Spyre Court Win Paves Way for Gold Coast Skinny Tower

Sypre Group will go ahead with its slender tower plans after successfully appealing the City of Gold Coast’s of the project.

The decision in the Queensland Planning and Environment Court paves the way for the developers to build an 18-storey tower on just 410sq m of land on the corner site at 3640 Main Beach Parade, Main Beach.

In the same neighbourhood, the council had previous approved a 37-storey tower on a 812sq m site and the 25-storey Monaco high-rise on a 888sq m site.

Spyre lodged the plans with the council in mid-2021 for one of the most expensive suburbs on the Gold Coast where the average apartment price was $1.15m, according to Hotspotting.

The 63-metre Spyre development comprises 15 apartments, 30 car spaces, podium and rooftop recreationm as well as a ground-floor cafe.

The council said it was “simply not possible to locate a building of this size on a lot this small and comply with the requirements of the planning scheme in respect of setbacks”.

The Planning and Environment Court however decided to allow the appeal, subject to the imposition of lawful conditions. 

“Essentially, the respondent contends that the development application will result in an overdevelopment of the site which is only 410sq m in size,” the court documents said.

“The site is, however, zoned for high-density residential development of unlimited height and the respondent has recently approved multiple dwellings exhibiting a similar intensity in the vicinity of it. 

▲ Spyre Group's Main Beach apartment building will be called Mari.

“This has occurred in circumstances where there is a pathway to approval which does not require compliance with any quantitative design criteria.

“It will provide for an interesting street frontage whilst not creating unacceptable amenity impacts for adjoining residents.”

The site is near the Gold Coast Light Rail, which has driven the upscaling of many development proposals along its route, from its beginning at Helensvale to future end of the line at Coolangatta Airport.