MY FINAL FLOURISH
Father of Q1 says Spit masterpiece may be his last
THE man who built Q1 and Palazzo Versace says his latest Gold Coast creation will be his finest — and perhaps his last. Soheil Abedian has detailed his vision for a $600 million redevelopment of Mariner’s Cove on The Spit, saying “we want to do for the Gold Coast what the Opera House has done for Sydney. This will maybe be my last legacy for this city.”
SUPERYACHT berths, an infinity pool open to the public and a floating waterfront park will be created in the Broadwater as part of the proposed $600 million Mariner’s Cove redevelopment.
Developers Sunland say the two-tower project will spark an economic boom for the Gold Coast, creating jobs and injecting more than $56.8 million into the city annually.
The Bulletin can exclusively reveal the 44-storey project will create more than 1652 jobs during the redevelopment of The Spit site, with a further 1019 permanent positions once it opens.
Sunland executive chairman Soheil Abedian said it was hoped the groundbreaking buildings, designed by Iraqi-British architect Dame Zaha Hadid, would become a tourist attraction similar to the Sydney Opera House or Guggenheim Museum.
Dr Abedian said it was expected the precinct, which will include a cultural precinct, aquarium and museum, would attract up to 500,000 visitors each year with its 10,222sq m plaza and facilities to be open to the public similar to Singapore’s Marina Bay Sands.
“This will be something that is for everyone, not just a collective few, and we want people to get the long-term benefit of it,” he said.
“The land will be returned to the people and we want to do for the Gold Coast what the Opera House has done for Sydney.
“It will be a landmark that people will come just to look at the structure and will put us on the map with a type of engineering that nobody has ever done.”
A development application has been filed with the Gold Coast City Council and it is expected to be debated within three months.
A major point of contention will be its height, which exceeds the council’s three-storey limit.
Councillors said they supported the project despite the height issue and a council spokesman confirmed it was likely to gain approval.
The development, one of the largest proposed for the area, has also received the tick of approval from readers, with a goldcoastbulletin.com.au online poll finding that 66 per cent of those surveyed were in favour.
Dr Abedian said construction could begin within 24 hours of approval.
Plans for the de- velopment remain in flux, however, with the amount of commercial floorspace slashed by 4355sq m to just 1950sq m following discussions with planners.
A 150m waterfront path will also be created.
Sunland’s economic report says the development’s 785- room hotel will annually generate 110,000-180,000 new visitor nights.
“It will be like a magnet – everyone will be attracted to it,” Dr Abedian said.
‘This will maybe be my last legacy for this city, which we have been active in for more than 32 years.”