Trio of Towers Top Gold Coast Retail Centre Masterplan

Major redevelopment plans have been filed for a Gold Coast shopping centre with the mixed-use proposal topped by three medium-rise residential towers.

The proposed masterplan for the Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre includes 397 residential and short-term accommodation units in towers rising up to 13 storeys.

According to the planning documents, the apartments would sit above three basement levels and a four-level podium comprising 10,000sq m of retail tenancies, 3000sq m of office space/medical suites and 1460 carparks.

The redevelopment plans reflect a trend of landlords rethinking their under-utilised shopping centre assets with a view to increased density and redeveloping them into integrated-use sites—in particular, with vertical residential components.

Built in the early 1990s, the Coles supermarket-anchored Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre features a 5856sq m gross floor area and 384 carparking spaces.

It spans a 17660sq m site bordered by Carrara Street as well as Ashmore and Benowa roads—next to Benowa State School and Pindara Private Hospital.

The neighbourhood retail asset—about 4km west of Surfers Paradise—was acquired by a south-east Queensland private investment group in 2022 for $60.5 million. It was offloaded at a 50 per cent gross capital gain by Brisbane fund manager IJ Capital, which had secured it for $40.1 million from Stockland less than two years earlier.

The masterplan proposal has been lodged by a Brisbane-based entity led by Wayner Lin, Wei-Cheng Lu and Cing-Sung Tsai. 

▲ An artist’s impression of the Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre redevelopment masterplan scheme.

An Urbis planning report submitted as part of the application seeking a preliminary approval for the proposed masterplan said the existing shopping centre—representing a building height of only one storey and site cover of about 45 per cent—“does not maximise [the site’s] built-form provisions”.

Under the plans, several key variations are being sought to the site’s Neighbourhood Centre zoning to deliver the proposed development.

They include an increase in the maximum building height from 14m to 53m, the introduction of short-term accommodation land use, as well as increases in the gross-floor-area cap for retail land use, prescribed residential density, allowable podium height and the introduction of additional setbacks and site-cover provision for residential uses.

“The subject site is well-located with access to a range of local amenities and services, as well as an established infrastructure network,” the report said.

“It can therefore be reasoned that the increased building height and resultant residential density on the site would result in an appropriate, consolidated urban growth pattern, in line with the outcomes of the ShapingSEQ Regional Plan.

“The proposed development, if approved, will repurpose the function of this existing neighbourhood centre to not only deliver local retail, commercial and health services to the local community, but also deliver much needed housing stock in different typologies.”

▲ Artist impressions of the planned ground-floor retail and podium component of the proposed Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre redevelopment.

To be delivered in three stages, the proposed redevelopment’s trio of towers—Carrara Tower (53m), Ashmore Tower (45m) and Benowa Tower (43m)—would accommodate 135, 134 and 128 two and three-bedroom apartments, respectively.

“Currently the city has a significant housing shortage, which is a relatively new phenomenon,” the documents said. “The need for more housing is clear and evident throughout the community, with housing affordability having plunged in recent times.

“Housing is critical to a thriving city and while the housing market remains constrained on the Gold Coast we risk losing existing and potential future residents to more affordable markets.

“These towers will deliver a mix of permanent and short-term accommodation, with residential apartments overlooking the street frontages and the internal communal open space.”

▲ An artist’s impression of the street view of the proposed Benowa Gardens Shopping Centre redevelopment.

According to the masterplan concept scheme designed by Neylan Architecture, the communal open space is envisaged to be provided atop the podium and span a total of 4650 square metres.

Retail space would comprise a 4000sq m supermarket anchor tenancy on the ground level and 6000sq m of specialty retail. Parking for 970 vehicles would be accommodated across three basement levels as well as for an additional 490 vehicles on two podium levels.

“From the outset, it is important to note that the proposed variation seeks to facilitate land uses that are currently envisaged for the zone,” the planning report said. “With the exception of short-term accommodation, all proposed land uses can currently be established onsite, as of right.” 

The planned addition of the short-term accommodation land use is “to support both visitors and patients of the proximate Pindara Hospital”.

“The proposed development represents an appropriate future development plan that will deliver significant public benefits, including increased housing supply, enhanced local services, and improved urban design outcomes,” the report said. “The development is expected to support the local economy and community by providing a diverse range of amenities and services.”