$400m dual tower development to transform Southport CBD

WORDS: Madison Cooper PHOTOGRAPHY Supplied

A consortium of highly experienced Australia property industry specialists has lodged a development application to create a landmark $400 million residential and office building at Southport in a move that is expected to drive a wave of activity in the heart of the Gold Coast’s CBD.

The proposed twin-tower development, earmarked for a long vacant site at 1 and 6 Park Lane, will deliver a 100-storey apartment building and a 60-storey office building to Southport in one of the most innovative designs ever proposed for the Gold Coast.

The 1 Park Lane development will deliver 197 apartments to the city centre featuring a range of resort-style resident amenities and topped by three two-storey penthouses.

The 60-storey office building will inject up to 12,000sqm of office space amid a looming shortage of prime A-grade space on the Gold Coast, with the project set to become the most significant new office development in the city in more than a decade.

The twin towers are connected by a stunning artistic moulded base canopy 3 storeys high over an open public realm and a skybridge at level 22 that will create a striking architectural feature for the development while providing a primary structural purpose that ties the buildings together.

The skybridge will become a key feature of the development in its own right by offering additional landscaped areas as well as a restaurant, function space and bar that can be accessed by residents, office workers and the broader community.

A syndicate of private investors is behind the consortium overseeing this stunning new development including experienced developer Baracon, Melbourne-based funds manager Payton Group, leading Australian architect BKK, town planners Urbis, and engineering consultancy Van der Meer.

Project Architect, Simon Knott sees 1 Park Lane as a major catalyst that will inspire a new wave of developments in Southport.

“This is an exciting project that will capture the imagination of the occupants, the wider community, and the industry more broadly. We are delighted to have the opportunity to be involved.” said Mr Knott.

“Southport has been primed for a development like this for some time. It has everything going for it, but with so many dormant sites in the CBD it has been a sleeping giant for too long. This development will activate a site that has been underutilised for years.

“The 1 Park Lane proposal will bring to the market a broad range of apartments that will have direct access to extensive public amenities in the area, including the light rail, Australia Fair shopping centre and access to CBD facilities and the Broadwater Parklands.

“Our consultant team’s research also shows that the office tower will be a significant driver of economic activity in its own right.”

It’s estimated 1 Park Lane will accommodate up to 500 employees in the office tower and 580 residents in the main tower, while the project is expected to create about 1,000 jobs alone during construction.

The twin-tower development will feature significant sustainability initiatives including a photo electric solar cell wall to the west face, which will harness the energy provided from the sun for reuse within the apartment building.

Extensive landscaping across the site is designed to deliver a welcoming environment for residents, office employees and the public across the combined plaza entries to the buildings.

“The 1 Park Lane development brings to Southport a people-focused design that will bring to life an area of the CBD that is totally underutilised at present,” said Mr Knott.

“Not only are we designing a new Gold Coast benchmark, but we are also creating a new public domain that is very much needed in the area.”

Gold Coast Councillor Brooke Patterson, who serves the people of Division 6 where the project is proposed, has always been positive about the eventual recognition of her division, defined as Gold Coast CBD.

“This is a great opportunity for Southport to be recognised as the growth corridor it is,” said Councillor Patterson.

Great architecture, a positive contribution to self-sustainability and the creation of a well-designed public realm are attributes she sees important to any development application.

“The 1 Park Lane team seem to have embraced this in their submission which our planning officers will now assess,” said Councillor Patterson.