barnes, 26, said he appreciated being given the opportunity after obtaining his full real estate licence in 2015.
He was also not too worried about leaving the game he loved as a boy while attending Kirwan State High School.
Much of his early career playing as a hooker was lost to injury and he found it was not for him.
“I realised the longevity people need to play the game. I was hungry but not desperate,” Mr Barnes said.
“I think I’m more business oriented.”
He said he was competitive and enjoyed the competitive nature of the real estate industry.
With almost 1400 separate listings of properties for lease in greater Townsville on realcommercial. com, Mr Barnes’ field of play is wide and open.
Even so, Mr Wheeler said there was always a tenant for a well presented property.
“There’s been some improvement in the market,” Mr Wheeler said.
“If the premises are presented well in a good location and the rent is reasonable, they are always going to rent.” INVESTORS, business owners and developers are buying development sites in Townsville mostly dormant since the global financial crisis.
The Ville Resort- Casino owner Chris Morris last week settled on a 2.9ha site alongside the hotel and last month the Morgan family, which owns the Chifley Plaza Hotel, acquired a vacant 1015sq m site in Sturt St in the CBD.
In other recent deals, Stephen Campbell of Brisbane’s Auto Parts Group and local developer Tim Edmonds have bought the former transit centre property in Palmer St, local developer Paul Spina has contracted to buy a 2700sq m unit site, also in Palmer St, and a local investor has acquired a 2024sq m warehouse, prime for redevelopment, in Dean St.
On the Strand, a vacant 6000sq m property next to the Seaview Hotel is under contract.
Mr Morris confirmed yesterday they had settled on the Breakwater Island site.
“At the moment we are just looking at all the options with a few different parties that want to get involved,” Mr Morris said.
“Hopefully in the next three or four months we’ll have some idea on what we want to do with the property.”
Mr Morris said they needed more car parking for the hotel and wanted a large open area to stage events as well as more accommodation for the resort which had been trading at 80 per cent occupancy before redevelopment began in earnest this year.
“We could do with another 100 or 200 rooms,” he said.
Colliers International Townsville managing director Peter Wheeler said development sites were attracting more interest.
“The level of interest and inquiry is increasing for development sites which for some years now have been pretty much dormant,” Mr Wheeler said.
“There’s no doubt that the savvy or smart investors or developers are now turning their focus toward Townsville.
“We are also fielding more interest on development sites that are in and around the CBD within reasonable proximity to the new stadium.”
Mr Wheeler said a Townsville Enterprise function in Brisbane last week attracted many people who had invested in Townsville or had the city on their radar.
“I do believe the city is on the cusp of something pretty special,” he said.