New resort near Dreamworld

[New display name]

Ok I have a bit of an update.

This resort was knocked back last year and I forgot to tell you about it.

The owners are trying again so it was in the news.

DEVELOPERS of a $500 million resort and apartment project next to Dreamworld have asked for their own development code to get around zoning they say was created by Gold Coast City Council by mistake.

Gordon Corp’s $500 million proposal for high-rise apartments, resort hotel, apartments, shops and tourist attraction next to Dreamworld was released for public consultation this week, with proponents seeking to build three towers, the highest with 27 storeys above a podium.

Planners for the project have applied for their site to have its own development framework and height limits, and note the Tower of Terror next-door is 119m.

They write in their application that the site’s designation as rural living or open space was done “in error” and that it was designated for commercial industry by the former Albert Shire due to its proximity to the M1 and other key infrastructure.

Height guidelines are currently controversial in other parts of the Gold Coast, particularly on The Spit at Main Beach, where ASF has proposed a $3 billion resort and casino with towers as high as 45 storeys.

The ASF site is in an area currently zoned for three storeys and is next to Sea World, which hosts the 28m Storm Coaster, which is the equivalent of about eight storeys.

City Planning committee deputy chair Donna Gates said the two sites were not comparable and that the Coomera site’s rural and open space zoning needed an update.

“I’m surprised was not rectified in the City Plan because clearly that’s not an appropriate zoning for it, so I would be supportive of assisting them with anything they might need to move it forward,” she said.

Cr Gates said the committee would look at the proposed building height in the context of the Tower of Terror that “dwarfs everything” being nearby.

“I think it’s a real positive forward step, close to the theme parks there’s been a glaring need for accommodation for some time,” she said.

The Coomera development would join a host major projects proposed in the city’s north, and is close to the $1 billion Westfield Coomera Town Centre and $500 million marine precinct expansion.

Public consultation closes February 27

[Brad2912]

Read this earlier today and forgot to post it. There is some merit to their rationale and thinking re:zoning. And yeah, and residents can't really make too much noise regarding height given what's next door (not that there are any residents directly around the site). 

My only concern from a community standpoint would be the primary school literally across the road, and how the noise and associated dirt/dust from such a large project may impact kids 

[New display name]

I have been going through the new application and came across this. 

I have heard the government talking about a new overpass but I have never seen it.  Just thought I would put it here in case the overpass goes ahead one day.  I also know some of you guys are local and might be interested in it.

Edited January 12, 2017 by YLFATEEKS

[Brad2912]

The people in the caravan park may be slightly annoyed when the overpass goes through their property. I've seen plans for a new Coomera overpass north of the existing one which will provide another northern entrance to the town centre site. 

Edited January 12, 2017 by Brad2912

[New display name]

@Brad2912 I think a lot of people would be happy if the caravan park went and I doubt the residence of the park would even notice their vans being reduced to rubble.  I wish for once main roads would sexy an overpass up on the Gold Coast. 

[Slick]

3 hours ago, YLFATEEKS said:

I have been going through the new application and came across this. 

I have heard the government talking about a new overpass but I have never seen it.  Just thought I would put it here in case the overpass goes ahead one day.  I also know some of you guys are local and might be interested in it.

Never realised that road was called WhiteWater Way before. Not sure what's cornier, that or Village Way?

[Reanimated35]

I'm more of a fan of Village Way than White Water Way 

[Santa07]

Village Way sounds sorta normal - if you don't think about it in terms of Village Roadshow - you'll even find there's another Village Way at Bracken Ridge

White Water Way is just ???

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

I think that happened when they built WWW, because previously Dreamworld Parkway went up to the entrance and back down, didn't it?

Actually, i think that happened when Cyclone was built, as it was built over the parkway, i think?

[joz]

Village Way sounds like one of those horrible HR induction videos you'd watch when you start working at a place.

[New display name]

The submissions date has come and gone and nobody made any submissions about re-zoning the site.  We have now moved onto wait for council to make a decision stage.

[New display name]

 This resort has been given preliminary approval by Gold Coast City Council’s planning committee and is expected to be endorsed by the full council next Wednesday.

No need for Ardent to employ a town planner now.  Ardent if you read this than this is what you can do on your land. 

[DaptoFunlandGuy]

i think it was the shiny GC2018 banner on the side of it.

Odds on being completed prior to the games? practically zero.

[New display name]

@AlexB They’re aiming for the homeless 2022 Commonwealth Games.

I believe the pools location will be conditioned to be relocated on site because the Queensland Main Roads have marked that corner for future road widening works.

 

Edited June 15, 2017 by Skeeta

[New display name]

Now Courier Mail is running a story.  I have attached it because link does not work for most.

THE Gold Coast could soon become Australia’s answer to Anaheim as developers forge ahead with plans for a sprawling precinct of hotels and resorts bordering the city’s theme parks.

At Coomera, Dreamworld could be surroun­ded by a Disney-style neighbour­hood after the Gold Coast Council yesterday gave the green light to a project including three towers of up to 15 storeys featuring tourist and short-term accommodation, as well as shops and restaurants.

The proposal, from developer Gordon Corp, would sit on land opposite Dreamworld on Beattie Rd, while the theme park itself is also considering hotels and resorts on an unused part of the Dreamworld site which could turn the precinct into Australia’s answer to Anaheim, the metropolis surrounding Disneyland and California Adven­ture Park just outside Los Angeles in the US.

It was given preliminary approval by Gold Coast City Council’s planning committee and is expected to be endorsed by the full council next Wednesday.

Nearby Movie World has also proposed a nine-storey hotel, golf resort and lakeside precinct.

