Odyssey Lifestyle Care Communities has broken ground on its highly anticipated fourth tower, which will deliver 68 apartments and a suite of luxury amenities to its Robina community in Queensland.
Construction officially begun on 5 September with a commencement event hosted by Mettle and Odyssey that featured a sod turning, Welcome to Country and a smoking ceremony followed by an Indigenous catered reception.
Named after the stunning French coastal town of Biarritz, the eight-storey building has been developed in consultation with residents.
Odyssey CEO and founder Phil Usher said Odyssey really listened to what residents and the market were asking for and adapted to their needs, steering clear of the ‘here’s what you get’ model.
Usher said: “Apartments in the new stage will include a mix of one, two and three bedroom options as well as another Memory Lane section, which is a dedicated space for seniors with memory issues.
“Our market has been asking for more two bedroom and even three-bedroom options, and the new building, Biarritz, will offer both.
“We’ll be adding a lot more amenity in Biarritz to promote a greater variety of activities and build on our sense of community by expanding socialisation spaces.”
Building company Mettle has been appointed to construct the project, which is expected to create between 100 to 150 jobs over the estimated 18-month development period.
Mettle Managing Director Marc Kenney said the company was committed to supporting Indigenous participation on the project, setting a target of Indigenous involvement to represent four percent of the total project spend and/or hours.
Kenney said: “As part of Mettle’s Reconciliation journey, we have elected through our Indigenous partner, AJA Solutions, to commence this project with a special event.
“This included a Welcome to Country, recognising the Traditional Owners of the land and honouring the history and ongoing connection of First Nations peoples to their land.
“A smoking ceremony was also performed, which is an ancient Aboriginal custom to help cleanse the environment and on this occasion, prepare the site for construction.”
Amenities in Biarritz will include a larger activities hub, more visiting medical areas for doctors, physiotherapists and other allied health disciplines, a place of worship, movie area, hairdresser, gym, bocce green and outdoor sitting areas.
Usher added that Biarritz would connect with one of the existing towers, Malibu, via an enclosed skybridge.
He said: “There are many skybridges across the community, which allow for easy travel across the buildings and friends can easily meet up without having to go far.
“Most skybridges have communal garden areas either end, so they have been similar to having a park at the end of the street where a socialisation is encouraged.”
The Odyssey model is built around a resort style environment where couples stay together, pets are welcome, grandkids can have sleepovers and most importantly, the dignity, independence and wellbeing of residents are highly respected.
