A rise in cranes and confidence has set 2014 up as the year of the comeback for development across Gold Coast City.

A stabilising job market and the recovery of the residential property market will coincide with the launch of a handful of sought-after projects from Southport to Coolangatta next year sparking hopes the dark days are over.

Colliers International director of project marketing and residential, Tony Holland, said high rise apartment developments would steal the limelight in 2014, located in Broadbeach, Surfers Paradise and Southport.

While it’s the glamorous high-rise apartment developments that have experts tipping afar healthier year UDIA Gold Coast president David Ransom said development across the entire spectrum was looking good.

“I think the list looks pretty good compared to 2013,” he said.

“We are actually getting people building things, particularly high-rise apartments. There has been a real drop off so we must be getting to a point where people realise demand is outstripping supply”

Mr Ransom said there were also several big commercial developments kicking off in 2014.

He said the Isle of Capri’s Capri on via Roma, which opened last week, would rival Ferry Rd’s market place and plans for the Commonwealth Games village would fire up.

Mr Ransom said the feeling from the development community across the board was positive and he expected that positivity to have a roll-on effect for residential sales towards the end of next year.

Robina Group’s $200 million CityVillage project will also fire up further in 2014 after a recent stellar run of sales on stage two of the project.

Robina Group director Tony Tippett said the sales surge was attributable to local owner-occupiers as well as interstate buyers, with stage two now already more than 50 per cent sold.

“We have noticed a rise in interstate buyers, a welcome change signalling renewed interest in Gold Coast City as the ideal location to both relocate to and invest in.”  he said.

As to the year ahead Mr Holland said a lot of positives had emerged, such as a stabilised market.

“We should also never underestimate the strength of a healthy Sydney and Melbourne market,” he said.

He said the recovery taking place in Gold Coast City was happening at a sustainable pace and the region represented great buying.

Full article originally posted on Gold Coast Bulletin website. Click here to view.