Another superb Gold Coast development. The DA hasn't been lodged yet, so for now we'll have to content ourselves with a few renders and scattered details.


"TOD" alongside new light rail station (definition used loosely)
Construction to start 2012
50st residential apartments
4 star hotel (173 rooms)
1 floor of offices
Retail space at ground floor including transformation of Main Place laneway precinct
Pedestrian friendly streetscape is intended to transform the entire block, much like Oracle has done.
Developer = Potter Group


http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_1.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_2.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_3.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_4.jpg

http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_5.jpg

My God!!! That looks awesome. I wonder where abouts on that block it'll be located. Looks fantastic

fuuuuckiiinggg hottt! this better get approved!

50st, so it might be as tall/taller than ConC South Tower?

It reminds me of ConC with the glassy hidden balconies!

That is freaking hot. Reminds me of this tower by Zaha Hadid.
http://www.laragedupeuple.org/IMG/jpg/CMA-CGM-Tower_Marseille-1.jpg

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Broadbeach+QLD,+Australia&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=31.839416,86.572266&ie=UTF8&split=0&hq=&hnear=Broadbeach+Queensland,+Australia&ll=-28.028115,153.430542&spn=0.001082,0.002642&t=h&z=19

I would imagine the northern end towards Queensland Ave. It will be right next to the Light Rail Station, so a big development right next to a key public transport node sounds reasonably TOD to me.

wow. that looks fantastic!

Nice use of a shitty site!

That is rad.

Course prepare for the predictable backlash of Broadbeach numpties to whine about it, same lot who whined about Oracle or Wave.

Then again, times are tough so I imagine approvals would be easier to come by.

Great tower though, top stuff.

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/t_standard.aspx?PID=7173

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/image_content/cip/broadbeach_mainplace_cip.jpg

Seems like the GCCC have been looking at improving Main Place for quite a while, though I'm not sure if they've actually "done" anything. I think that this proposal would (by far) be the best thing for the location.

I'm pretty sure that's the site Dime. That site is going to be developed soon regardless.

Wow, that is hot!!! I take it the article from goldcoast.com.au was your source Marty? I just want to post it here so that everyone can have a read and check out the link

Wraps off $450m Gold Coast project (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/02/06/185785_gold-coast-real-estate.html)

Nick Nichols, business editor | February 6th, 2010

THE wraps are off a planned $450 million project tipped to become a bustling gateway to Broadbeach for light rail users. The transport-oriented development proposed by Gold Coast property veteran John Potter is set to transform the dated retail strip fronting the Gold Coast Highway into a vibrant space servicing locals and tourists alike. The project will also transform the 'dead space' alleyway known as Main Place, sitting between the retail centre and the Phoenician building, into a Melbourne-style laneway featuring cosmopolitan dining and shopping.

The Main Place plan will comprise a tower of up to 50 storeys of residential apartments, a four-star hotel of 173 rooms and office space on the first floor. While the ground level retail strip will deliver a new dining precinct, Mr Potter said Main Place would retain much of its existing tenancy mix of convenience outlets to service local residents.

Main Place will be alongside one of the busiest stations on the proposed light rail route and will feature an arbour walkway leading passengers to the Broadbeach strip from the tram stop. One of the key milestones for the project will be Gold Coast City Council approval to extend the underground parking for Main Place beneath the existing service road fronting the centre. The State Government has ticked off on the carpark, with the council to vote on it on Tuesday. The parking bid would add about 90 public-access car spaces to the existing 51 and increase the footprint for the project.

Mr Potter said construction would disrupt on-street parking for six months during the two-year building program. "We're in a position now where we can create something magnificent for the city, with great facilities and employment," said Mr Potter, who has been selling assets to focus on Main Place. It's the front door of Broadbeach and it's a big enough piece of land to create a landmark."

Mr Potter began buying up shops at Main Place in 2003, initially as an investment. His company, Potter Group, now owns about two-thirds of the popular shopping strip. While the remaining southern section will not be developed, Potter Group is planning a uniform pedestrian-friendly streetscape for the entire block to complement the twin-tower Oracle development nearby.

