Five-Storey Mixed-Use Plans to Transform Beachside Tugun

The laid-back and lowrise beachside hub of Tugun at the southern end of the Gold Coast could be on the cusp of a transformative development uplift. Plans have been pitched for a five-storey mixed-use commercial building in the village heart of the suburb about 3km north of the Gold Coast Airport. It comprises a gross floor area of 1042sq m for a food and drink outlet, healthcare services and office space. Gold Coast-based developer Sandbox Properties, led by Jack Tarrant and Levi Corby, is behind the proposal earmarked for a 405sq m site at 6 Bielby Street that property records show was acquired in 2022 for $2.035 million. Under the scheme designed by architecture studio ME, a cafe space on the ground floor is planned to activate street frontage, above which office space would sit on the first and fourth floors as well as specialist consulting suites for allied health and freelance professionals on the second and third levels. According to the documents, the proposed development drawing inspiration from the surrounding Tugun character—including “tactile brickwork”—aims to foster a diverse mix of employment-generating activities and community-orientated spaces, aligning with the strategic vision for the Tugun District Centre. “The proposal will deliver a boutique mixed-use commercial development … in a compact, pedestrian-orientated and vibrant location in the heart of the Tugun Village … categorised by high street retail and built-to-boundary shop fronts to activate pedestrian activity,” a planning report said. ▲ Rendering of the five-storey mixed-use commercial building proposed for 6 Bielby Street. “The building has been carefully designed to reflect the historic and unique character of Tugun Village, contributing to the sense of place and local identity.” Overall, the proposed development—rising 16.85m to the roofline and 18.05m to the top of the lift overrun—would exceed the site’s prescribed building height limit of 16m or three storeys. However, the assessment by Urban Planning Services deemed the proposal would “comfortably fit within the building height profile anticipated within this area of Tugun”. “The proposed building height of five storeys will assist in signifying the site as part of the District Centre of Tugun, where taller building heights assist in reinforcing urban legibility and sense of place around a hub of activity,” it said. ▲ The development aims to blend seamlessly into Tugun ’ s evolving streetscape while enhancing local amenity. As well, with the scheme providing only five onsite carparking bays, it falls short of the 29 spaces needed under council transport code provisions. “This would take up the entire site and render the development unfeasible,” the report said, adding that “a parking survey has demonstrated that there is sufficient on-street capacity to accommodate the overflow on-street carparking at all times [with the exception of one peak period]”. To help mitigate the parking shortfall, however, the proposal includes a planned upgrade to an adjacent “dilapidated” council-owned carparking lot that would “significantly improve amenity for the wider community”. &ldquo;Categorised by high street retail and built to boundary shop fronts to active pedestrian activity&hellip;the Tugun District Village, as well as other district villages across the Gold Coast such as Palm Beach and Burleigh Heads, all rely on on-street carparking, which is encouraged to maintain the vibrancy of these centres,&rdquo; the documents said. -->

Five-Storey Mixed-Use Plans to Transform Beachside Tugun

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