Thousands REVOLT over massive Trump Tower plan at Aussie beach – with construction work set to start within weeks
Tens of thousands of Australians have lashed out at a proposal by the family-run business of Donald Trump to build a hotel on the Gold Coast.
More than 90,000 people have signed a petition for the city council to oppose a Trump-branded tower at 3 Trickett Street in Surfers Paradise.
The $1.5billion deal was made between Australian developer Altus Property Group and the Trump Organization, which is run by the president’s sons Donald Jr and Eric.
On Monday, both sides confirmed they had signed on for a proposed 91-storey, six-star hotel due to be 335m high – which is taller than any skyscraper in the country.
But some residents have said they are ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with the idea.
‘Allowing a Trump-branded development on the Gold Coast would send the wrong message about who we are as a community and what we are willing to endorse,’ a petition on Change.org read.
‘Beyond issues of over-development, environmental impact, and pressure on local infrastructure, many residents are deeply uncomfortable with the Trump brand and what it represents.
‘The Gold Coast should reflect the people who live here – not controversial political brands that divide communities.’
Gold Coast residents have criticised a plan to build a Trump-branded tower in Surfers Paradise
More than 90,000 people had signed a petition urging the Gold Coast City Council to block the project as of Friday evening
The proposed 91-storey skyscraper would be the first ‘Trump Tower’ in Australia
One person commented on the petition: ‘Get lost Trump, we don’t want you here.’
Another said: ‘We’re Aussie, not Americans. There’s no reason why we should have a building dedicated to [someone] running a different country on the other side of the world.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Altus Property Group, the Trump Organization, Gold Coast City Council and Queensland Government for comment on the petition.
The developer’s agreement with the Trump Organization is a commercial arrangement, making the proposal for 3 Trickett Street far from a certainty.
The Gold Coast City Council confirmed earlier this week that a development application had yet to be received.
This form still needs to be lodged with the local authority for final approval before the project can break ground.
Acting Gold Coast mayor Mark Hammell issued a statement supporting the project.
Pictured, executive vice president of the Trump Organization Eric Trump (right) and Altus chief executive David Young (left) sign the deal
A render of the tower that is said to include a private beach
‘We welcome investment in the city, it shows confidence in our city and ultimately creates jobs,’ he said this week.
‘A formal development application will be required, and we look forward to considering the application once it is received.’
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate, who attended a meeting with the Trump Organization in the US on February 13, has also supported the proposal.
‘It’s going to be the first Trump Tower in Australia… it’s all about quality,’ he told radio station Triple M.
‘Putting the Trump brand on it, it will take it [to the] next level, and all the Americans will know where the Gold Coast is.’
Altus Property Group said the tower would replicate the Trump template used in current developments in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
‘It will feature a 285-room luxury hotel bearing the trademark Trump logo, anchoring the 91-storey development,’ a statement on the project reads.
‘The project will also include 272 luxury residential apartments, a three-level podium with an exclusive Beach Club, and over 3400 sqm of premium commercial, retail, and dining space, revitalising the central Surfers Paradise precinct.’
It is understood that, if the city council approves the plans, construction could begin in August.
