CommercialPhil BartschThu 30 Jul 26
Billionaire Pub Baron, Gordon Corp Snare $50m Springfield Super Lot
Gold Coast developer Tim Gordon and billionaire pub baron Bruce Mathieson have expanded their high-profile alliance, striking a $50-million deal to acquire a town-centre “super lot” south-west of Brisbane.
The duo has snapped up the 12.7ha site at Springfield—Australia’s only privately developed city, 26km from the CBD—for a major precinct play with retail, commercial, entertainment, leisure and residential uses.
The transaction is touted as the largest town-centre land deal by value completed more than 10km from an Australian CBD since 2021—and largest of its kind recorded in Queensland in recent years.
One of only two town-centre zoned sites in the masterplanned city, the Springfield Central City West site on Sinnathamby Boulevard has been acquired from Springfield City Group.
Its visionary leaders Maha Sinnathamby and Bob Sharpless were this year’s recipients of the Lachlan Webb Lifetime Achievement Award at last week’s The Urban Developer Awards for Industry Excellence gala dinner.
Gordon, who heads up Gordon Corp, said their long-term vision and investment had been “a catalyst for billions of dollars in social and physical infrastructure investment”.
“For us, that speaks to a city that is not only growing but maturing in a very deliberate and sustainable way,” he said.
“Opportunities of this calibre don’t come along often, and the scale and positioning of the City West site gives us an opportunity to masterplan a mixed-use precinct in one of South-East Queensland’s fastest‑growing corridors.”
The landmark deal builds on the development partnership between Gordon Corp and the Mathieson family forged a few years ago over a beer at the Mermaid Beach Surf Club on the Gold Coast.
Together, they are also delivering the $400-million Mantaray Marina and Residences on the Gold Coast’s Spit, as well as the luxury midrise Elle on Jefferson tower at Palm Beach.
“Each project responds to a very different market and setting, yet both reflect the same ambition to lift the benchmark,” Gordon said. “Springfield gives us the opportunity to apply that approach at an entirely new scale.
“Bruce and I share a strong appetite for A-grade projects where a clear vision and disciplined delivery can create something genuinely significant.
“We’re not focused on one particular asset class, but the scale of the opportunity, the quality of the outcome, and the speed with which each project is advanced.”
Gordon said the latest acquisition in Springfield City “brings all of these elements together within a fast-growing, masterplanned city capable of supporting mixed-use precincts of scale”.
Planning and leasing is already under way for the first precinct to be delivered in the town-centre zone—a 10,581sq m retail and lifestyle hub called Springfield Village.
It is expected to open mid-2029 and would be anchored by a Coles supermarket, alongside a mix of specialty retail, dining and allied health services—forming part of a larger 30,000sq m precinct with early commitments from national and international brands including McDonald’s, The Good Guys, Banjos Bakery, Pillow Talk, Auto Masters, Hungry Jacks and a 7-Eleven service station.
Gordon said future plans would be unveiled in the coming months, including residential, entertainment and lifestyle-driven amenities.
Springfield City Group founder and chairman Maha Sinnathamby said the Gordon Corp-Mathieson partnership’s proven capability and alignment with the strategic objectives for the site set them apart throughout the sales process.
The Colliers and Stonebridge-led expressions-of-interest campaign for the holding generated more than 200 inquiries and nine formal offers nationally.
“Springfield City Group has carefully stewarded the City West opportunity for more than 30 years, ensuring this premium site was brought to market at the right time and under the right conditions to realise its full long-term potential,” he said.
“A key priority throughout the process was securing a development partner whose vision and values aligned with Springfield City Group’s long-term objectives and commitment to delivering a project of enduring significance for the region.”
Springfield is home to more than 55,000 residents, 12 schools, 22 childcare centres, a University of Southern Queensland campus and the recently opened Mater Hospital Springfield.
Its population is forecast to grow by 3.6 per cent annually through to 2036, almost double Brisbane’s growth rate.
“The sale and future development of City West will unlock a new wave of investment and economic activity in Springfield City while delivering additional amenity, jobs and opportunities for this rapidly growing region,” Sinnathamby said.
