The only way is up for Odyssey Robina’s newest development

Queensland aged care provider Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities is on the way up – literally – with its latest development, an eight-story building in the Gold Coast suburb of Robina. 

Construction officially began on September 5 with the building developed in consultation with residents. It will feature 68 apartments and a suite of luxury amenities and will prove to be the icing on the cake as the Robina hub’s final tower.

The development also builds on a relatively small footprint of land to maintain existing community cohesion. 

Odyssey CEO and founder Phil Usher said Odyssey has been listening to what residents and the market are asking for so it can adapt to their needs, steering clear of the ‘here’s what you get’ model.

“Apartments in the new stage will include a mix of one, two and three-bedroom options as well as another Memory Lane section, which is a dedicated space for seniors with memory issues,” Mr Usher said.

“Our market has been asking for more two-bedroom and even three-bedroom options, and the new building, Biarritz, will offer both.

“We’ll be adding a lot more amenities in Biarritz to promote a greater variety of activities and build on our sense of community by expanding socialisation spaces.” 

The building’s name, Biarritz, is the same as the popular coastal French town known for its seafront casinos and surfing culture.

Between 100-150 jobs will be created during the 18-month development period. Additionally, the building itself will house more visiting medical areas for doctors, physiotherapists and allied health professionals, ensuring there’s capacity to invest in healthcare expansion. 

Mr Usher says Biarritz will connect with one of the existing towers, Malibu, via an enclosed skybridge.

“There are many skybridges across the community, which allow for easy travel across the buildings and friends can easily meet up without having to go far,” he said.

“Most skybridges have communal garden areas on either end, so they have been similar to having a park at the end of the street where socialisation is encouraged.”

Additional outdoor sitting areas, a bocce green, gym, hairdresser, movie area and place of worship will also promote socialisation. 

Elsewhere, building company Mettle has committed to supporting Indigenous participation on this project, setting a target of Indigenous involvement to represent four percent of the total project spend and/or hours.

“As part of Mettle’s Reconciliation journey, we have elected through our Indigenous partner, AJA Solutions, to commence this project with a special event,” Mettle Managing Director Marc Kenney said.

“This included a Welcome to Country, recognising the Traditional Owners of the land and honouring the history and ongoing connection of First Nations peoples to their land.

“A smoking ceremony was also performed, which is an ancient Aboriginal custom to help cleanse the environment and on this occasion, prepare the site for construction.”