It’s time, why Sanctuary Cove needs a makeover
Launched by Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston, it’s the suburb synonymous with the 1980s. But a new man is in town to bring Sanctuary Cove back to the future.
DON’T take this the wrong way, Main Beach. But Sanctuary Cove does not want to follow in your footsteps.
And that’s precisely why this surfing, guitar-playing, singing Irishman has come to town – to add a touch of cool to the suburb still somewhat synonymous with the 80s. As the new state development director for Mulpha, whose crown Queensland jewel is Sanctuary Cove, Barry Teeling is a man with a plan. It’s not just a new look he’s envisioning for this luxe neighbo urhood, but a whole new feel – because it’s all about the vibe. “What I really want to do is to take Sanctuary Cove into the future,” says Barry, who studied architecture in Dublin before moving to Sydney in 1998.
“In the 1980s and 90s it was absolutely the place to be.
“Frank Sinatra and Whitney Houston launched it and I think that perfectly sums it up. It’s a classic with great bones, it just needs updating.
“It’s lost its destination appeal. But what I don’t want to do is just give everything a facelift and leave it at that, you need to invest in the soul of the suburb.
“That’s the problem with Main Beach, I think.
“There are some fantastic projects being built there – Drift, in particular, is great. But the shops at street-level that used to be restaurants are now primarily sales offices for off-the-plan apartments.
“It will be a mistake if the developers don’t come together and make sure they entice great food and beverage options into the neighbourhood – because that’s what really brings the buyers. Anyone from Main Beach or Sanctuary Cove will drive to Burleigh to dine at Rick Shores, but it
doesn’t flow the other way.
“That’s what I’m trying to change for Sanctuary Cove.”
However, Barry says he’s no one-man band when it
comes to his vision for Sanctuary Cove.
Instead, he is investing in some serious community engagement to ensure Mulpha delivers what the people want.
“We are really drilling down into community focus groups with the residents to find out what they want and what they need … and that hasn’t been done in the past,” Barry says.
“For example, given the demographic skews slightly older, there is a need for a medical precinct, with allied practices like a chiropractor and physiotherapist, rather than just a medical practice.
“Everyone will benefit from more modern food and beverage options, more relevant boutique retail and even more playgrounds in the community so that parents can enjoy coming here for a meal while the kids play.
“We want to make sure that we’re drawing in professional families as well, every great community has a good demographic mix.
“This is not the suburb where you’ll see affordable housing, but there is space to create new pricepoints to draw in young professionals.
“But we have to build these options in a considered way that doesn’t impact the environment, and that’s not only in the green sense.
“So many urban developments, particularly in Brisbane, you walk through them and just feel hollow … the scale is wrong, it’s a wind tunnel.
“How we develop spaces has a huge impact on how people feel, and I am determined to get that right.”
While Main Beach may be on the ‘ what-not-to-do’ list, Barry is a huge fan of his own Gold Coast neighbourhood of Burleigh Heads.
He says he wants to create a similar vibe in Sanctuary Cove, something he says would benefit not just residents, but all those living in nearby suburbs.
He says the city’s northern suburbs are starved of a cultural destination by comparison to their southern neighbours.
“James Street in Burleigh is funny because the buildings themselves are hideous but it’s such a great vibe,” Barry says.
“Whereas James Street in Brisbane is beautiful in look and feel, anchored by the Calile Hotel. But in both cases, these streets happened organically.
“My challenge in
Sanctuary Cove is, given that it has good bones, how do I create something new without messing it up?
“I’d love for us to become the anchor for the northern suburbs, for us to be that destination precinct with an amazing tavern you’ll travel to experience.
“A lot of developers get it wrong, you can’t just update your look every five to 10 years, you have to make it elegant and timeless … and I think the Gold Coast is starting to do that quite well.
“Drift at Main Beach is a great example.
“And Burleigh again is a standout, look at the Norfolk. As soon as there is a sniff of one of those units being for sale, they are snapped up for triple what was paid.
“When you build something beautiful, it makes people feel valued.
“That’s what I want to see us create.
“Harbour One that is almost sold out is looking great, it’s not up to Norfolk standards but it’s not far off.
“It was already designed when I came in, and I gave it some tweaks, but anything we put up from now will be ‘wow’.
“I want people to feel lucky not just to live in it, but to live near it.”
Barry says while he certainly accepts the
What I don’t want to do is just give everything a facelift and leave it at that, you need to invest in the soul of the suburb
responsibility inherent in his role, it takes a village to build, well, a village.
He says more work needs to be done on behalf of the council and the property industry itself to ensure that quality is as important as quantity.
“I think councils really need to look at the meritocracy of developments, let’s stop making it all about size and scale and make it about quality,” Barry says.
“It’s far more beneficial to have two extra storeys on a beautiful building than two less storeys on a cheap, basic build. That actually impacts the environment far more than those two storeys.
“The property industry is also really in need of reform, what happened with Opal Tower in Sydney really opened up a can of worms.
“There is too much risk on builders right now, they either have to raise prices for developers, cut corners or go broke. It’s not good enough. Fortunately, that is starting to change. Mulpha has been great with this, quality is the emphasis and they are working with contractors, not against them.”
When Barry isn’t busy building this city he now calls home, you can find him on the beach or on the stage.
Not content just to play guitar in his garage, he’s helped create a talentspotting night at Mo’s Desert Clubhouse dubbed Tunesday, on the first Tuesday of every month. It’s all part of his personal ethos to embrace every day, a lesson he learned the hard way.
“I love being fit and active. When I first came to Australia I just couldn’t believe that such a place existed, it’s a dreamland,” Barry says.
“I loved Sydney and thought I would always stay there, until this job came up. Then I thought I’d get back to Sydney every week, sort of split my time between there and the Coast.
“It’s ended up that I get down there maybe once a month, this is the best place to be. It has all the beauty of Sydney with the personality of the Irish people – friendly, funny and engaging. This is home now.
“The only thing it lacked was that live music venue, so myself and my friend – and bandmate – Charlotte decided to create our own, with the amazing help of Mo’s.
“Building culture is so important to me, as is doing what you love. I lost my own father so suddenly twenty years ago. He was a landscaper and was cutting grass on a reservoir using a ride-on lawnmower. The wheels caught, it flipped, he hit his head on the curb and was knocked out. He fell facedown in water and drowned.
“That’s the kind of tragedy that teaches you anything can happen, nothing is promised.
“So you do everything you can to build the best life that you can for yourself every single day.”
And, if you’re Barry, you plan to leave the world a better and more beautiful place when you’re gone.