City planning boss Ted Shepherd has given Main Place a tentative thumbs-up. "I do support it, but I will need to see detailed plans and the officers' recommendations," he said. Potter Group has yet to lodge a development application and a start to construction was not expected until at least 2012.

http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/image_content/cip/broadbeach_mainplace_cip.jpg


Somewhere around the letters A & C of Main Place is the bottom end of the site. This project is ticking a lot of boxes atm, and there has been alot of work put into the planning side. Should eventually get up I believe. A truly exciting project IMO.

nice tower, nice location with regards to the convention center for a hotel.

Its about time they do something with this site and the laneway behind it. It's just a massive waste of space at the moment.

That being said I really have a love/hate relationship with the design.

I love the fact that they have tried to do something other than a bland box (which lets be honest anything built in Broadbeach these days has to be of a pretty high standard architecturally to compete with Wave and Oracle). But I dont know if they have done it right, I think on the front facade they have tried to use too much precast concrete lines. Oracle makes great use of this but it is a fairly simple gentle curve. This has multiple ones all over the shop.

I think if they simplified it a little bit it would look even better. Maybe more on the lines with what Ambelin posted.

Any idea who owns the remaining shops that arent being developed on Main Place...I think that would be Valentinos/Georges etc Great restaurants but would be good to have an orderly development of the whole block.
Also the building adj Phoenecian [East nightclub etc] was amalgamated - any news on if that will be re-developed?

Well this was the councils "Main Place Draft Master Plan" (http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/attachment/communityconsultation/main_place_draft_master_plan.pdf). It's weird.

good stuff

It's an excellent tower for a prime location. The laneway concept for the retail component is interesting, but is different to what you find elsewhere on the strip.

From The Gold Coast Bulletin (goldcoastbulletin.com.au)

Dirty on park plan
Melinda Marshall | February 12th, 2010

THE sale of a massive cube of dirt marks the first step on the road to a $450 million gateway project for central Gold Coast at Broadbeach.

The land sitting beneath the Gold Coast Highway will be used for a four-level basement car park for the Potter Group's proposed 50-storey Main Place transport-oriented development.

Main Place will be next to a major light rail stop and the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre and will feature a four-star, 173-room hotel, offices and a retail and dining strip.

The Gold Coast City Council's city planning committee grudgingly ticked off the Crown land sale and road closure despite fears it would dictate future planning decisions on Main Place.

Cr Eddy Sarroff warned the proposal was an over-development '3 1/2 times what the code allows'.

"The road closure is for one purpose, and that is to facilitate a much denser and much more intense development on this site than would normally be achieved," Cr Sarroff told the committee.

Cr Greg Betts said the committee's hands were tied because of legal advice that it could not consider future development applications in dealing with the matter at hand.

Planning chief Cr Ted Shepherd reiterated his support for the development.

"We still have the opportunity to assess that application when it arrives but from the conceptual plans that I've seen it looked like what we would like to see on the Gold Coast Highway, at a light rail station and an intense use area like the Convention Centre," said Cr Shepherd.

Potter Group consultant Brent Hailey said Cr Sarroff's density calculation was skewed by the inclusion of the hotel in the plan and the proposed design was a transit-oriented development in line with Broadbeach's designation as an activity centre.


Potter Group has not yet lodged a development application and construction is not expected until 2012.

Good old Eddy aye.

omggggggggggggggggggg the decision has been deferred! Stupid old bitch complaining.

if they dont like develepment an tall buildings they shouldnt be living on the gold coast theres plenty of nice small seaside towns full of nimbys like them down the coast, this will get approved an be a great sucsess im sure

As if it won't get approved.

Of course it will.

Times are tough and they are in no position to say no to quality projects.

Being a uber-fussy nimby might have worked at the height of the boom times, but nowdays, it doesn't go down quite so well I imagine.

im now familiar with this area. been past it heaps in last few days.
this tower complex will be great for BB. should be tallest?

I'd like to see it be the tallest in Broadbeach, especially considering it will be smack bang in what will soon be the transit hub - it should definitely make a statement.

i liked the convent centre but the casino is looking tired
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4463640523_e14e423a29_b.jpg

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4043/4463640523_e14e423a29_b.jpg

i count atleast 55 levels in this pic include large blade structure atop.
this will be atleast 165m which is height of beah tower at oracle.
http://i619.photobucket.com/albums/tt280/Dr_Marty/MainPlace_1.jpg

For those who are unaware, this is still progressing.

