Strip Club Baron’s Bilinga Project Greenlit

Brisbane local and strip club baron Anthony Gerald Shead has had plans for a Bilinga apartment tower and beach house approved in the Gold Coast City Council.

Shead, who owns a number of strip clubs in Brisbane, acquired the former Bilinga Beach Motel in 2021 for almost $10 million following about 400 inquiries on the beachfront site.

Creativo Architects designed the 9-storey 16-apartment tower, and a four-bedroom beach house fronting the beach, for the 1539sq m site at 281-283 Golden Four Drive at Bilinga.

Pacific View's design statement describes the plans for a contemporary mid-rise apartment tower and beachfront house as a “fluid marriage of soft curves that blurs the line between organic and artificial”.

The nine-storey tower sits atop two basement levels with two “penthouse-style” apartments per floor. 

“The development’s common areas provide an additional and direct beach access from Pacific Parade, on-grade storage facilities and amenities for both residents and their pets,” the design statement said.

“The fully equipped recreational area includes a plunge and lap pool, outdoor shower, yoga retreat room, sauna, gym and dedicated amenities.”

▲ A nine-storey tower and four-bedroom beach house has been approved for the site of the former Bilinga Beach Motel.

Creativo Architects’ report said the design of the project was aimed at create a “pleasant, recognisable landmark in the local urban realm”.

“The choice of the materiality draws from the extensive presence of bricks in the area,” the report stated.

“In a contemporary restyle and use of this beautiful and long-lasting natural material the colour palette will be in line with the coastal vibe, and the large openings through the breeze-block façade will frame spectacular views to the sunset and through the hills to the west.”

The apartment design includes home offices and shared meeting rooms at ground level. 

According to planning documents the development was aimed at responding to the increased demand for housing in a well-serviced location, addressing the “missing middle”.

Bilinga is coming of age as the older detached dwellings make way for a string of recently approved boutique medium rise developments in the sleepy southern end of the Gold Coast. 

Down the road an 11-storey tower has been given the goa head at 89-91 Golden Four Drive near to the newly refurbished  Gold Coast Airport. 

The tower will accommodate 81 two and three-bedroom apartments on the 2024 sq m site. The proposed tower will reach a height of 34.5m, which is within the council’s provision of a 50 per cent uplift on the area’s mapped building height limit of 23m.