First look: GDI Group plot two-level apartments in Main Beach
As their luxury Drift Residences in Main Beach nears completion, Dean Gallagher's GDI Group is already setting its sights on its next project.
They're not straying too far, in fact just 600m from Drift, where they're planning an even more high-end project with just 10 apartments across a 23-level building at 15 Cunningham Avenue, Main Beach.
The lower level will include three-bedroom apartments, along with a multi-purpose room. The upper level will offer an open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area, a butler's pantry, and a media room. Each apartment will have a north-facing balcony, with the building oriented to the north.
Level one will house a wellness center, complete with a gym, sauna, and ice bath. Above, there will be a pool and recreation deck, also facing north. A four-level basement will provide 29 resident parking spaces.
The new tower will replace an old three-level brick walk-up.
In their design statement, Bureau Proberts highlighted that 15 Cunningham Avenue acknowledges a suburb in transition.
"A place where Queensland coastal living has thrived for a century, Main Beach has been at the forefront of Gold Coast growth, evolving from humble holiday homes to high-rise apartments. Today, Main Beach continues to embrace contemporary influences, with carefully planned multi-residential developments seeking infill sites to increase density while preserving the area’s local character and charm."
Bureau Proberts further noted that 15 Cunningham Avenue aims to introduce something fresh to Main Beach’s well-established coastal density.
"The building’s glass envelope reflects Queensland’s vernacular, offering transparency where maximum exposure is needed, and shelter where refuge is desired. In doing so, it embodies the ‘evolving’ Gold Coast—acknowledging its place and neighborhood context, while still establishing a distinctive presence within the skyline of this iconic location."
The tower will sit next door to The Monaco, which sold out during the pandemic with an average sale price of $4.6 million. There have been resales in the building since its 2024 completion north of $8 million.
GDI will no doubt be looking to handle the build themselves, having brought construction inhouse for Drift Residences after the collapse of GCB Constructions.
At the time Gallagher said GDI had assembled a top-tier line-up with a proven track record in the industry to deliver the rest of the building.
"It's a formidable team," Gallagher says.
Drift Residences, nearing completion, will comprise 46 apartments across 31 levels at 16-18 Hughes Avenue, Main Beach. GDI just set a record at Drift, selling a full-floor apartment for $11,995,000, a record for a non-penthouse sale in Main Beach.
