Surfers Paradise's "once dominant position" within the Gold Coast has dwindled over the years, marred by violence and crippled by coronavirus.
While the City of Gold Coast hopes a $40 million revamp of a major retail centre will turn the tide and mark a broader revitalisation of the precinct, problems beyond foot traffic still hamper its future.
"Surfers Paradise has long been known as the 'heart of the city' and seen as the premier tourism destination and primary activity centre," the council's 2020 Surfers Paradise master plan stated.
"However, with the Gold Coast's growth and evolution as a regional city, over time, a number of other precincts and destinations have grown in stature and popularity, challenging Surfers Paradise's once dominant position.
"Community surveys have identified that, to many locals who visit Surfers Paradise, the precinct appears to have lost its identity and soul."
Safety concerns
The council surveyed more than 1,000 people as part of the master plan and more than 54 per cent said they felt "somewhat or very unsafe at night" in the precinct.
"Surfers Paradise has been victim to prolonged negative media attention due to its vacancy levels, antisocial behaviour of a minority of patrons, construction and disruption or changing identity," the plan stated.
"As a result, it has become harder to attract customers and tenants to the precinct."
On top of pandemic restrictions that closed clubs and shops, a series of fatal stabbing attacks in recent years have contributed to Surfers Paradise's poor reputation.
A subsequent police crackdown uncovered 133 concealed weapons, including a machete, in its first 12 months.
Moreover, a string of well-known clubs have closed, including the iconic Melbas on the Park, which some in the entertainment industry described as "a wake-up call".
The master plan concludes that "Surfers Paradise must evolve into a place where local residents want to spend some time", but avoid "fruitlessly" chasing "a fickle five-star market" typically drawn to the casino and Pacific Fair.
A zoo, bikinis and parties
Until the late 1950s, Surfers Paradise had a zoo and was home to the first Australian-made bikini — something that helped put the burgeoning tourist city on the map.
But Surfers Paradise has always courted controversy with so-called dwarf-throwing competitions drawing national attention in the 1980s.
Family-friendly attractions were also prominent, including the once popular Grundy's waterpark.
Reports from the ABC Archives show thousands of people cramming the streets of Surfers Paradise for New Year's Eve in 1989, even rivalling those seen in modern Schoolies celebrations.
Local area councillor Darren Taylor said the precinct had been "the heart of the city".
"During the 1980s, growing up we all loved coming to Surfers Paradise. We loved the vibe," he said.
"It went through a period of time where it did lose its buzz. I think we're starting to re-find that again."
'Rotten heart'
Paradise Centre has had a prime location on Cavill Avenue and the Esplanade for more than four decades.
But it has been criticised in recent years over its dated and lacklustre appeal to locals and tourists alike, with Mayor Tom Tate once describing the food and retail centre as a "rotten heart".
In 2020, the council voted to allow Challenger Group to maintain its lease on the centre on the condition it was redeveloped.
While acknowledging the centre had a "hodgepodge" of different shops over the past seven years, Challenger's head of retail Adam McKeen said the $40 million redevelopment would include new restaurants and fashion outlets.
“The hope [is] to draw locals back to Cavill Mall rather than Broadbeach and other areas," he said.
"It will become more of the hub that it used to be.
"Orchid Avenue can have the party scene, that's OK, that's what Orchid Avenue is for — it's part of the fabric of the Gold Coast. You never want to get rid of that.
"But it needed a family option."
Reinvention?
Mr Taylor said the council had undertaken plans to revamp a slate of public spaces, including Orchid Avenue and the Esplanade.
"We want to make sure it's for our locals, we want to make sure our guests love it while they're here," he said.
New cultural events have emerged, including this year's first Springtime Festival, but the master plan notes suburbs like Burleigh Heads have challenged Surfers Paradise's traditional pre-eminence.
Mr McKeen said he hoped Paradise Centre's pre-pandemic patronage figures of 9 million annual visitors would lift to 13 million.
"These retailers also force other retailers around us to lift because you've got to compete — it lifts the whole area," he said.
Mr Taylor said more designs and detailed plans for the council's Surfers Paradise projects were expected by the end of the year.
"It's really the start of Surfers Paradise reinventing itself."
