Projects filling city with hope

IN THE past five days alone, the Townsville Bulletin has had front pages about a new island development off the coast of Hinchinbrook, a proposed $ 25m CBD education and office development, and today we reveal the $ 52 million redevelopment of Mater Hospital’s Pimlico campus will begin in June.

The hospital project in itself will create more than 200 jobs during construction with the building contractor committed to providing locals with opportunity.

This project will provide another muchneeded boost to the economy and it demonstrates the appetite for growth, but, just as importantly, the people of Townsville can look forward to further improved health services on their doorsteps.

This news comes just a day after pipe maker Iplex was awarded the contract for preferred supplier for the Haughton pipeline, allowing that company to create up to 50 local jobs and to reopen its polyethylene plant in Townsville.

For months, if not years, we’ve felt as though we’re on the brink of better economic times.

There has been promise of a lot of projects that will create a lot of jobs but locals need to see it to believe it.

The Mater Hospital project is ready to go and Townsville City Council is pressing forward with the Haughton pipeline. And these are just two such examples. Perhaps the most reassuring hint that our economy is on the rebound is the confidence some investors are showing in the local commercial real estate.

Also on today’s front page, the Bulletin can reveal that a CBD office building sold for $ 15.5 million in the city’s biggest commercial sale of the year to date.

The Brisbane- based company that bought the Flinders St building bought River Quays, home to Adani, for $ 28.6 million last year.

The Sentinel Property Group won’t rule out further investment in the city they say is on the brink of greatness due to the number of job- generating projects that are set to transform the economy.