Apartment Towers Pitched for Cairns Waterfront

Two apartment towers of nine and 13 storeys have been proposed for  Cairns Esplanade in Queensland’s far north.

Chinese-born Susanna Lee and King-Yung Philip Lee have added to their development plans for the Cairns Esplanade with a second apartment tower on an adjacent block.

The pair has made minor changes to its approved 13-storey tower on a 2165sq m site at 239-245 Esplanade and added a second nine-storey tower at 252-254 Lake Street. 

According to planning documents, the project will be completed over two phases with the nine-storey, 26-apartment tower and easement on the Lake Street site to be developed first. The 13-storey 66-apartment tower will be built subsequently. 

The Bridging Design Studio-designed towers will have above-ground parking to combat high tides and the risk of flooding.

Tower 1 will comprise 24 two-bedroom apartments and two four-bedroom apartments, while Tower 2 will comprise 58 two-bedroom apartments plus six apartments with three or more bedrooms. 

▲ Plans have been filed for a two-tower apartment development on land overlooking the Cairns waterfront.

The WildPlan town planning report said the building would be an exemplar in tropical design.

“The proposed development provides a positive contribution toward Cairns as a ‘city in a rainforest’, through strong application of Tropical Urbanism principles,” the report said.

“It results in a building with an open form Ground Level and Level 1 carpark structure facilitating arboreal landscaping and allowing for the penetration of breezes and sunlight both within and adjoining the site, while providing effective screening of the car park.

“The building appears to float above a landscaped carparking level, comprising seven levels of apartment living and an expansive rooftop communal recreation area with tropical landscaping cascading over the façade of the building.” 

▲ A Chinese developer is looking to salvage plans for its wellness retreat slated for Yorkey's Knob north of Cairns.

Meanwhile, Chinese developer New Land has been granted an extension to provide additional technical advice for its proposed seven-star wellness resort on bushland at Yorkey’s Knob, north of Cairns.

The plans include 67 units, a two-storey communal facility building with a lobby and two restaurants, and a spa, gym and treatment rooms. 

It has until September 30 to respond on its plans for the Yorkey’s Knob addition to its reportedly $1.4-billion portfolio of wellness resorts internationally.