Gold Coast Suns Make Off-Field Play with Tavern Plan

Queensland’s AFL finals debutants, the Gold Coast Suns, are making a hospitality development play, teaming with Australia’s second-largest pub group and an under-the-radar veteran local developer. The off-field move has been revealed in the wake of the club qualifying for its first AFL finals series—a hard-fought milestone after 15 years in the competition. Together with Tom Van Asperen’s Baycrown Property Group and hospitality giant Australian Venue Co, it is behind plans for a sprawling “family-friendly” tavern development in the city’s northern growth corridor. To be known as The Northern Sun, the proposed venue spanning 2394sq m is earmarked for a 1.26ha site at Nexus Drive, Pimpama. Plans for the proposed hotel development have been filed with the City of Gold Coast by Baycrown, as the final stage in its Home Focus Pimpama showroom/retail precinct. According to a planning report, the single-storey tavern proposal is “for a not-for-profit, family-oriented, well-managed community club” with dining, entertainment and recreation areas—including a bistro, beer garden, large children's playground, function room, sports bar and gaming lounge. It noted the hospitality venture would provide financial and community support to AFL clubs in the region, as well as other sporting and community groups. “The proposal is considered to address an overwhelming community need in the locality,” the report said. Its cited development intent is for the tavern to become “the central hub for social connection, dining and entertainment within the Pimpama locality”. ▲ A rendering of the pub backed by the Gold Coast Suns proposed for the northern Gold Coast. “The Northern Sun Tavern is conceived as more than a commercial venue, it is designed as a community anchor point ... capable of hosting community events, live entertainment, cultural gatherings and fostering a sense of identity and pride in Pimpama,” the documents said. “Baycrown and the Gold Coast Suns believe that The Northern Sun will not only serve as an exceptional community gathering place, but also contribute to the local economy and social fabric of Pimpama. “The development will contribute to the local economy by creating employment opportunities during both construction and ongoing operations, supporting local suppliers, and attracting visitors to the area.” Overall, it would have a capacity to cater for up to 2196 patrons on site at any given time. The tavern scheme has been designed by Paul Ziukelis Architects and Red Design Group “in close co-operation with the project partners, being Baycrown, the Gold Coast Suns and Australian Venue Co”, the application said. “Its design prioritises sustainability and integration with the local character, ensuring it becomes a long-standing asset to the suburb.” While remaining faithful to the classic Australian pub-style aesthetic inspired by heritage Australian hotels, it has been envisioned “as an architectural landmark that reinterprets the traditional Australian tavern for a contemporary era”. ▲ Renderings of The Northern Sun hotel proposed for a site at Pimpama. The design features traditional wide verandahs, pitched roofs, timber detailing and robust natural materials but also draws inspiration from modern artisanal wineries and breweries, according to a development design statement. “By combining the authenticity of the Queensland tavern tradition with the refinement of a contemporary winery aesthetic, the development... seeks to establish The Northern Sun as a landmark community venue that distinguishes itself from the conventional ‘pub’ typology,” it said. “The building will present as both a destination and a community anchor, a place that feels authentically Australian yet attuned to the Gold Coast’s evolving cultural and social fabric.” The Pimpama site is part of a holding spanning 25ha that Van Asperen has owned, via company Baycrown, since 2014. It was acquired from receivers for $14.18 million. Other developers who were reportedly circling the property at the time included billionaire Bob Ell, veteran developer Norm Rix and listed group AV Jennings.

Gold Coast Suns Make Off-Field Play with Tavern Plan

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