Devine designs $1.5b retirement towers for Southport
Australian property industry stalwart David Devine has unveiled plans to develop three apartment towers fronting The Broadwater on the massive The Star of the Sea site in Southport.
Under the plans lodged with the City of the Gold Coast by DD Resort Living, the development would comprise three towers offering 634 apartments, a world-class wellness centre, restaurants and shops
The 1.44-hectare site at 60 Marine Parade was home to The Star of the Sea Catholic girls’ school from 1898 until 1986, when the school moved to Ashmore.
The Marine Parade buildings were demolished in 2016, and the site, which has long been touted as one of the city’s best development sites, sat vacant.
Mr Devine reportedly bought the property for about $60 million last year from a Chinese-backed company, which had approvals in place for a five-tower project.
In the new plans lodged with the council, DD Resort Living has designed a development that is largely targeted at “wealthy retirees and downsizers”.
The development application for the site is for a “Retirement Facility, Residential Care Facility, Indoor Sport and Recreation, Health Care Services, Food and Drink Outlet and Shop”.
The proposed three towers, reportedly worth $1.5 billion when completed, would be 59 storeys, 54 storey and 43 storeys high and much of the project would be designated as an over-50s retirement resort.
One of the major drawcards for buyers would be 13,000sqm of space dedicated to wellness facilities.
The plan says the developer hopes to create world-class, state-of-the-art, multi-faceted wellness facilities, which will be among the best in the world and to be the largest in the southern hemisphere. The plans allow for fitness studios, a spa, bathhouse facilities, and gaming and recreation spaces.
Under its plans, the developer suggested the podium level wellness facility will feature a waterfall that “introduces movement and calm, echoing the tidal flows that inspired the project”.
The plans also include a “Residential Care Facility”, which is intended to provide temporary accommodation and associated care to residents of the broader Retirement Facility.
The site sits within the Southport Priority Development Area, meaning it is subject to a different planning framework than most of the city. The area was declared a Priority Development Area to encourage economic development.
The plan allows for 1138 bedrooms across its 634 apartments, 846 car parking spaces and 19 motorcycle spaces.
“The proposed development seeks to activate a large vacant and prominent site to establish a world-class, mixed-use development comprising residential and non-residential uses, which lend themselves well to being in the CBD, the development application says.
The design of the towers “draws inspiration from the cone of conifer trees, which is unique and provides significant visual interest”.
“The proposal provides a significant and exceptional landscaping outcome to Marine Parade with unique, large-scale water features which are interspersed with active uses including residential lobbies and commercial activity, which enhance the visual amenity of the Broadwater Parklands, the application says.
“The laneway and oculus proposed within Nerang Street provide a unique feature to the Gold Coast, which contributes to the proposal’s fine-grained detailing and excellent urban design outcome, providing a vibrant laneway experience.
“The exceptional architectural and urban design exhibited by the proposal will positively contribute to the image, identity and quality of the CBD.”
These facilities will be a fantastic asset for the city, tapping into the worldwide ‘wellness’ movement, which has created a significant economy estimated by the Australian Financial Review to be worth $9.6 trillion. Portions of these facilities will be open to the public, while some components will be exclusive to on-site residents.