ONE MALL STEP FOR SOHEIL

Iconic Coast developer to build city centre’s first shopping showpiece in 21 years

FIRST it was Palazzo Versace then Q1, now Soheil Abedian wants to build the first mega shopping precinct in the city centre in two decades.

In a giant leap for the Gold Coast, the Sunland boss has lodged plans for a two-level, 80-shop centre on the corner of Bermuda St and Hooker Blvd at Clear Island Waters.

It would be the city centre’s first since the Robina Town Centre opened in 1996. Sunland’s residential and retail project is worth $1.3 billion and headlines a record year for development applications lodged with the council.

MORE people want to build on the Gold Coast than ever before on the back of heavy marketing and the Commonwealth Games.

The number of development applications lodged at the Gold Coast City Council is expected to increase by six per cent this year, surpassing 5000 for the first time ever.

It represents a 113 per cent hike in applications since 2012.

City Planning boss Cr Cameron Caldwell said the figures reflected confidence in the Gold Coast market.

He said developments going before the council were a mixture of largescale towers and smaller projects that were transforming suburbs.

“Clearly the sentiment that the economy is improving is born out in the actual data,” he said.

“There has been strong interest in and around the light rail corridor and many developers are positioning themselves for construction to begin after the Commonwealth Games.

“We hope this level of activity will continue.

“There is a lot of confidence in the Gold Coast ... from both overseas, local and interstate figures.”

Data compiled by the council shows:

• 4473 development applications were made between January and October, a 9 per cent increase on 2016.

• The total number of applications for 2017 is expected to be 5360.

• Plumbing and drainage inspections across the city increased by 42 per cent between 2015-2017.

• The council received nearly $124 million in revenue from developer contributions. In 2016-17 the Developer Contributions Group collected almost $124 million in infrastructure revenue.

• In the past financial year, the council took control of over $170 million in infrastructure provided via developer contributions.

About $2 billion in projects are due to be approved in the new year.

Projects expected to go before councillors in 2018 include the $600 million theme park from developer Songcheng at Carrara, the $200 million Sunland tower on Hedges Ave and the $1.3 billion Breakwater estate at Robina.

The council is also planning upgrades for parts of Surfers Paradise, Coolangatta and Kirra.

The business case of the $600 million Stage 3A of the light rail is also expected to be put to the Federal Government for funding by the end of 2018.

Queensland Master Builders Association regional manager John Duncalfe welcomed the boost and said many of the projects already rising from the ground were “mum and dad” developments, including duplexes, unit buildings and larger houses.

“We are seeing a lot of rebirth in traditional suburbs such as Ashmore and Broadbeach, where larger parcels of land are being taken from houses to duplexes,” he said.

“In the lead-up to the 2018 Games I have no reason to think that the Games will not be like Expo ’88 where we saw an influx in overseas interests come into the area.”