One hundred and ninety-eight apartments, 78 hotel rooms and a new retail precinct will replace the 64-year-old Kirra Beach Hotel, under a $380 million redevelopment of the popular venue.
The project will be built over three stages by developer KTQ Group, with construction to begin in mid-2021.
KTQ's development director Jeremy Holmes said the southern Gold Coast "has been overlooked for quite a period of time".
"It's got some of the best beaches on the eastern seaboard," he said.
"Kirra itself is one of those magical north-facing beaches, there's very few of those — Noosa's one, Byron Bay is another."
The major project marks another step towards more higher density, luxury developments on the southern Gold Coast.
'Surge in demand'
Mr Holmes said interstate migration had been driving demand for more "quality southern Gold Coast owner-occupier style apartment dwellings".
"Previously it's all been very much strata type properties, investor stock," he said.
"The market has moved substantially from that perspective."
Mr Holmes said the project did not represent overdevelopment in Kirra.
"If you talk about building height and scale, than we're aligned with the rest of the region" he said.
"It's a three-storey basement car park which has 530 car spaces so more than required under council's planning scheme."
The first stage includes a 15-storey tower with 118 luxury residences, with a price range to be announced in December.
'Modern recreation' of popular pub
Mr Holmes said the Kirra Beach Hotel would be demolished and replaced with a "modern recreation of the existing venue" with an additional rooftop bar.
"The bistro and the front bar and the sports bar and the beer garden, that'll all be returned just in a new form."
"Just diversifying the offering but certainly coming back to staying true to what the Kirra Beach Hotel is now."
The second stage includes a 10-storey tower with 80 apartments, while the third stage will have 78 hotel rooms in a four-storey building.
Mr Holmes said the second and third stage could be completed within five to seven years, depending on market conditions.
"We're buoyed by the fact that other projects in developments in the area are showing really strong sales and strong prices."
Initial reactions mixed
Plans for the development shared on the ABC Gold Coast Facebook page have received mixed results.
"Going to be great. It's [sic] an eyesore at the moment," wrote Greg Degrassi.
But Steve Carter wrote such developments had been "slowly eroding the southern end of the coast".
"Is it progress for every beach suburb to look the same as Broadbeach?" he wrote.
Curtis Murray wrote that the project looks "great for jobs"
"But, sadly, terrible for preserving iconic historical buildings."
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