It seems council have agreed to the developer's request for the development to be assessed under the superseded planning scheme (1.1 Jan 09) rather than the current one (1.2 Jan 10). As far as I can tell the developer is mainly concerned with the plot ratio which is significantly different under the 1.2 planning scheme. However in practice this appears to be negligable. At least that is my determination after reading through the minutes. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
Also, the minutes describe the building as 52 stories with 320 apartments and 173 hotel suites as well as 2300m2 of office and 1700m2 of retail space.

So......perhaps a DA isn't far away.........

I have no idea what they are, but this is good news. I love this building!

more info on what N-S was saying:

Monster high rise has sting in tail (http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2010/04/28/212575_gold-coast-news.html)
Melinda Marshall | April 28th, 2010

A 'MONSTER' of a high rise would loom over Main Place in Broadbeach if the Gold Coast City Council caved in to a developer's legal threat, councillors have warned.

The Potter Group wants its 52-storey, $450 million project approved.

It has called for the council to agree to assess the application against an outdated 2007 planning scheme favouring higher building densities.

The Potter Group warned it could claim compensation under the Sustainable Planning Act 2009 if the council refused the request and then either rejected the development or reduced its density.

A clause in the Act protects the rights of landowners affected by changes to the planning scheme.

Broadbeach councillor Eddy Sarroff accused the Potter Group of bluffing the council and said he doubted a lawsuit would occur.

"As I understand it, we have never seen a density of this magnitude in the city," he said.

"I think Iluka (in Surfers Paradise) was the highest density and it was substantially more than this. I think it was one bedroom for 7sqm as opposed to one in 5.4sqm."

Potter Group consultant Brent Hailey said the design was dense but not bulky, because it included 173 hotel rooms, equivalent to 90 units.

He said the four-star hotel would meet the needs of the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre across the road and create 250 jobs.

"Everyone who has viewed the development has commented on its architectural merit, including the senior officers in council," he said.

Mr Hailey said the earlier planning scheme would allow the project to better meet the vision for Broadbeach in the South-East Queensland Regional Plan.

Cr Sarroff said the revisions to the council planning scheme in January this year set out to distinguish Broadbeach from neighbouring Surfers Paradise.

"We didn't want the precinct to end up having massive development, the built form that is more suited to Surfers Paradise," he said.

Cr Donna Gates said the project would become a 'monster' looming over the Gold Coast Highway.

The council planning committee voted four to three to use the old planning scheme. The decision will be reviewed at Friday's meeting.

If it proceeds a development application will be lodged in 20 days.

DA has been lodged. Sadly I couldn't find the page with the height (there are just too many documents and I got sick of going through them) haha.

So hopefully someone will have a look at the pictures I have posted and decide to find the height......
DA Application: MCU201000318

I have thumbnailed the images to keep the original size but to load the page quicker. Also on the last image you will see that it appears (if it is drawn to scale) that it is approximately the same height as the larger Oracle tower.

http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/8923/main1o.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/main1o.jpg/)
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/2069/main2qz.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/main2qz.jpg/)
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/6470/main3h.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/main3h.jpg/)
http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/9477/main4s.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/main4s.jpg/)
[IMG]http://img94.imageshack.us/img94/4729/main5k.th.jpg (http://img94.imageshack.us/i/main5k.jpg/)[IMG]

Excellent.

Looks to be an identical height to the tallest Oracle tower @ 165m (maybe 2m or so taller?), which is pretty impressive.

It will be 52 storeys tall (50 actual levels) according to the documents posted on the Gold Coast Council website. 4 basement levels would be built.

There will be 320 aprtments and 173 hotel rooms.

Height is 169 metres AHD.

Thanks, Fabian. So it'll be the new tallest for Broadbeach.

It better be approved.

^^But AHD is above sea level, not above ground level. Ground level for this building is 4.5m, so the height of the building is 164.5m, which rounds up to 165m (plus the tip projects a bit above the line in the elevations). So its the same height as the taller Oracle. I'll change the thread title. The elevations I refered to are in Vol 5 Part 63 of the DA - here is a jpeg of them:

http://i48.tinypic.com/10dgtqr.jpg

Shopkeepers are planning to fight this one, the main shopping strip along the highway.

