Spit proves bigger is not always better on Gold Coast

IS bigger always better? Not necessarily. Just look at The Spit. It’s not so long ago that there was significant pressure to go high rise on the relatively unspoilt isthmus. A plan to build a striking twin towers development at Mariners Cove was withdrawn in late 2016.

In 2017, the Palaszczuk government finally scuttled extraordinary plans by consortium ASF for a five-tower casino development on Crown land in the area.

The decisions helped reinforce the long-standing three-storey limit at this special slice of paradise.

Allied with The Spit masterplan released in 2019, what is now proposed for the area is far easier to get behind.

The proposal to revamp Marina Mirage, revealed in today’s paper, is especially impressive.

It’s notable that the Makris Group held a competition in 2020 between Australia’s most renowned architectural firms to secure the right team for the job.

The proposal follows hot on the heels of news last month that approval has been granted for the Mantaray Marina and Residences – which will include Australia’s first dedicated private superyacht marina and 24 waterfront residences – at a site fronting the Broadwater.

In August last year, plans were also lodged for a $480 million redevelopment of Mariner’s Cove which will include the city’s first Ritz-carlton hotel, lifestyle and shopping precinct and yet more marina space.

All of these new developments will bring a new sparkle to this once-neglected corner of the Gold Coast, while staying within the three-storey limit.

It is a better outcome than proposed in previous years, proving that in some cases, bigger is not always better, even on the Gold Coast.