Move Over Hollywood, Gold Coast Has A Mammoth Creative Industries Precinct In The Works

The Gold Coast is known for a lot of things like its sun-kissed beaches, breathtaking hinterland and affinity for a top-notch cafe. And soon we can add blockbuster productions to the mix with a mammoth creative industries precinct taking shape.

The sprawling four-hectare site dubbed the Miami Arts Depot has been proposed to take over a former council depot site in Miami. It will bring together screen production, visual effects, gaming, technology and innovation industries, alongside offerings for the wider community including residential, retail and hospitality use.

Of course, to make the best you have to collaborate with the best and the Miami Arts Depot (or MAD for short) has creative input from internationally acclaimed film director Baz Luhrmann and award-winning costume designer Catherine Martin. The duo have been engaged by the City of Gold Coast to be MAD’s creative and visionary partner, with their production company Bazmark slated to be an anchor tenant. 

Image credit: Baz Luhrmann | Supplied

“Like an aquarium, where every kind of fish swims together to create a truly unique environment, the creative potential of MAD goes hand-in-hand with its role as a community hive,” said Luhrmann.  “As the community flows through new public spaces, cafes and shops, they also can discover new opportunities in arts and tech and actively participate in the growth of the creative industries on the Gold Coast. This precinct will not just be unprecedented in Australia, but unprecedented in the world.”

While the Gold Coast has already established itself as a popular filming destination, the mixed-use precinct will bring a whole new level of production credentials to our humble shores.

“It will be a facility where the conception and development of ideas across film, technology and various arts disciplines can flourish,” said Luhrmann. “Through state-of-the-art post-production facilities, it will also become a world class destination for film productions to do their finishing work, adding a very valuable piece of the industry's economy that we have been largely missing from our city.”

MAD is forecasted to generate $130 million a year in economic gravity as well as 1,000 new jobs, particularly in digital creativity and technology. To bring it to life, the City of Gold Coast is calling for Expressions of Interest from innovative development, investment and creative industry partners. It’s a truly rare opportunity that has the potential to completely change the Gold Coast’s role on the world’s stage, with a preferred development partner set to be selected in mid-2027.

You can find out more here.

Image credit: Miami Arts Depot | Supplied