From The Gold Coast Bulletin (goldcoastbulletin.com.au)
Locals set for war over Potter tower
Jessica Elder | September 24th, 2010

A LANDMARK 52-storey development planned for Broadbeach could be stalled indefinitely as nearby business owners prepare to fight the application.

The tower, proposed by Mermaid Beach developer the Potter Group, would be the largest building in Broadbeach.

It would replace a strip of neighbourhood shops on Main Place, parallel to the Gold Coast Highway, opposite the Gold Coast Convention Centre.

Signage has been placed at the site inviting community comment, because the proposal exceeds the requirements of the local area plan.

Potter Group consultant Brent Hailey said he hoped the high rise would be the first transit-oriented development on the Gold Coast.

"The site is positioned perfectly, next to the proposed rapid transit, in the heart of Broadbeach," he said.

"A large information board has been erected outside the site and we welcome community input.

"We will work closely with the council and the community to overcome concerns."

But locals want the proposed tower's height lowered, insisting that 52 storeys would be wrong for the suburb.

Neighbouring business owner Stephen Lindeblad said that Main Place traders would oppose the development.

"Main Place has a village feel that needs to be protected. A 52-storey development does not fit the character of the area," he said.

"This development takes half the neighbourhood shopping strip away and leaves 20 shops behind. How will we survive?

"Traders have formed an informal group and we will fight against the Potter Group's plans."

Meanwhile solicitor Col Myers, who represents the Phoenician Resort's body corporate, said his client also would fight the application due to its height.

Area councillor Eddy Sarroff said that he wanted a better outcome for Broadbeach.

"This is a prime site in the centre of the Broadbeach precinct. It was always going to be developed," he said.

"But I do think the proposed development is too intense for the area.

"I would like to see the developers working with council to reduce the height and density."

Oh my goodness...

WHAT, pray tell, is the difference between 52 stories and, say, 40 stories? HOW doesn't the development "fit" with an area that is full of highrise buildings, including the giant Oracle twins? WHAT makes them think that the "character" of the area should or even can remain the same? They're on a development strip!

Ok, I better shut up before I burst a blood vessel. Idiots.

I'm with Marty. I almost lost it when I read the,

"Main Place has a village feel that needs to be protected. A 52-storey development does not fit the character of the area,"

Hello, it's in the middle of Broadbeach for fucks sake.

Then I read Sarroff's comment... "oh n0es too much height and density".

Someone fuck these cunce off.

Its pretty funny that they say it doesnt fit in with the area.

It is only slightly taller, and looks pretty similar to Oracle which would be about 300m away. Nice one Nimby's.

wow gotta agree here. there is nothing special about those shops. In fact before i even knew this one was proposed, i had always thought it was a bit of an eye sore, an ugly car oriented low set rise set of shops. Community consultation can really be bitch sometimes. Design by committee rarely works well.

Someone should take all the the NIMBY's on site and point out their hypocrisy.

Tell them to have a good hard look at the Oracle towers. How is this going to be any different?

Almost as bad as the shop owners on the Civic Place Tower site in Parramatta.

I see that as more the neighbourhood shops that cannot be bothered going to nearby Oasis Shopping Centre or Pacific Fair.

All these shops could be reopened in the building.

Broadbeach Arcade has nothing special.

http://a.imageshack.us/img651/9724/dscf9774.jpg

http://a.imageshack.us/img843/4572/dscf9773.jpg

http://a.imageshack.us/img594/7913/dscf9769.jpg

http://a.imageshack.us/img843/2100/dscf9768.jpg

They're probably worried that rent will be too high?

must. pr0tect. tin. shed. arcade....

Does anyone know the exact shops this development will end at? I think it goes about half to 3/4 of the way along to .....?
It would be nice if another tower was built one day on the remaining area.

I have been around there at night,it feels like a remote outback shopping strip to me!

This "Village Feel" WTF! , I mean its fucking Broadbeach, Hell as others mentioned Oracle is around the damn corner!

I was reading SSC in my underwater submarine when I read that article this is what happened, try and find the moment my mind exploded.--->http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ggH-ObiUWEE&feature=related

If the nimbys win this one it will be a sad day for the GC, i think architecturally this is the best proposal the GC has.

