Page 37 - Tropic Magazine Issue 30
P. 37
TROPIC • CONSTRUCTION
IN LIMBO THE PAST FIVE YEARS
Cairns Gallery Cairns Court House Bulmba-ja Centre of
Precinct After a $8.28-million restoration Contemporary Arts
After the Federal and refurbishment, the Court The state-funded $5.9-million
Government announced it House opened this February. It’s redevelopment of the former Cairns
would match the Council’s one of the key buildings in Mayor Centre of Contemporary Arts opened
$10-million contribution, Bob Manning’s Cairns Gallery early last year. Designed by TPG
the State seems reluctant Precinct vision. Architects, the project took home
to chip in for the $40-million the region’s top architecture award.
project. Cairns Performing
Art Centre Art Work Spaces
Kaban Green A $71-million transformation from The architecturally-designed new
Energy Hub the Cairns Civic Centre, Tropic coworking hub officially opened this
The $300-million wind helped celebrate the launch of year. Owners and visionaries the
and battery storage hub is CPAC in 2018 with our very own Kamsler family put Cairns on the
on hold after the Federal Meet Eat Repeat event! map with their Tradewinds hotel in
Resources Minister vetoed a the 60s.
proposed $280-million loan Crystalbrook Collection
from the Northern Australia Ghassan Aboud has built three Cairns Museum
Infrastructure Facility. stunning high-rise hotels in The $8.69-million redevelopment of
the Cairns CBD since 2018, the Cairns Museum was completed
Western Arterial including Flynn which opened in 2017, the latest chapter in the
Road duplication last November amid the biggest history of Cairns’ oldest public
building, the School of Arts.
While the Federal tourism downturn the region’s
Government has recently ever seen.
announced a $240-million Cairns South Health Facility
injection – 80 per cent of JCU Ideas Lab The $25-million project in the city’s
the total project cost – the James Cook University opened southern corridor opened late last
State Government’s still up the incredible $30-million facility year. The dual-purpose facility treats
for the final $60-million. funded equally by JCU, and State dialysis patients day-to-day, but
and Federal Governments, would back up the Cairns Hospital
CQUniversity campus last October. and be able to withstand and
function in a category five cyclone.
After receiving the council’s
first tick of approval to build
on the corner of Grafton
and Hartley streets, CQU is WHO KNOWS
still pushing for $50-million
in Federal Government Barron River Bridge
funding. The State Government has
recently launched yet another
Mulgrave River multi-million-dollar study on a
catchment solution to the ageing Barron
Cairns Regional Council is River Bridge in Kuranda.
asking for $215-million in Though the issue’s now spanning
state and federal funding several years, it’s unclear whether
to undertake the largest the bridge will be refurbished or
capital works initiative over replaced entirely.
the next decade. Nova City
Read more on Page 30. Port Douglas Marina
redevelopment Nova City
The Palms In November 2019, Crystalbrook’s First announced in 2014, there’s
While the Council approved Ghassan Aboud indefinitely still no news on construction
the $330-million tourist and put the $250-million project on of the $550-million apartment
residential mecca late last ice pending State Government complex, despite approvals being
year, a court appeal date support and increased aviation granted in 2018. Meanwhile, the
has been set for September traffic. Throw COVID-19 into the Spence St block sits vacant while
following opposition to the mix and it’s anyone’s guess as to the city’s crying out for more
development on the former what will happen. rental properties.
Kewarra Beach golf course.
37 • tropicnow.com.au
