Gold Coast wellness boom continues with new $210m luxury apartment tower

Ron Bakir is looking to build a 26-level tower, featuring 120 units, on Surfers Paradise.

Japanese-backed Queensland businessman Ron Bakir is banking that demand for wellness inspired living on the Gold Coast will continue, given his plans to launch a $210m apartment tower with a strong health emphasis.

Mr Bakir’s proposed 26-level Florence Residences will front Monte Carlo Ave, Surfers Paradise and will incorporate 120 units priced from $1.249m.

Two penthouses – one southern facing – and the other north facing will be priced from more than $7.5m and will be available through Homecorp which is 49 per cent owned by Mr Bakir with the remainder owned by Prime Life Technologies, a Toyota and Panasonic company.

Speaking from Dubai, Mr Bakir said he purchased the 24 Monte Carlo Ave site six months ago, and settled it on Monday. Demolition on the site near the Cascade Gardens has already commenced.

Mr Bakir said he was absolutely certain the wellness phenomenon would continue. “It will get bigger and bigger and bigger, the world continues to talk about wellness, it’s a phenomenon that will continue,” he said.

While Florence Residences is yet to officially launch, Mr Bakir said there were already strong expressions of interest in the luxury apartments overlooking the water, the park, and the river.

Apart from the 120 apartments, the project will include a private residents’ only wellness club, designed to meet the shift in what buyers now crave: spaces that nourish the body, calm the mind and connect people to nature, Mr Bakir said.

Florida Residences, 24 Monte Carlo Ave, a Japanese-backed project.

Recent findings from the Global Wellness Institute reveal Australia ranks fourth globally for wellness real estate, with a third of the country’s wellness market growth coming directly from residential development, making it one of the fastest-growing segments in the sector. “The Gold Coast’s next era of luxury living has arrived, and it is putting wellness and community at the centre of design,” said Mr Bakir.

Ron Bakir, CEO, Homecorp in Surfers Paradise.

“Buyers are looking for a sanctuary – a home that feels like an escape from the everyday, a place to unwind, recharge and connect. At Florence Residences, we have created exactly that: a community where architecture, lifestyle and wellness converge. It is a design philosophy that embraces natural materials, biophilic design and a sense of revitalisation, setting a new benchmark for coastal living on the Gold Coast.”

The Eastern European-inspired tower will include a resort-style rooftop pool, hot and cold plunge pools, spa retreat, state-of-the-art gymnasium, and a yoga and pilates studio.

The project will also sport a resident-only lounge with private dining and a rooftop bar, premium outdoor entertaining areas, a striking hotel-style lobby lounge, generous bike parking and pet-friendly facilities such as a heated dog wash.

The units will have views of coastal horizons to the Gold Coast Hinterland.

Construction is scheduled to begin early next year, with completion anticipated by late 2027.