Currumbin Block Approved After Court Win

A NSW-based developer’s four-storey residential tower has been approved for Currumbin on the southern Gold Coast, the first such project to be greenlit in the Queensland hotspot for many years.

The tower, dubbed Kora, is slated for a site on the Currumbin beachfront at 798-800 Pacific Parade and will comprise seven high-end apartments.

The Arena Property Group is behind the development, which has not been without its twists and turns.

Plans for the tower were filed with the Gold Coast City Council in 2021 after the amalgamated 786sq m site sold for $5.56 million in December of the previous year, the first time in 60 years it had changed hands.

▲ A render of the approved residential tower at Currumbin dubbed Kora.

A block of holiday apartments called Shoreline and a beach shack on the site will be demolished to make way for the tower.

In December last year, the Planning and Environment Court dismissed an appeal by more than 60 residents against the Gold Coast City Council’s approval of the project.

The argument that the height and scale of the project would diminish the character and amenity of the area was rejected by the court, which said future developments of up to 12m could be expected under proposed amendments to the Gold Coast’s City Plan.

This month the DA, with amendments, was approved by the council.

Designed by Plus Architecture, the development comprises seven apartments across its four storeys.

A communal wellness centre and pool as well as a beach house apartment with a private terrace and its own pool will be on the ground floor, while the roof will include communal terraces.

The residences feature large internal living space and balconies with ocean views, and the development will have a gross floor area of 1300 square metres.

Plus Architecture principal Chrisney Formosa said the overall design approach for Kora was “organic and uplifting, complementing Currumbin’s picturesque beachside character and its nearby natural landmarks of Currumbin Hills and Elephant Rock”. 

Construction is slated to begin later this year.

The southern Gold Coast’s skyrocketing appeal shows no signs of coming back to earth anytime soon.

The Urban Developer reported this week that a $120-million hotel development at Palm Beach had been approved, while Brisbane developer Graya’s Ripple, also at Palm Beach and its first foray into the luxury Gold Coast apartment market, was also greenlit this month.

And in February, a super skinny seven-storey mansion was revealed for Jefferson Lane—the southern Gold Coast’s millionaires' row—at Palm Beach.