City of the Future at Maroochydore City Centre
It’s not every day that a City Centre is built from the ground up. Deb Caruso discovers what’s at the heart of the emerging Maroochydore City Centre.
Almost a decade ago, Sunshine Coast Council announced plans for a City Centre to be built on a patch of land that was at that time, a golf course. The vision was bold, yet necessary to unite a region and stake its claim as a City of the Future.
Owned by the Sunshine Coast Council and being delivered as a partnership with SunCentral Pty Ltd and Walker Corporation, the $2.5 billion, 53-hectare project is the largest greenfield City Centre site in the country.
Mayor Mark Jamieson said Sunshine Coast Council’s vision for the Maroochydore City Centre – which is shared with Walker Corporation and SunCentral – is to create a vibrant hub of commercial and cultural activity, underpinned by outstanding liveability, technology and innovation; a truly contemporary 21st Century city centre.
“Residents, local businesses and visitors are already benefiting from what has been delivered in our new City Centre and these benefits will only expand as the development continues,” Mayor Jamieson said.
“We are rapidly creating a city centre which our community can be proud of, and which will become a magnet for new investment and generate enduring employment for residents.
“It will also host an Athletes Village during the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games with opportunities to deliver a long-running legacy and benefit for current and future generations.”
SunCentral CEO Amanda Yeates said the past 12 months has seen significant growth, with more to come.
“In the next few years, there will be more than a thousand people living here and triple the number of workers,” she said. “That will make the City Centre the economic heart of the Sunshine Coast and our role is to make sure that we stay true to the Sunshine Coast values and build a place for community, creatives and business.
“People choose to come here for a reason and we want to make sure that what we are creating aligns with those values. Our partners at Sunshine Coast Council and Walker Corporation share that commitment.”
Amanda said the Maroochydore City Centre was leading the way in urban renewal – and would set a benchmark for future developments across Australia with a mix of commercial, medical, retail, dining, entertainment, arts and cultural facilities plus premium accommodation and residential precincts.
“This is the future for businesses who want to position for growth and I think that’s exciting,” she said. “By 2032, when people say they’re going to the city, they won’t be talking about Brisbane; they’ll be referring to here. And to achieve that, we need to have a cultural and social offering and something that connects the people in addition to the great activities underway at the Metropolitan (the MET).”
Amanda said a focus on interaction with the natural environment was also a key consideration with 4o percent of the site to be integrated as open space parks and waterways.
“This is a shared focus on responsible placemaking in the City Centre: creating quality places that people want to live work, play and learn,” she said.
“Investment within the City Centre will continue to grow as more national and international businesses call it home and together with Sunshine Coast Council and Walker Corporation, we’ll continue to leverage our collective efforts to shape a city that reflects the needs of the community today, and into the future.”
Walker Corporation CEO David Gallant agreed saying the City Centre would be a highly connected, vibrant hub of commercial and cultural activity anchored by technology and innovation.
“We have over 50 years of experience delivering some of the most complex urban transformations in Australia, so we have a strong understanding of the key placemaking attributes needed to make the Maroochydore City Centre one of the country’s best CBDs, keeping more Sunshine Coast families and their kids living and working locally,” he said.
David said key ingredients included energy-efficient premium commercial buildings, surrounded by a diverse housing supply, connected to great retail, restaurants and cafes, open spaces for recreation, as well as health facilities, all delivered in conjunction with quality transport infrastructure.
“We are committed to creating environmentally and socially sustainable solutions for the long-term benefit of the city, community, and the thousands of workers and residents who will be commuting to and from here each day bringing more jobs, housing and amenities, enabling the region to become a world-class, well-connected destination where people want to live, work and visit.”
50 FIRST AVENUE
Walker Corporation’s first commercial tower within the Maroochydore City Centre is a $90 million,15-storey commercial tower with large open floorplans and space for more than 800 jobs just 800 metres from the beach and 10 minutes from the airport.
This ‘new level of sophistication’ includes:
- Approx. 10,000 sqm of commercial floor space featuring 1,000+ sqm floorplates
- First-class end-of-trip facilities (bike storage, showers, amenities, and lockers)
- Concierge service
- Rooftop communal space for tenants
- Four levels of car parking
- A NABERs 5-star energy rating.
Find out more: www.walkercorp.com.au/commercial/maroochydore-city-centre/