Wouldnt this development increase the land value of the remaining shops as the area gentrifies.

Does anyone know the exact shops this development will end at? I think it goes about half to 3/4 of the way along to .....?
It would be nice if another tower was built one day on the remaining area.
the whole block
http://www.goldcoast.qld.gov.au/image_content/cip/broadbeach_mainplace_cip.jpg

i accidentally the whole block

No it doesn't. Application starts at 2709 Gold Coast Highway and goes to 2723 GCH and thus misses about the last 3 blocks of the lot. Its about 2/3 - 3/4 of the block from the northern end. So the Broadbeach arcade in Fabians pictures and everything to the South (right in his picture) will actually survive, such as the Japanese restaurant and the Italian place.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=2709+Gold+Coast+Highway,+Broadbeach,+Queensland,+Australia&sll=-27.460724,153.023517&sspn=0.009196,0.021136&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=2709+Gold+Coast+Hwy,+Broadbeach+Queensland+4218,+Australia&ll=-28.028781,153.430465&spn=0.000577,0.001321&t=h&z=20

Thanks, I knew it wasnt the whole lot. Any idea if one owner owns the rest?

i accidentally the whole block

you dun goofed?

oh well. that diagram was from previous page, so things may have changed

Nah that diagram was from the GC Bulletin, who were lazy.

According to todays edition of The Gold Coast Bulletin, The Gold Coast City Council Planning Committee has recommended that the tower be approved at next Mondays council meeting. :)

According to todays edition of The Gold Coast Bulletin, The Gold Coast City Council Planning Committee has recommended that the tower be approved at next Mondays council meeting. :)

Good news! :banana:

Fingers crossed! It will be a great improvement for the site.

That said, I am happy that the Japanese Restaurant will survive...it's a great little restaurant, and was the first place my gf and I went out to dinner to, so I'm a little sentimental towards it.

This one was approved today, much to the dismay of Cuntcilor Eddy Sarroff.

Well Eddy has a bit of a history with opposing quality buildings like Soul or Oralce, so it's par for the course with him.

NBN News Report relating to approval (Nov 30): http://www.nbntv.com.au/index.php/2010/11/30/broadbeach-residents-overshadowed-by-tower-plans/

http://www.jeffcaceres.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/homer_woohoo.jpg

YEAH!!!

I was having a look at some of the plans for this last night, I'm really loving the intention to activate the Main Place laneway that travels down the back of the site, as well as the main arcade through the building, and even the neighbouring Broadbeach Arcade laneway. Proper laneway activations on the Gold Coast? I'm pleasantly surprised and a bit excited at the prospects!

^you didnt manage to see the height of the tower? ive estimated 165m.

Time to get the subject changed to 'Approved'? :cheers:

http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/6192/podium10.jpg
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/9694/podium11.jpg
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/1165/mainplacefromsoutheast.png
http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/4307/mainplaceinsitufacingso.png

http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/8572/podium1.jpg
http://img547.imageshack.us/img547/2989/podium2.jpg
http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/3416/podium3.jpg
http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/4171/podium9.jpg
http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/4933/buildingheightsbulkscom.png

wow, so good. what a development.

Wowww

Nice tower this, another quality tall for Broadbeach!:)

It's a beauty.

It's 169m tall, just slightly shorter than Oracle Tower One's 170.75m.

i think Oracles 170m heigjht is its RL? sea level. thats why its 165m above grd, only 5m at street. If main place has RL of 169m, what is street level? must be lower then 5m?

wow! never thought the gold coast would be creating new laneways before Brisbane!

Brisbane has already created new laneways. Albert Lane, a refurbed Burnett Lane, a proposed refurb of Bakery Lane and Bowery lane in Fortitude Valley, The newly refurbished lane between Mary and Margaret Street that contains Urbane and The Euro.

Should I go on?

I think people need to start using the lanes we have before we start crying out for more.

Love It, I really hope this turns out like Oracle e.g true to render.

I think people need to start using the lanes we have before we start crying out for more.

Precisely. We have some laneways set up, but to be honest, only a few of them actually get used as such.

