‘High-End’ Neighbourhood Hub for Coast’s Fast-Food Lane

Upmarket plans have been filed for a neighbourhood shopping, dining and wellness centre at Coomera in the Gold Coast’s northern growth corridor. To be known as Social Harvest, the proposal is described as similar to Capri on Via Roma, a boutique centre anchored by a Harris Farm grocery store within the Surfers Paradise enclave of Isle of Capri. According to the application, the aim is “to establish a vibrant, community-oriented village shopping centre that addresses key service gaps in the local area”. “We propose a thoughtfully designed precinct that brings together essential retail services, high-quality fresh food outlets, casual and fine dining establishments, that deviate away from the fast-food outlets that proliferate the local landscape,” a vision statement said. Sydney-based Paul Samir Hanna’s Option Group is behind the proposed development, which is earmarked for a 11,180sq m site at 1 Naves Drive it acquired in May of 2023 for slightly more than $6.2 million. Overall, the proposal comprises a gross floor area of 6219sq m across two commercial floors with ground level and undercroft-basement parking for 282 cars. Under the plans, it would include a mix of 2354sq m of retail space, a 1528sq m dining precinct, 530sq m health and wellness hub and 877sq m gym as well as 615sq m of office space. As part of the retail offering, a high-end grocery store spanning about 1420sq m—stocked with products supporting local farmers and artisan producers—is planned to anchor a fresh food market precinct. With three street frontages—Kerkin Road South, Naves Drive and Vanes Street—the site also benefits from its proximity to the planned Coomera Connector project. The scheme designed by i2C Architects features rustic brickwork, verandas, pitched roofs and voids connecting the streets “encouraging activity and shelter to create a welcoming pedestrian environment”. “The proposed development will uplift the existing amenity of the Gold Coast suburbs of Coomera and Pimpama by providing a high-quality venue for people to congregate and socialise,” Place Design Group’s planning report said. According to a submitted economic-need analysis report, there is an undersupply of neighbourhood centre land uses in the catchment area, with “an existing market gap and need for just over 7367sqm of convenience retail uses, which is estimated to increase to approximately 14,505sq m by 2036”. ▲ Rendering of the Social Harvest neighbourhood centre proposed for 1 Nave Drive, Coomera. An undersupply for food and grocery uses is the area was estimated at 1707sq m in 2023 and expected to increase to 4139sqm by 2036. As well, a shortage in dining options was identified and based on the imbalance between fast food and casual/formal dining supply it was estimated there was an undersupply of as much as 1400sq m in 2023, increasing to 2280sq m by 2036. If approved, the proposed Social Harvest neighbourhood centre would supersede previously approved plans witha higher distribution of tenancies for retail and health care services. “The proposed development provides an improved, contemporary architectural design of the neighbourhood centre which focuses mainly on creating a dining precinct for the surrounding area … and other complementary uses,” the documents said.

‘High-End’ Neighbourhood Hub for Coast’s Fast-Food Lane

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‘High-End’ Neighbourhood Hub for Coast’s Fast-Food Lane

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