A Brisbane-based developer is planning a new $83 million townhome project in Maroochydore CBD designed specifically to meet the unique needs of mobile workers in the region.

Habitat Development Group will build two towers in the new Maroochydore City Centre with the project also including ‘Small Office Home Office’ (SOHO) townhomes. The development is expected to transform the small business and residential landscape on the Sunshine Coast.

Habitat’s managing director, Cleighton Clark says the CBD’s contemporary urban design, digital connectivity and coastal lifestyle called for an innovative residential development suited to mobile workers of the future.

The SOHO townhomes are designed to have the efficiency of an office with the comfort of a home. The homes are spread over two or three floors, with light, ventilation, noise and access to telecommunications and Internet connectivity being critical design considerations.

A 12-storey tower housing 65 apartments will be built in Stage 1 while a 14-storey tower with a communal rooftop terrace and pool will be part of Stage 2. This tower would house 81 apartments with Stage 2A allowing for six SOHO townhomes.

Construction is expected to commence in the second half of 2019.

Sunshine Coast mayor Mark Jamieson said Habitat’s development would occupy 4158sqm of area at the northern end of the site.

According to Mayor Jamieson, more than $10 million in underground infrastructure will ensure the latest technology is available in the new City Centre, while an international broadband submarine cable landing in Maroochydore will provide Australia’s fastest data and telecommunications connection to Asia and the second fastest to the United States.

“The Maroochydore City Centre has been designed for the jobs and lifestyle of the 21st Century and Habitat’s development is an ideal fit for the project vision,” he added.

Mayor Jamieson said Habitat’s SOHO townhomes are likely to be popular with a new generation of Sunshine Coast residents, identified by leading commentator Bernard Salt.

In his report, The Activated City: Imagining the Sunshine Coast in 2040, Salt found 550,000 people will be living in the Sunshine Coast region by 2040, with many new residents attracted by its entrepreneurial spirit, ‘hipster’ culture and connectivity.

SunCentral Maroochydore, the company overseeing design and delivery of the new city centre, has received numerous submissions from parties who recognise the potential of the project and the trajectory of the region.

SunCentral CEO John Knaggs says the project was drawing interest from a diverse range of sectors, including technology, professional services, health, education, hospitality and government.

“Because the new city centre is being built on a greenfield site, and with the recent announcement of an international broadband submarine cable landing adjacent to the site, we have an opportunity to create a city centre with unprecedented communications and technological abilities.

“This is a major drawcard for companies seeking to establish, expand or relocate, and we look forward to making further announcements about plans for other sites in the new city centre.”