ApartmentsPhil BartschMon 15 Jun 26
Lacey Group Plots Modernist Midrise for Gold Coast’s Mermaid Beach
Developer Lacey Group has pitched plans for a strategically positioned modernist midrise tower to capitalise on the imminent opening of the Gold Coast light rail corridor’s extension to Burleigh Heads.
The seven-storey, transit-oriented mixed-use proposal would deliver 47 apartments above two levels of retail, dining and commercial space.
It is earmarked for a 2044sq m site on the corner of the Gold Coast Highway and Sunbrite Avenue—250m from the newly built Mermaid Beach light rail station along the city’s Stage 3 Light Rail extension.
If approved, it would replace a single-storey commercial block that currently houses several businesses, including the Little Mermaid Cafe, a gym and bike shop.
The scheme has been designed by BDA Architecture with its residential component comprising a mix of 30 two-bedroom and 17 three-bedroom apartments heavily geared toward the owner-occupier market.
Under the plans, level one would accommodate two units alongside 177sq m of communal open space, featuring a pool, outdoor terrace, and a residents’ lounge. The remaining 45 apartments are to be spread across levels two through six—with nine units per floor.
At the street level, the proposal features 525sq m of retail and commercial space with a laneway branching off into a central double-height landscaped alfresco courtyard that anchors 262sq m of flexible space across four retail and dining tenancies.
Above this, a 263sq m office footprint on level one continues the highway frontage activation.
“An opportunity exists to create an iconic mixed use development that redefines the urban experience along the Gold Coast Highway,” a submitted architectural statement said.
“The tower facade expression consists of a clean horizontal and vertical modernist aesthetic, with a Mediterranean feel.
“Drawing inspiration from Frank Lloyd Wright’s philosophy of organic architecture… this design outcome will result in the addition of an elegant and visually interesting mixed-use tower with a highly active ground plane, which will provide considerable amenity for residents and visitors and become a complimentary and respectful addition to the ever-emerging light rail corridor.”
According to a planning report prepared by Urban Planning Services, the proposal’s 111-bed yield technically exceeds the site’s residential density limits but is a strategic response aligned with the Shaping SEQ Regional Plan’s mandate for 161,700 new Gold Coast homes by 2046.
“The increased density proposed as part of this development will seek to aid in the critical shortage of housing supply in the Gold Coast market,” the report said.
Parking would be provided for 124 resident, visitor and commercial vehicles across two basement levels and the podium.
Lacey Group—led by Adam Lacey—has a growing portfolio of boutique Gold Coast developments. Among its previous projects are the 14-level Del Ray at Kirra and nine-storey The Monroe at Palm Beach.
Despite the Queensland Government’s decision last year to axe the 13km fourth stage of the Gold Coast light rail project from Burleigh Heads to Coolangatta, as predicted by industry experts, it has not significantly impacted property development activity along the city’s southern corridor.