Gold Coast City Council planning chairman, Councillor Cameron Caldwell, said the Gordon Corp proposal showed there was an appetite to move away from the decades-old model of families holidaying in Surfers Paradise or Broadbeach and making day trips north to the coast’s theme parks, most of which are within a 5km radius between Coomera and Oxenford.

“The model of everybody staying in Surfers Paradise and travelling out to the theme parks is changing,” he said.

“This proposal would service the theme parks and the indoor sports centre down the road which has been constructed ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

“It’s what goes on in other parts of the world such as Anaheim in the US.

“Families could base themselves there for sports carnivals or theme park holidays instead of having to travel up each day from the traditional tourist precincts.”

A Dreamworld spokesman said they welcomed new development in the rapidly changing Coomera precinct.

“As a tourist destination and major employer in the region, Dreamworld welcomes local development and growth that complements our neighbourhood and meets local area planning requirements,” he said.

http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/theme-park-resortstyle-precinct-to-transform-northern-gold-coast/news-story/f18bed547beacc8ea8d52957b6b602dd

[Brad2912]

We build a restaurant or a retail store next to a theme park, and we have a Downtown Disney/Universal City Walk

We build a hotel near a theme park, we are now Anaheim

We've got the tigers, we just need to get Olivia Newton John to sign up to do a nightly sing-along at the DW Theatre and we'll be Vegas too!

The best of the world is on our doorstep!

[pin142]

Now all we need is a monorail to connect it and it would truly be a Downtown Disney style setup!

[elemist]

I don't understand the purpose of these types of developments? Is it a case of build it and hope the parks can scale up to create the demand for the accommodation? Or to relieve pressure on accommodation in Surfers itself?

The reason this works in Anaheim is three fold. Firstly, the parks are far enough out of LA (showing ~1 hour each way plus traffic) to make it quite a distance to travel, and they're located in the same vicinity.

Secondly, the parks are big enough that it takes more than one day to see them. From what i've read/heard/understood you could easily spend 3 - 4 days between the parks. Thus making a 1 hour commute each way each day is some what of a time suck.

Thirdly these parks are open long hours - 8 till midnight each day, so its just not practical to do the commute each day.

In comparison lets look at the Gold Coast - you have 2 parks in Oxenford, 1 park at Coomera and 1 park at Main Beach. Not exactly all clustered together in a nice location, and none of the locations alone are big enough to be a destination in themselves. 

The parks are generally only open standard hours, closing at 6pm. The nightlife around the parks is pretty much 0, apart from what a Maccas?

Travel times from down town Surfers is only 25 minutes each way, and there's plenty of easy travel options available to tourists from car hire to regular public busses and then dedicated tourist shuttle busses.

Down town Surfers has a pretty good amount of night life and activities to do of an evening. It has plenty of food options for people to enjoy, and its right on the beach - which is probably a big reason for people visiting anyway. Surfers also has a massive variety of hotels, from cheap motels up to luxury pent house apartments catering to a wide variety of tourists.

Lastly, none of the parks in themselves are really big enough to spend anything more than 1 day in each at the present time. Sure this may change in the future, but i doubt it will be any time soon.

The only way i can see this type of development working, was if Surfers didn't exist, and the alternative was to stay in Brisbane and commute to the parks. Then it would make sense to develop this kind of infrastructure around the parks. 

[Reanimated35]

14 minutes ago, elemist said:

 

I don't understand the purpose of these types of developments? Is it a case of build it and hope the parks can scale up to create the demand for the accommodation? Or to relieve pressure on accommodation in Surfers itself?

 

 

At least that seems to be the theory. I mean it works in movies, right?

[Levithian]

Its nowhere near 25 mins surfers to coomera anymore. The traffic is horrendous around work or school times. Sometimes it can take you 25 mins just to get from the highway to dreamworld now as the whole place is a mess. 

[Santa07]

At least the media are actually trying to promote tourism now instead of turning everyone off by mentioning the Dreamworld accident.

 

[rappa]

2 hours ago, Levithian said:

Its nowhere near 25 mins surfers to coomera anymore. The traffic is horrendous around work or school times. Sometimes it can take you 25 mins just to get from the highway to dreamworld now as the whole place is a mess. 

Takes me 25mins surfers to movie world every day so 25 to dreamworld is not too far off. 

[Gazza]

6 minutes ago, djrappa said:

Takes me 25mins surfers to movie world every day so 25 to dreamworld is not too far off. 

Nah, it's fecked now. Basically during school term the M1 southbound in the AM is a crawl from the DW exit through to the Westfield Helensvale exit, due to the explosion in residential subdivisions around Pimpama and Coomera. The funny thing is, it only got bad probably in the last 12 months. Prior I always considered it a dream run because you were always against the predominant commuter flow from Brisbane to GC.

[Brad2912]

Depends what time you leave. I travel from the Pimpama exit to the Helensvale Westfield exit daily. If I leave by say 7:30 it's a cruise 10min run. Leave it another half hour and you're screwed. 

As long as you're not leaving in AM/PM peaks you can still do Coomera to Surfers in under half an hour 

[Levithian]

Yeah, everyone aims to get to dreamworld or movieworld before 8 oclock right? I mean, it's not like anyone would be aiming for a 9-10am arrival when the roads are terrible.....

If you even try to go to movieworld during a busy day, the north bound exit banks up on the highway as far as the previous helensvale turn off to westfield. The traffic is that bad sometimes. Same thing happens at dreamworld, its banked up back towards the overpass with both service roads just as bad because the overpass at oxenford is just about the worst intersection on the north side of the coast.