Chinatown, Gold Coast

Coordinates: 27°58′09″S 153°24′49″E / 27.9691°S 153.4135°E Chinatown is a precinct in the Central Business District of Southport, Gold Coast, Australia that runs through Davenport Street and Young Street. The precinct extends between Nerang Street in the north and Garden Street/Scarborough Street east-west. Redevelopment of the precinct was established in 2013 and completed in 2015 in time for Chinese New Year celebrations .[1]

The $6.8 million Chinatown precinct is an integral part of the revitalisation of Southport as an international CBD for the Gold Coast. Chinatown is being developed in partnership with the community, private sector and government. It offers an authentic Asian experience and creates a unique destination on the light rail corridor in the heart of the CBD.

Chinatown is encouraging Chinese and Asian tourists and fosters international relationships and investment, reinforcing the City as a destination to do business, be entertained, to live and be educated.

Chinatown provides a sense of home for the Chinese and Asian community that permanently reside on the Gold Coast. As part of the Mayor’s second home strategy, Chinatown Gold Coast is bringing a sense of safety and community to the thousands of international students studying at Gold Coast universities, English language schools and colleges.

This modern Chinatown is focused on Young and Davenport Streets in Southport. It is a place for the Gold Coast to celebrate its diversity through culture, design, people and food. Chinatown has an exciting mix of restaurants, cultural festivals and boutiques; a place of cultural indulgence and celebration.

A four metre high statue of Confucius has been unveiled and three paifangs - traditional Chinese gateways - Harmony, Harvest and Wealth will mark the entries to the precinct.

Chinatown Gold Coast is true to the Gold Coast spirit and represent the cities new world relationship with the Asia-Pacific region

History

The Chinatown Gold Coast Association and precinct was founded by Dale Anderson, Manager of the Southport TAB. In January 2011, the TAB's Gold Coast Regional Manager, Dale O'Keefe concerned about the closure of many local businesses in and around the Southport TAB along with the loss of jobs, the lack of opportunities for local residents and the general downturn of the area met with Mr Anderson and encouraged him to come up with a solution that would bring employment growth, business investment and development back into the suburb.

Having lived near Chinatown in Fortitude Valley, a vibrant inner city suburb of Brisbane, Mr Anderson spoke to many of his customers in the Southport TAB and came upon the idea of creating a Chinatown on the Gold Coast as a way to revitalise the ailing suburb and fill the many vacant shops that were for lease in Southport and to encourage tourism into the CBD.

After months of door knocking and talking with local council and government representatives, business owners, landlords, residents, Gold Coast newspapers and local radio and television stations, Mr Anderson arranged the first ever Gold Coast Chinatown meeting in June 2011, at the time there were no Chinese and only a handful of Asian businesses established in Southport. The following month in August 2011, many of the Southport CBD business owners and landlords who attended the first meeting arranged by Mr Anderson formed the Gold Coast Chinatown Association electing an Executive Management Committee consisting of Chairmen Ted Fong, Deputy Chairmen Greg Walton, Secretary Dale Anderson, Treasurer Suzie Xu and Legal Rob French, in October 2011 the Gold Coast Chinatown Association was formally Incorporated.[2]

Chinatown Gold Coast is unique amongst the worlds Chinatowns in that it has been created from scratch without any prior history or traditional Asian or Chinese culture or businesses having operated from within the designated area. The precinct was established by the Chinatown Association along with Gold Coast City Council with the goal of creating and installing Asian and Chinese cultural elements and Asian street art and beautification within the precinct in the hope that this would attract Asian businesses and Chinese investment into the struggling CBD and offer employment for locals and a way of creating a tourist attraction for Southport giving it a point of difference from other Gold Coast suburbs.

In 2012 plans were revealed by the Chinatown Association and by the Gold Coast City Council to redevelop Davenport and Young Street into a Chinatown precinct that would form part of a larger-scale creation of a Central Business District for the Gold Coast in Southport.[3] It was arranged through Council and via the Chinatown Association for the Gold Coast's Chinese sister cities Zhuhai and Beihai to donate three arches named Wealth, Harvest and Harmony to be placed at either end of Young Street and one quarter of the way through Davenport Street to indicate where the precinct begins.[4]

It was later revealed the streets in the precinct would undergo $3.3 million in streetscaping and the project was formally launched on July 12, 2013.[5] In June 2014 Gold Coast Chinatown chairman Ted Fong revealed the project would be completed in 2015 in time to celebrate Chinese New Year.

Street Modifications

The precinct is situated in a T-shaped area through Young and Davenport Streets. The two streets have undergone million dollar streetscaping that includes making part of the road a one way lane while also installing trees and cultural embellishments. The streets are heavily pedestrian friendly and designed for outdoor dining and night markets.[6]

Precinct Elements

Three paifang's (gateways) Harmony, Harvest and Wealth will mark the boundary of Chinatown and will represent the relationship with Chinese sister cities Zhuhai and Beihai. Ultimately, a cultural centre and memorial gardens are proposed which will contain a worship centre, for both Taoist and Buddhist, and an exhibition space for displays of Chinese culture.

On July 10, 2014 it was revealed the State Government would contribute $100,000 towards the installation of Chinese themed lanterns and projectors.[7]

On December 2, 2014 it was revealed that Australia Fair shopping centre would spend $15 million refurbishing Australia Fair West turning the area of the shopping centre that fronts Young Street in Chinatown into an international Asian dinning and shopping precinct to compliment the Chinatown Project.

In January 2015 Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate joined Dr Zhao Yongchen, Counsel General Peoples Republic of China and Mr Xiadong Xu representative of Jining Peoples Municipal Government for the unveiling of the four meter high statue of Confucius and laying of the Chinatown precinct's foundation stone.

Transport

The northern entrance of the precinct will be located one block west of the Southport G:link tram station on Nerang Street while the eastern entrance on Scarborough Street is also located one block south of the station. The precinct will be serviced by bus routes running through the area as well.

References

  1. ↑ Huxley, Jessica (12 May 2013). "Plan date for China precinct". goldcoast.com.au.
  2. ↑ Willoughby, Shannon (24 February 2012). "Chinatown push gathers momentum". goldcoast.com.au.
  3. ↑ Willoughby, Shannon (2 May 2013). "Southport to be official CBD". goldcoast.com.au.
  4. ↑ Potts, Andrew (2 December 2012). "Chinatown gates to open a new era". goldcoast.com.au.
  5. ↑ Bedo, Stephanie (20 June 2013). "GC Chinatown goes classy". goldcoast.com.au.
  6. ↑ Bedo, Stephanie (20 June 2013). "GC Chinatown goes classy". goldcoast.com.au.
  7. ↑ Simonot, Suzanne (10 July 2014). "Funding green light for Chinatown lanterns that business leaders hope will attract locals and tourists". goldcoastbulletin.com.au.

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