Paradise Centre

Paradise Centre is a shopping, dining and entertainment complex in the tourist heart of Surfers Paradise on Queensland’s Gold Coast. The centre occupies a prominent site around Cavill Avenue, Hanlan Street, the Esplanade and the beachfront, placing it directly beside the resort district’s main pedestrian and visitor routes. Its facilities include specialty retail, restaurants, bars, family entertainment, attractions, a supermarket and an undercover car park with approximately 460 spaces. The Cavill Avenue light-rail station is located immediately outside the complex, linking the centre with destinations including Main Beach, Southport, the Gold Coast University Hospital and Broadbeach South. The complex was developed on land associated with the former Surfers Paradise Hotel, Paradise Shopping Court and the beachfront area between Hanlan Street and Cavill Avenue. Property developer Eddie Kornhauser acquired the relevant sites and interests in 1975 and spent the remainder of the decade planning a large mixed-use project. The development involved a long-term lease arrangement with the Crown and Gold Coast City Council. In return for the beachfront development rights, the project included a replacement surf lifesaving club and a pedestrian bridge connecting the centre with the beach. The first stage opened in December 1980 as a major resort-oriented retail and leisure development. It contained 65 specialty stores and distinctive architectural features including a water wall and glass lift. Residential towers known as Ballah and Allunga opened above the centre in December 1981. The principal entertainment attraction was Grundy’s, a large amusement complex operated under a long lease by the Reg Grundy Leisure Organisation. Grundy’s opened in March 1981 and included waterslides, amusement rides, games, mini-golf, a food court and a family pizza venue. Its 17-metre waterslides became a notable visual feature of Surfers Paradise and appeared in Australian Crawl’s 1981 music video for “Errol.” The development expanded during the 1980s. After the original Surfers Paradise Hotel and neighbouring Sea Breeze Motel were demolished in 1983, the final stage opened in 1985. It added a 406-room Ramada hotel, a new Surfers Paradise Hotel, the Surfers Paradise Beer Garden, Birdwatchers Bar, a Safeway supermarket and further specialty retail. The hotel was later rebranded as Courtyard by Marriott. Entertainment uses changed over time: Grundy’s closed in 1993 and was replaced by Timezone, while Birdwatchers Bar was replaced by Hard Rock Cafe in 1996. A ten-pin bowling centre also opened in 1997. Ownership changed several times. Kokusai Motorcar Company acquired the hotel in 1986 and the centre in 1988. MCS Property purchased Paradise Centre in 2000. Centro acquired it in 2004, leading to the temporary Centro Surfers Paradise name. Challenger Group bought the complex in 2012, after which the Paradise Centre name was restored. The centre’s more recent strategy has focused on combining retail with destination dining, nightlife and experiential entertainment rather than relying solely on conventional shopping. A major beachfront redevelopment began in 2021 following a lease arrangement with Gold Coast City Council and opened on 9 September 2022. The project replaced a deteriorated beachfront section with a new public plaza and a two-level dining and entertainment precinct. New or expanded tenants included TGI Fridays, Wahlburgers, Maniax Axe Throwing, Freak VR and Padlock’d Escape, while the eastern retail area added or promoted brands such as Baku Swimwear, Rip Curl, Stateside Sports, Surf Dive ’N Ski and Vans. Timezone underwent a substantial refurbishment between July and November 2019, adding a bumper-car attraction, laser tag, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, a café, prize shop and more than 300 arcade games. Zone Bowling reopened in December 2021 after a refurbishment. In 2024, The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines opened in the former Hard Rock Cafe premises, and in January 2025 Wendy’s opened its first Australian store on Cavill Avenue. Paradise Centre therefore functions as both a local retail facility and a visitor-oriented entertainment destination serving the Gold Coast’s tourism economy.

