Wagner Files Plans for Mooloolaba Hotel

Toowoomba’s Wagner family is behind plans to build a new hotel in Mooloolaba next to an eight-storey car park.

Plans for the development have been lodged with the Sunshine Coast Regional Council.

Kenneth Wagner is planning a 182-room hotel, with a three-level podium with ground level commercial tenancies, and two levels of car and bicycle parking spaces.

Mode Design created the plans for an 13-storey tower on the corner block at 10-16 Brisbane Road and 7-9 First Avenue, Mooloolaba.

Wagner purchased the 2998sq m property in mid 2020, two years after the council decided to split the car park into two lots and create more paid parking in the area at a cost of $23.5 million. The site was valued at $8.4 million in 2018 and revalued prior to sale.

Minor Hotel Group are expected to operate the building and have a long-standing relationship with the developer, who also created the Oaks Toowoomba.

The plans are likely to receive approval with the council stating construction was expected to start in mid 2022 and be open in late 2023.

The design of the building is focused on the corner closest to the esplanade creating a “line edge curve” according to the architects.

“As a landmark corner site, the overarching design philosophy is to create a unique and memorable addition to the built environment of Mooloolaba,” the application said.

“The north-east corner of the site can be seen from the Mooloolaba Esplanade and demands a strong design response to entice people down from the foreshore.”

The region has undergone massive redevelopment with the Sunshine Coast approving $1.9 billion in developments in the 2021 financial year with 18,500 applications lodged.

Nearby at 1 The Esplanade, Aria Property Group have 2019 approved plans for another Mooloolaba hotel development which was recently redesigned.

The Wagner Corporation owns Wellcamp Airport in Toowoomba and recently Kenneth’s uncle and corporation chairman John Wagner unveiled three sets of plans for the area.

The first was a $230-million motorsport and arts centre in October 2020 and last month the corporation was working with the state government to build a regional quarantine facility.

This week it was announced a deal with US-based aviation giant Boeing for a facility to be built on surrounding land.