DHL’s new Coast base

DHL Express will open a 3000sq m distribution centre in Molendinar under a design-and-construct deal with a local developer.

Buckler Property Group, which has owned the 6.75ha parcel at 19-37 Harper St since 1975, has engaged local firm Wilkor Developments as the builder.

Transaction details have not been disclosed but industry sources indicated the design-and-construct deal would have been struck at between $120sq m and $130sq m.

The DHL deal has spurred Buckler to develop the remainder of the site — releasing three further properties to the market in the tightly-held central Gold Coast industrial area.

DHL Express Oceania CEO Gary Edstein said the new centre will be up-and-running in the next few months.

“The centre’s prime location will enable us to continue providing the best service for our customers,” he said.

“We pride ourselves on continually connecting people, improving lives and stimulating the growth of the local economy, and this service centre is testament to that.”

Cushman & Wakefield associate director Josh Wright, who negotiated the deal, said the location was the key attraction to DHL.

Mr Wright declined to comment on the lease terms.

The holding upon which the DHL centre will be situated fronts Ashmore Rd, Harper St, and is accessed via Anisar Court. Upon completion, it will feature nine on-grade roller doors to the warehouse area and two crossovers, enabling separate areas for customer access and truck deliveries.

The new centre will also be fitted with parcel lockers which will be accessible 24/7 by customers. In addition to the DHL centre, two 621sq m buildings are under construction at 3 Anisar Court.

The speculative builds, which are being marketed by Mr Wright, will include 559sq m warehouses plus 62sq m mezzanine offices. Each tenancy will have a clear-span warehouse with an internal height up to 8.6m and a large 5m x 5m remote-controlled roller door.

Also under construction at 3 Anisar Court is a 1244sq m building including a 98sq m mezzanine office. The tenancy will have two roller doors and a large hardstand area at the front. Family-owned Buckler Property Group is a long-term industrial landholder in Molendinar and Helensvale.

Patriarch Paddy Buckler passed away in 2013, shortly before Villawood Properties purchased a 86ha site in Helensvale from the family, for its The Surrounds estate.