CommercialLindsay SaundersTue 26 May 26
Baz Signs on as Gold Coast Creative Precinct Launches EoI
The Gold Coast City Council has launched an international search for development partners to help deliver the Miami Arts Depot creative industries precinct.
The project, a proposed 40,000sq m mixed-use hub, will be anchored by acclaimed film director Baz Luhrmann and four-time Academy Award-winning costume designer Catherine Martin.
The expression-of-interest process, led by Invest Gold Coast, is looking for experienced development, investment and creative industry groups to “help transform the former Miami Depot site into a globally connected precinct focused on screen production, visual effects, gaming, technology and innovation”, the city said.
Plans for the development also include residential, retail, hospitality and community uses.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said the EoI marked a major milestone for one of the city’s most significant urban renewal projects.
“We are inviting the market to help shape a project that has the potential to redefine the way we develop and foster creative industries in Australia,” Tate said.
“Miami Arts Depot (MAD) is about ... creating a place where ideas, technology, talent and community come together in a uniquely Gold Coast way.”
Tate said the council was looking for partners with the capability, creativity and ambition to deliver a precinct that would drive jobs, investment and long-term economic growth while also creating a destination for residents and visitors.
He said the project would build on the Gold Coast’s established screen production sector and growing digital and creative economy.
Luhrmann anchor for project
Production company Bazmark has been confirmed as an anchor tenant at the precinct and has been engaged by the city as the project’s creative and visionary partner.
Luhrmann, known for his highly stylised and visually extravagant storytelling in films such as Moulin Rouge!, The Great Gatsby and Elvis, said the project was a unique opportunity to create a global production hub grounded in local culture and identity.
He said the project was a unique opportunity to create a global production hub grounded in local culture and identity.
“MAD is nestled within the vibrant Miami area and sits alongside Pizzey Park, where any person of any age and background can access any form of sport,” Luhrmann said.
“That’s exactly what MAD is—for creativity.”
The director said the precinct would include state-of-the-art post-production facilities capable of attracting international film productions to complete finishing work on the Gold Coast.
Luhrmann said the project would function as a community hub, with public spaces, cafes and shops integrated into the creative industries precinct.
“This precinct will not just be unprecedented in Australia, but unprecedented in the world,” he said.
The Miami Arts Depot precinct is forecast to generate $130 million dollars in economic activity and support 1000 new jobs, particularly in digital creativity and technology sectors.
Invest Gold Coast chair Will Hodgman said the EoI would test market appetite for a development partner capable of delivering a world-class mixed-use precinct with strong creative industry credentials.
“This is a rare opportunity to participate in a city-shaping project on one of the Gold Coast’s most strategically located beachside urban renewal sites,” Hodgman said.
The EoI follows the council’s recent endorsement of a funding agreement with Shadowbox Studios for a new production complex at Yatala, which is expected to double screen production capacity on the Gold Coast.
Submissions for the Miami Arts Depot EoI are due to close on July 31. Shortlisted proponents will then progress through a detailed market process ahead of a preferred development partner being selected in mid-2027.
