Suttons Beach Pavilion update: design, funding

Moreton Bay City Council will launch a design competition in mid-November to come up with a new two-storey building for the Suttons Beach Pavilion site.

Councillors made the decision at today’s general meeting, following a recommendation by council officers the architectural design competition proceed and professional advisor CityLab be appointed.

It comes as the council prepares to make its case for $17 million in funding for the project via the SEQ City Deal – Liveability Fund, and demolition of the existing pavilion structures edges closer.

A development application for demolition has been approved.

A report presented to councillors today said council officers had consulted the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) regarding the design competition.

The AIA has guidelines and conditions for architectural competitions to ensure industry best practice and process credibility.

“Council is currently comfortable that these conditions can be accommodated and is in the process of seeking AIA endorsement for the design competition,” the report said.

The design competition will be in two stages:

• Stage one - Expression of Interest (EOI). This will be an open market tender process.

• Stage two - Concept design shortlisted proponents (three to four) will be invited to be part of stage two and paid for their services.

A ‘jury’ of qualified and experienced experts, independent of council, will evaluate the entries to determine the shortlist and ultimately the winner.

The competition will be launched in mid-November, with stage two submissions in May 2024.

“The new building design will consider cultural heritage, history of the site and community feedback. Extensive community engagement has been undertaken to date to inform the functional design brief. Future community engagement will be limited to an information only basis,” the report said.

Mayor Peter Flannery says he is looking forward to having a design by the middle of next year.

“We decided being a significant piece of land and a significant building that we want to put there, it was best to have some of Australia’s best architects look at this and go through this process,” Mayor Flannery said.

“This will hopefully be an outstanding piece of infrastructure that the design is world-class from some of our brightest architects in Australia.

“The Suttons Beach precinct plays a key role in the Redcliffe Peninsula’s tourism offering and once revitalised, will bring new opportunities for employment and economic development to our city, ensuring City of Moreton Bay continues to be a popular place to live, work, visit and invest into the future.”

Councillor Karl Winchester (Div 6) said he hoped the result would be an iconic reinterpretation of the Suttons Beach Pavilion.

“We know the Redcliffe community wants to see this public space brought back to life, while still recognising the history and character of the space,” he said.

“Design competitions aren’t new. It’s how we came up with the Sydney Opera House … I don’t think we should set our sights much lower than that.

“The result of this process will be a vibrant new building that will bring jobs and visitors to the Redcliffe Peninsula for many decades to come.

“We can’t wait to see the Suttons Beach precinct evolve into a vibrant new community space allowing a new generation to enjoy its place in the community.”

Bid for funding

Moreton Bay City Council will make a submission for funding via the South East Queensland (SEQ) City Deal (the Deal), which is a partnership between the Federal Government, State Government and the Council of Mayors (SEQ).

The SEQ City Deal is comprised of 29 funds, plans and projects to be co-funded by the three levels of government.

The initiatives are a mix of allocative and competitive grants, as well as low-interest loan facilities in some instances.

The largest of these funding agreements benefitting all SEQ councils is the Liveability Fund worth $285.79 million. The City of Moreton Bay’s share will be $45.53 million.

There are five projects Moreton Bay City Council will make funding submissions for.

One of those will seek $17 million for the Suttons Beach Pavilion Development project to cover demolition of the existing pavilion structures and construction of a two-storey building in their place.

The project cost would also include development of a detailed business case, community engagement, concept plan development, detailed design approvals and construction cost.

Why the project is happening

Suttons Beach Pavilion, at 50 Marine Pde, Redcliffe, was originally built in 1937 as a bathing pavilion and has been modified significantly over the years.

In 2022, Council engaged Covey Associates to complete an assessment of the structural integrity of the building. The assessment concluded the building had reached the end of its design life and did not comply with modern building standards.

Renovation of the existing building was deemed impractical given the significant work required to meet building compliance.

Community consultation took place earlier this year to determine a preferred façade design, following sustained lobbying by local residents.

In August, council engaged CPMA to develop the Functional Design Brief for the Suttons Beach Public Space Project.

CPMA engaged a specialist sub-contractor to complete a market analysis and economic assessment of the Suttons Beach site. The report identified the following use types for the new building at Suttons Beach:

• Hospitality uses such as cafes or restaurants

• Multipurpose rooftop function space with weather coverage; and

• Indoor fitness and creation gym/studio.

For project updates, head to Suttons Beach Public Space project | Your Say Moreton Bay