Paradise Centre developed from a major late-twentieth-century redevelopment of the central Surfers Paradise beachfront. The site previously contained the Surfers Paradise Hotel, Paradise Shopping Court and a beachfront section extending between Hanlan Street and Cavill Avenue. The hotel dated from the 1920s and was associated with Jim Cavill, an early figure in the development of Surfers Paradise. Paradise Shopping Court was a smaller arcade with an open car park and a mini-golf course. Developer Eddie Kornhauser purchased the principal sites in 1975 and spent the rest of the decade designing a mixed-use complex. The beachfront component involved a 50-year lease from the Crown and Gold Coast City Council. The development agreement also required new public and community infrastructure, including a surf lifesaving club and a pedestrian bridge across the Esplanade. The first stage opened in December 1980 with 65 specialty shops, a water wall and a glass lift. Residential towers named Ballah and Allunga opened above the centre in December 1981. The complex’s early identity was shaped by Grundy’s, an amusement and food destination leased to the Reg Grundy Leisure Organisation. It opened in March 1981 and included large waterslides, a roller coaster, dodgem cars, mini-golf, a carousel, games and an international food court. A family pizza venue also operated there for a period. The waterslides, which reached 17 metres, became one of the development’s most recognisable features and appeared in an Australian Crawl music video. The slides were removed in 1987, and Grundy’s closed in September 1993. Timezone then took over the space and became one of the centre’s key attractions. The development’s final 1980s stage followed the demolition of the original Surfers Paradise Hotel and Sea Breeze Motel in 1983. It opened in 1985 with a 406-room Ramada hotel, a replacement Surfers Paradise Hotel, Surfers Paradise Beer Garden, Birdwatchers Bar, a Safeway supermarket and additional shops. The hotel changed branding to Courtyard by Marriott in 1999. Birdwatchers Bar closed in 1995 and was replaced by Hard Rock Cafe in 1996. A ten-pin bowling facility opened in 1997. Ownership shifted from Kokusai Motorcar Company, which acquired the hotel in 1986 and the centre in 1988, to MCS Property in 2000. Centro purchased the centre in 2004 and renamed it Centro Surfers Paradise. Challenger Group acquired it in 2012 and restored the Paradise Centre branding. During the 2010s, parts of the Esplanade frontage were considered run-down, encouraging a redevelopment-led repositioning. In 2020, Gold Coast City Council approved a new lease arrangement extending the site term to 2050. The agreement required redevelopment to commence within 12 months of finalisation and imposed a recurring obligation to refresh the centre. Work on the beachfront area began in July 2021. The approximately two-year project opened on 9 September 2022 with a public plaza, new views and amenities, a two-level dining precinct and several entertainment operators. The centre also refreshed its retail mix with surf, swimwear and sports brands. The entertainment offer continued to evolve. Timezone closed for refurbishment in July 2019 and reopened in November with new rides, games and activity zones. The bowling venue was refurbished and reopened as Zone Bowling in December 2021. Hard Rock Cafe closed in 2021 after a dispute involving its international operation and centre management; its prominent guitar was removed in 2023. The former premises later became The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines in June 2024. Paradise Centre remains an active mixed-use tourism destination centred on retail, food, nightlife and experiential leisure.

• 2022

  Beachfront precinct opens

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  A major redevelopment delivered a public plaza, dining venues and experiential entertainment.

• 2019

  Timezone refurbishment completed

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The attraction reopened with expanded activity zones, games, food service and a new prize shop.

• 2012

  Paradise Centre name restored

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Challenger Group acquired the property and returned it to the Paradise Centre name.

• 2004

  Centro branding introduced

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Centro acquired the complex and renamed it Centro Surfers Paradise.

• 1993

  Timezone replaces Grundy’s

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Grundy’s closed and Timezone took over the amusement space.

• 1985

  Final original development stage opens

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The expansion added the Ramada hotel, a new Surfers Paradise Hotel, bars, a supermarket and further specialty stores.

• 1981

  Grundy’s and residential towers open

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Ballah and Allunga opened above the centre, while Grundy’s opened as the major amusement anchor.

• 1980

  First stage opens

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  The first stage opened in December with 65 specialty stores and distinctive water-wall and glass-lift features.

