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It may well be the beginnings of a whole new development genre—the buddy joint venture.
Gold Coast developer Tim Gordon and billionaire pub baron Bruce Mathieson have revealed plans for a luxury sequel to their $300-million The Mantaray Marina and Residence project.
The duo, who bonded—not only as mates but in the bricks and mortar sense—over a beer at the Mermaid Beach Surf Club, have lodged a proposal for a high-end, nine-storey apartment development at Palm Beach.
It is earmarked for a 2185sq m site fronting the Gold Coast Highway and the exclusive dunal strip of Jefferson Lane—the southern Gold Coast’s millionaires’ row.
Amid prevailing industry challenges, making it tough for project’s to stack up, longstanding trusted relationships have become a foundation for partnerships critical to maintaining development momentum.
Certainly, it seems to be working like a charm for buddies Gordon and Mathieson.
Under their newly filed plans, the midrise Palm Beach tower—to be known as Jefferson Residences—would sit above two levels of basement carparking and comprise 47 luxury two and three-bedroom apartments.
With a design focus on wellness as well as coastal liveability, the proposal features a “serenity garden” waiting area in the lobby plus a central atrium that delivers cross ventilation and natural light throughout the building.
The scheme designed by Cottee Parker Architects also includes “living greenery” that envelopes the building on all sides.
A communal recreation area planned for the ground floor provides a pool, deck areas and day beds hidden among tropical landscaping as well as a wellness sanctuary with a gym, sauna, steam room and spas.
Gordon Corp managing director Tim Gordon said with The Mantaray Marina and Residences under construction on The Spit, the opportunity to undertake another high-end project with the Mathieson family was a welcome addition to its portfolio.
“Luxury isn’t just in the location, it’s in the detail, and we’ve been able to channel the same elevated design approach from The Mantaray into our plans for Palm Beach,” he said.
“Once this has progressed through the planning process, our intention is to break ground as swiftly as possible.”
Mathieson’s son, Bruce jnr, said Gordon Corp and the Mathiesons were aligned in their “vision for ultra-luxe living in south-east Queensland”.
“This project has outstanding potential and will truly stand out from the rest at its prime Palm Beach location,” he said.
Meanwhile, The Mantaray Marina and Residences is on track for completion in early 2026. It is the first new development on The Spit, north of Surfers Paradise, for more than two decades.
Targeting the uber rich, its 24 two, three and four-bedroom apartments were launched to market last year with penthouses priced from $25 million.
The mixed-use project also includes a 67-berth superyacht marina, resort facilities and The Mantaray Club—an exclusive members-only on-water lounge.
Gordon Corp sales and marketing director Lara Dimond said the vision for Jefferson Residences at 62-64 Jefferson Lane was to continue that exclusive luxury boutique offering.
“We have been very deliberate in not pushing scale or density,” she said. “The building includes 450sq m of landscaped green space, equating to 20.6 per cent of the site.”
If approved, the development would replace the mixed-use Samuel Plaza, which includes commercial tenancies, townhouses and carparking area.
Palm Beach is continuing to ride a wave of midrise residential projects.
The news of the Gordon Corp-Mathieson development sequel came as Christie Leet’s Sherpa Property Group submitted plans for a 13-storey apartment tower for a site at nearby Sixth Avenue.
Among the list of other developers with Palm Beach projects in the pipeline are Mosaic Property Group, Ignite Developments, 5Point Projects, Chanine Developments and Gold Coast pro surfer-turned Grammy-nominated DJ Paul Fischer.
