Council completes structure plan for Coomera Centre

Wraps come off new-town vision

by Tracey McBean business property editor

The prized major retail and commercial heart of the Coomera Town Centre is set to take shape on land held by Coomera Resort, an arm of the Japanese company Hokojitsugyo.  The city councils final draft of its development vision for the town centre reveals that most of its core retail and commercial activity, including some 54,000sqm of major retail space, is earmarked for the companys land on north side of Foxwell Road.

Coomera Resorts holding includes a 9ha parcel of surplus State Government land it is set to acquire after winning a secret bidding battle against the town centre areas other major landholder.  Macquarie Leisure Trust, the owner of the Dreamworld theme park.

The shopping heart of Coomera Town Centre will have department stores, mini majors, supermarkets and specialty shops.

Adjoining this will be a TAFE college, library, a 5000sqm town square, community centre, high-density residential areas, a public plaza and a major transport interchange to include the Coomera train station.

Building heights in the town centre core, a 36ha precinct, will range from four to 12 storeys.

Macquarie Leisures land is to the south of Foxwell Road and under the city councils plan, part of it is earmarked to house a 7000sqm convenience retail centre with one major supermarket and specialty shops but 'no higher order retailing'.

The remainder of Macquarie Leisures land is designated as  lifestyle precinct with hotels, clubs, mixed-use residential, recreational facilities and possibly, an aquatic and leisure centre.

The city councils vision for the area is at odds with that of Macquarie Leisure, which previously lodged a development application for a 44,000sqm shopping centre that would include three supermarkets,  offices, cinemas and 30 speciality shops.

The council rejected the application in July, saying it was in conflict with the long-term vision for the area and  Macquarie Leisure has since lodged an appeal with the Planning and Environment Court.

The city councils vision for the Coomera Town Centre, known as the draft structure plan, has been sent to the State Government for its approval.

Once approved the draft structure plan will be placed on public exhibition a period when public submissions can be made, before review and final approval.

Coomera Resort issued a statement yesterday expressing its support for the plan while Macquarie Leisure did not return calls.

Deputy Mayor David Power said Macquarie Leisure was not happy with the structure plan.

"I understand that they have unit-holders to protect, but (the) council has a future population of 200,000 people (in Coomera) to protect" he said.

Cr Power said he hoped construction would start on the town centre within a year.  "From our point of view, that is critical" he said.

"We are desperate to put the library and other services out there."   Other commercial components of the Coomera Town Centre will include 50,000sqm of public and private sector office space, 30,000sqm of bulky goods space, 10,000sqm of mixed-use retail space and 15,000sqm of designated future retail space.

The centre will also incorporate government departments, showrooms and bulky goods outlets, light industry, education facilities including a major secondary school, open space, aged care residential facilities and housing precincts.

Foxwell Road will be upgraded to a four-lane arterial road, widening to six lanes east of the train station.

Three major roads will provide traffic links between the town centre and the Pacific Motorway.

They are the Foxwell Road interchange and new interchanges at Beattie Road to the south and Lemans Road to the north.