Sorry, successful laneways* not Brisbane's ridiculous lunch hour plastic tables and chairs that they chuck in there and expect people to sit on.

This is the first laneway which will be designed to be used. Eg, have businesses in them.

Agree that we need to start using Brisbane's existing lanes... but you need more businesses in the laneways otherwise people won't bother going down there. Brew is a start, but thats not in the main section of Burnett Lane.

Council can't put tenants in lanes. Private enterprise does that in response to demand. Council makes the lanes into usable spaces.

Besides which, Burnett Lane is not the only laneway in Brisbane. Urbane and The Euro would be the best example of tenants in a successful laneway.

We'll have to wait for the rest.

Sorry, successful laneways* not Brisbane's ridiculous lunch hour plastic tables and chairs that they chuck in there and expect people to sit on.

This is the first laneway which will be designed to be used. Eg, have businesses in them.

Agree that we need to start using Brisbane's existing lanes... but you need more businesses in the laneways otherwise people won't bother going down there. Brew is a start, but thats not in the main section of Burnett Lane.

What about the other lanes that I've mentioned?

Brew is also opened until midnight Thursday and Friday nights as a bar.

The retail space facing the laneway is a good idea. I will admit having walked in that lane. I hope at some point in the future, The Phoneican can also consider creating access points to the building from the laneway.

When does tjis start? Ii

Gfyiwnrly herbnoalictimum gnow.

Cul, me thinks you need a phone you can actually type on! :lol:

As for when will it start, it can't start quickly enough for me! But last I was down that way, there didn't seem to be any signs of shops closing down or anything just yet (though I didn't look too closely).

There was a story on the gc new the other day saying this has the greenlight and the iga owner is pissed off that hes ganna have to move, umm should start construction next year

Do you remember which day? I check the NBN News site often and I haven't seen it there? They also publish videos of Nine News Gold Coast Reports.

i actually liked those shops. visited them daily while up at aussies. i understand this development only goes back to laneway? thats good. theres this brilliant italian restaurant facing the park (valentinos), was fab. best food ive ever tasted and nice waiters ect.
oh well they said it will start 2012. cant wait

The Japanese restaurant Cha Cha, which faces the Convention Centre is also very good, and very reasonably priced. My gf and I often go there if we want a nice dinner in Broadie but are a little light on the pennies.

I can't wait for this development, especially the activated laneway which really excites me to see. The GC isn't exactly known for it's laneways, so this will be a bit of a trailblazer!

Main Place owner will wait for price

http://www.goldcoast.com.au/article/2012/05/03/412595_gold-coast-business.html


JOHN Potter's Main Place development at Broadbeach has been included on a list of major projects being marketed to overseas buyers but the developer thinks it could be years before an investor is secured.

Mr Potter said he believed finding a joint-venture partner or buyer for the 52-level, $450 million Main Place project might take until 2015.

"I think it is too early in the (economic) cycle now to get the money I want for it," he said.

"I am looking at the three-year horizon."

The Main Place project is the only Gold Coast development included in the Australian Tourism Investment Guide just produced by Tourism Australia and Austrade in the hope of attracting overseas investors.

Tourism Australia managing director Andrew McEvoy said the focus of the guide was on promoting projects which, if developed, would increase the number and quality of hotel rooms across Australia.

The Main Place project will include 320 residential apartments and a 4-star hotel with 173 rooms, plus retail and office space when it is built.

But Mr Potter is not going to let the Main Place site go easily after working from 2003 to buy up properties to amalgamate and then battling with the last Gold Coast City Council to get the development application approved.

"I am not just going to sell it off to the first person who comes along," he said.

Mr Potter admitted he had already been approached by Chinese investors interested in the project.

"There is a bit of interest from the Chinese out there at the moment," he said.

Mr Potter said the commercial viability of projects like his was being boosted by the dropping levels of new apartment stock on the Gold Coast.

"It is getting lower as sales pick up in buildings like Oracle," he said.

"But it will be 12 months or more before supplies get low."

Potter Group development manager Brent Hailey said the company had always intended to sell the site or secure a joint-venture partner for the project some time after council approval had been secured.

"We have not tackled anything of this size previously," he said.

Mr Potter started working on the Main Place site before being appointed chief executive of listed housing developer Villa World.