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The owner of Benowa Gardens shopping centre has cleared a major planning hurdle after the City of Gold Coast Planning Committee endorsed a proposed $1 billion redevelopment that will create a master-planned urban village comprising four towers on the site.
The committee's approval for the development, which will feature 413 apartments, a full-line supermarket and a 7,000sqm health and wellness precinct, paves the way for the project to proceed to a Full Council vote on 2 June 2026.
If given the final green light, the redevelopment will transform the existing suburban retail centre on Benowa Road into a mixed-use precinct integrating residential towers above a retail and commercial podium.
The project proposes around 4,000sqm of full-line supermarket space, 6,000sqm of specialty retail and dining, the health and wellness precinct, and 9,630sqm of office and medical suites.
The Benowa Gardens site was acquired in 2022 for $60.5 million by a private investment group led by Patrick Lu who has been progressing plans for the redevelopment through extensive community consultation and engagement with the council's planning framework.
“We appreciate the time, consideration and care council officers and the Planning Committee have given this proposal throughout the assessment process,” says Lu.
“We also sincerely thank the local community for engaging with us, sharing feedback and participating in the consultation process over many months."
The project has faced opposition from locals concerned about the scale of the development and its impact on traffic in the area.
“We understand projects of this scale bring questions and concerns, which is why we have worked hard to listen carefully, provide information transparently and continue refining elements of the proposal where possible," says Lu.
“Our vision has always been to create a well-designed, community-focused urban village that responds to the changing needs of the Gold Coast, while delivering improved amenity, housing diversity, healthcare access and local lifestyle benefits.
“This proposal is about creating a genuine live-work-play environment where residents can access everyday services, schools, healthcare, dining, shopping and green space within walking distance, while also supporting local jobs and economic activity.”
Melissa Griffin, director at Urbis, says the recommendation recognises the strategic importance of delivering more housing and services within established urban areas already supported by infrastructure.
“This proposal represents the type of thoughtful, integrated growth that planning frameworks across South-East Queensland are encouraging,” says Griffin.
“The project seeks to place housing, retail, healthcare and employment opportunities together in a highly accessible location close to schools, transport and existing services.
“Importantly, the process has involved significant technical assessment and community engagement to ensure local issues and feedback were properly considered throughout the planning pathway.”
The development site sits within an established residential catchment in the central Gold Coast suburb of Benowa, located about 7km west of Surfers Paradise.
The existing centre currently operates as a neighbourhood-scale retail complex anchored by a Coles supermarket, convenience retail and specialty tenancies.
The developer says that if approved by Full Council on 2 June, the project will continue through future detailed design and development application stages.
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