Coast developers build confidence

Developers on the Sunshine Coast are doing more than digging themselves out of a hole – they're pouring concrete and building.

Confidence for builders and developers has been consistently eaten away with funding from banks still hard to secure.

However, the toughest among them are already laying down the foundations of our next growth spurt.

Among others, the most recent example is the Corporate Centre off Norval Crt in Maroochydore.

The $14.5 million project is an ambitious plan to allow business owners to buy office space instead of having to lease.

The project, with 3800sq m of office space, will create up to 300 jobs.

The one-day concrete pour this week needed up to 60 trucks.

Hutchinson Builders have supplied the workers on the MCH Corporation site.

MCH project manager Eric Lewis said Maroochydore was now “forging ahead”.

“We have had good sales and when people see that, it gives them confidence. If you came to the Coast six to nine months ago, everything was dead.

“Now you see things happening and that gives you enthusiasm. This is the turning point.”

Mr Lewis is not the only one pushing ahead, with the luxurious Sea Pearl under construction on Mooloolaba Esplanade from Leadbetter Developments.

A 10-minute drive away is the site of the sprawling Harvey Norman precinct on Maroochy Boulevard. and then there is the future revamp of Sunshine Plaza and the debut of shoppers' darling, David Jones.

Church St has two seven-storey buildings to be developed by Coast veterans – Richard Thistlethwaite has one and John Bryant the other

Mr Thistlethwaite said his Vision building would be ready in under two years. He said it was “wonderful” to see so much work finally starting.

“We need these big drivers like Harvey Norman and David Jones in the plaza to get cracking,” he said.

Mr Thistlethwaite said building costs were down, so if projects could score financial funding, it was a great time to start work.

Mr Bryant said his first move now was to add two floors to Bryant House on Duporth Avenue.

“We have permission to do the work and we will start early next month.”   

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