Billions of dollars worth of projects are being prepared or rolled out across the Sunshine Coast despite the global economic meltdown.
In Noosa alone Resort Corp’s $210 million Quay West development, the $300 million Viridian Resort and Spa and the staged Settler’s Cove precincts are employing upward of 700 tradesmen on any given day.
All are reporting strong sales despite tightening markets with individual apartments priced from $1.45 million to $4.5 million already sold to local, interstate and international buyers.
Further south Reed Property Group’s competitively priced Emporio precinct in Sunshine Cove at Maroochydore has recorded $9 million worth of sales in the four weeks since the project’s release and the company is on track to lodge with Sunshine Coast Council before Christmas plans for its massive Big Top redevelopment. Hutchinson Builders is bussing in some 240 workers to the Resort Corp project on the river from the nearby Noosa Australian Football grounds which have become a car park serviced each morning by food and coffee vans. Workers are on site six days a week.
And across the globe a sales campaign in 16 countries is reaping dividends with six Lagoon apartments recently sold to United States expatriates working in Hong Kong.
Developed by Resort Corp as Noosa Sanctuary and branded Quay West by Mirvac Hotels and Resorts since its purchase of management rights in June, it will when finished include 108, one, two and three bedroom Lagoon apartment, 25 Precinct villas and 16 Enclave homes.
“We are building the project out 100 per cent,” Resort Corp marketing manager Graham Staerk said yesterday.
“This is not like some other developments which are staged and released predicated on pre sales. We are building it from go to whoa and plan to open next September.”
The project, which includes a central activities centre with gymnasium, restaurant, bar, 200 seat conference centre, day spa and kids’ club, is already 65 per cent complete.
There will also be tennis courts with an adjacent marquee that can be booked out for functions and a massive heated wet edged and sandy beach lagoon pool.
“We’ve had huge interest in the development in the past two months,” Mr Staerk said.
“That’s been driven by Mirvac giving it its five star Quay West brand and the opening of a Lagoon display unit.
It is the first time Mirvac has applied its five star Quay West brand to a non Mirvac developed project.
Agents from across Australia have been through the display and Mirvac’s 100 strong full rime sales team have been selling it across the world.
Bookings are already being made for the conference centre.
Mr Staerk said most of the one bedroom apartments had already been sold not withstanding the difficult economic environment.
That was a testament, he said, to the strength of the Noosa brand and the strength of the Queensland economy.
The plunging Australian dollar was also making Australian investment property more attractive internationally.
