Gurner Plots $1.25-Billion Surfers Paradise Towers

Gurner Group is planning to build four towers up to 57 storeys on the Gold Coast in a $1.25-billion joint-venture with investment house Wingate.

The La Pelago development would have 889 apartments, a 200-key hotel in tower three, 2000sq m wellness club and 5500sq m of restaurants, retail and conferencing amenity on the 112 Ferny Avenue, Surfers Paradise, site.

The Victorian-based developer picked up the entire block from the Ralan Group in 2019, which was already approved for 1000 apartments.

The new “private island” themed plans for the 13,000sq m site were designed by Warren and Mahoney along with landscape architecture firm SWA.

Less than 100m away, SPG Land and Gordon Corp are planning an $800-million, triple-tower development on the King Tutt’s Putt Putt site, lodged in July.

Gurner chief executive Tim Gurner said they were looking for an international hotel name that would be a new entrant to the Australian market for the development.

“We are well progressed with an international EOI process with some of the world’s best five-star hotel brands, and we are very excited to announce more details in months to come,” Gurner said.

“La Pelago will allow us to draw on our unique experience in the retail, signature amenity and urban regeneration space, and apply it on a grand scale.

“When designing the project it was really about me dreaming about where we all want to be right now and for me that is a hot and sunny luxury private island.”

The first stage of the development, between Budds Beach and Surfers Paradise Beach, is expected to launch later this year.

Warren and Mahoney design principal Barrington Gohns said after the success of a number of collaborations in Melbourne and Sydney, they were thrilled to be working with the group on a Queensland project.

“The foundation of La Pelago is steeped in context and identity, acknowledging the tension between river and coastline, and the design only takes what it can give back,” Gohns said.

“A strong focus on health wellness resonates throughout, along with a carbon neutral manifesto we continue to drive with Gurner.”

Gurner controls a $7-billion pipeline across more than 7000 apartments along the eastern seaboard of Australia.

Among the group’s projects is St Moritz in St Kilda, FV in Fortitude Valley, and Victoria and Vine in Collingwood.