MRCB targets untapped affordable Gold Coast apartment sector with new Southport tower
Just a week after announcing the site acquisition for its second Gold Coast apartment development, MRCB has revealed what it intends to do with the prime Southport site.
They've filed for a 20-level apartment building at 20 Queen Street, a 1,743 sqm site currently occupied by the Sundale Motel that sits in Precinct 3 of the Southport Priority Development Area.
The Southport tower will home 180 one and two-bedroom apartments, a configuration mix rarely seen in the Gold Coast market.
The development falls in line with the Queensland Government’s Homes for Queenslanders and the Australian Government’s National Housing Accord, aiming to contribute to addressing the national housing crisis by adding much-needed housing stock in a rapidly growing region.
There will be 92 one-bedroom and 88 two-bedroom apartments.
The design, spearheaded by Plus Architecture, emphasises vertical expression with textured facades and a soft, natural colour palette.
The building’s podium, rising three to four levels, will accommodate car parking, a communal recreation deck, and various resort-style amenities, including a pool, gym, sauna, and barbecue areas.
Extensive landscaping will be integrated throughout the podium levels, contributing to the building’s aesthetic appeal and providing a garden-like environment at a pedestrian scale.
The site’s prime location in Southport offers proximity to Broadwater Parklands Station and various bus routes, enhancing connectivity for future residents.
The Town Planning Report by Urbis noted the 63-metre building height is an uplift from the 43-metre building approved in 2016. Back then, that height of building was deemed as "high-rise".
"Taking a holistic approach to the assessment of the proposed building height, it is clear that the proposal aligns with the overarching intent of the Development Scheme, as well as providing a superior design outcome that advances the envisaged character for Precinct 3."
A pre-lodgement meeting was held with council officers in July.
MRCB International Sales and Marketing Director, Kevin Zhang, said the Southport development is aimed at capitalising on the prime location.
“The north-facing apartments will have unobstructed views of Broadwater, while residents will also enjoy easy access to all the popular dining, entertainment and shopping precincts of the central Gold Coast right at their doorstep, with access to the light rail.”
The development will mark MRCB's second Gold Coast apartment development after the $500 million Surfers Paradise apartment development, 26 Vista.
26 Vista, named after its location on Vista Street just off Northcliffe Beach, will rise 51 levels and home 280 apartments.
MRCB International is a wholly owned subsidiary of publicly listed urban property and infrastructure developer Malaysian Resources Corporation Berhad (MRCB).