• 1975

  Eddie Kornhauser acquires development sites

  [1]Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org

  Developer Eddie Kornhauser purchased the former hotel, shopping-court and beachfront interests used for the future complex.

A tourism-led beachfront retail and entertainment destination combining shopping, dining, nightlife, family attractions and experiential leisure in central Surfers Paradise.

• Shopping · 1980

  Retail shops

  The centre hosts specialty retail focused on visitor and resort demand, including swimwear, surfwear, sportswear, fashion and related lifestyle goods. Brands identified in the centre’s redevelopment mix include Baku Swimwear, Rip Curl, Stateside Sports, Surf Dive ’N Ski and Vans.

• Dining and nightlife · 1985

  Food and beverage precinct

  Paradise Centre combines casual dining, bars, nightlife and destination restaurants. The redeveloped beachfront precinct added operators including TGI Fridays and Wahlburgers, while established venues include Surfers Paradise Beer Garden and The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines.

• Family entertainment · 1993

  Timezone Surfers Paradise

  Timezone is the centre’s major arcade and family-entertainment attraction. Its 2019 refurbishment added a bumper-car track called Spin Zone, laser tag, glow-in-the-dark mini-golf, a café, a prize shop and more than 300 arcade games.

• Bowling and entertainment · 1997

  Zone Bowling

  The former Surfers Paradise Tenpin Bowling Centre was refurbished and reopened as Zone Bowling in December 2021. The venue operates 12 bowling lanes within the centre’s broader leisure offer.

• Experiential entertainment · 2022

  Beachfront entertainment venues

  The redeveloped beachfront area added activity-based venues including Maniax Axe Throwing, Freak VR and Padlock’d Escape. These attractions support the centre’s positioning as an evening and visitor destination rather than only a conventional mall.

• 2024

  Open The Sporting Globe x 4 PinesProduct launch

  Background

  Hard Rock Cafe had closed, leaving a prominent restaurant location available within the complex.

  Action taken

  The Sporting Globe x 4 Pines opened as a sports pub and microbrewery in the former Hard Rock Cafe space.

  Aftermath

  The venue added a contemporary sports and dining proposition to the centre’s entertainment mix.

  Source

• 2021

  Redevelop the beachfront frontageStrategy

  Background

  The eastern beachfront section required substantial renewal and the new lease imposed redevelopment obligations.

  Action taken

  Work began on a replacement beachfront precinct incorporating a public plaza, dining venues and experiential entertainment.

  Aftermath

  The approximately AUD 30 million project officially opened in September 2022.

  Redevelopment cost. Approximately AUD 30 million (Project announced and constructed from 2021; opened 2022)

  Source

• 2020

  Secure extended lease and redevelopment frameworkStrategy

  Background

  The Esplanade frontage had deteriorated and the existing lease was due to expire in 2031.

  Action taken

  Gold Coast City Council approved a replacement lease extending to 2050, requiring redevelopment to begin within 12 months and the centre to receive a facelift every decade.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement enabled the beachfront redevelopment that began in 2021 and opened in 2022.

  Annual site rent. AUD 26,000 → AUD 420,000 (Lease replacement approved in 2020)

  Source

• 2012

  Challenger Group acquires the centreM&A

  Background

  After several ownership changes, the property was offered for sale and ultimately acquired by Challenger Group.

  Action taken

  Challenger Group purchased the centre for AUD 162.5 million and restored the Paradise Centre brand.

  Aftermath

  The property returned to its original commercial identity and remained under Challenger Group ownership.

  Purchase price. AUD 162.5 million (2012 acquisition)

  Source

• 2004

  Adopt Centro Surfers Paradise brandingStrategy

  Background

  Centro acquired the shopping centre as part of its property portfolio.

  Action taken

  The complex was rebranded from Paradise Centre to Centro Surfers Paradise.

  Aftermath

  The Centro name was later removed after Challenger Group acquired the property in 2012.

  Source

1. 1Paradise Centreen.wikipedia.org