Tower project war on cards
Gold Coast Bridge Club to fight Grocon
ONE of the Gold Coast’s oldest community groups is in the fight of its life against contentious construction giant Grocon, which is planning a 30-storey tower next to its clubhouse.
The unlicensed builder of the Commonwealth Games Athletes Village has designed a 168-apartment building in Old Burleigh Rd at Surfers Paradise, across the road from the mammoth Jewel development and right next door to the Gold Coast Bridge Club.
Bridge players say their games would be ruined by the noise and a lack of parking would cruel the 400-strong membership base, which currently uses part of the development site for overflow parking.
Grocon submitted a development application in August for the site, which is owned by Telstra and currently houses an exchange, and in October created a new company for it called Grocon (Burleigh Rd) Developer Pty Ltd.
The tower will effective- ly be constructed above the exchange under a deal which Telstra yesterday declined to discuss.
Bridge club president Philip Roberts said construction and other noise would destroy their beloved game.
“It’s a game of significant concentration; you’ve got to follow cards of every suit and remember what’s been played,” he said.
“Noise would be a nightmare; our members would have to play somewhere else, such is their passion for the game.
“The impact would be huge, because of the height of the building, noise of construction and loss of parking facilities that we enjoy at the moment.
“Only about five of our members currently travel by tram. They feel more secure driving.”
Its members are preparing for a landmark event in February, when the 2018 Commonwealth Nations Bridge Championships comes to the Gold Coast.
Mr Roberts said the club meant far more to its members than a simple hobby.
“It’s a life support club for our members; it’s a significant source of social interaction and friendship,” he said.
“Thirty to 40 per cent of our members on any day stay after play and enjoy some cheese and bikkies and catch up on news.
“There’s an unbelievable network that the club has allowed our members to develop ... It really is a family and it’s growing.”
The club, which formed almost 53 years ago, also fears it will lose income it receives for hosting a mobile phone tower on its site.
The rateable value of the bridge club’s battle-axe shaped block, which it has owned for more than half a century, is listed at $3.7 million.
The Grocon tower is set to feature 168 units across 24 levels and was designed by ARM Architecture, designer of the Gold Coast Cultural Precinct at Evandale.
Planning documents show Telstra signed over power of attorney for the site to Grocon in August.
Mr Roberts said Telstra had not consulted the club about the plan to develop the site.
“Why wouldn’t Telstra, who are supposed to be good corporate citizens, come and discuss it with us?” he said. “Most of
WHY WOULDN’T TELSTRA, WHO ARE SUPPOSED TO BE GOOD CORPORATE CITIZENS, COME AND DISCUSS IT WITH US? PHILIP ROBERTS