Pacific Beach

A CRACK design team has descended on the Gold Coast to thrash out plans for one of the city's largest beachfront developments sites, known as Pacific Beach.

Three firms -- from the US, the UK and Malaysia -- are consulting with owner Ridong Gold Coast Developments, which has flagged its intention to create a billion-dollar project on the 1.3ha site on Old Burleigh Road at the southern end of Surfers Paradise.

The firms -- Oppenheim Architecture and Design, Marks Barfield Architects and Llewelyn Davies Yeang -- are assisting Gold Coast architects DBI Design in refining a concept for the property, originally earmarked by failed financier City Pacific for a luxury twin-tower development.

Oppenheim Architecture, headed by Chad Oppenheim, has created some of Florida's most sustainable buildings, while Marks Barfield is behind the London Eye and the Treetop Walkway at the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

Ridong, controlled by Sydney-based businessmen Riyu Li, paid $81.8 million for the Pacific Beach site in the Coast's biggest property transaction of 2009.

Previously it said it could be two years before it would begin site works for the redevelopment.

Ridong, which settled on the purchase in April, has since demolished several derelict houses and announced plans to refurbish existing buildings on the site while it explores development options.

The Pacific Beach site, on the corner of Wharf and Old Burleigh roads, comprises 10 properties, including the Oriana, Paradise Sands and Silvretta apartment buildings.

Ridong is seeking to lure a slice of the inbound China tourism market with the development and its wishlist of features includes an upmarket Chinese restaurant overlooking the water.

"This is a superb opportunity for some great local and international design minds to work together in pursuit of a world-class outcome," said Ridong's general manager Steven Haggart.

"They will collectively review the site and propose potential design solutions.

"We anticipate that groups of this calibre will contribute greatly to the architectural merit of the project."

Barry Lee, of DBI Design, said the focus would be on a sustainable project that 'responds to our climate, culture and civic aspirations'.

"Council's Bold Futures project very clearly articulates the community's desire for a clean and green future for our city," he said.

Jason McGrath, director of Urban Planning Services which is collaborating on the project, has described Pacific Beach as an 'opportunity site'.

"We need to recognise the value of these sites and grab this opportunity to deliver an important node along the Old Burleigh Road tourist route," he said.

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