Property and commercial projects

The City is inviting expressions of interest from experienced parties for the southern site of Scarborough Beach Gateway, a woodchip-covered 2,355m2 site at the south of the foreshore, near Scarboro Surf Life Saving Club and the amphitheatre. The vision is a low-scale, hospitality-led coastal destination that delivers a family friendly experience and supports year-round activity. The destination would complement Scarborough’s existing offerings and can be operated and maintained sustainably over the long term.

The Scarborough Master Plan (2015) established the long-term vision for a more connected, active and all-season beachfront, with the jointly funded City of Stirling and WA Government revitalisation of the precinct completed in 2017. Planning control and management of the foreshore returned to the City from the WA Government in August 2023 and the City has since established a Scarborough Beach precinct approach aimed at driving economic growth, retail activity and responding to Council and community priorities. The precinct approach translated the planning direction into precinct objectives and coordinated City actions, shaped by community priorities gathered through a community engagement initiative called Feels Like Scarborough in 2024.

The City’s destination planning adds the contemporary visitor-economy perspective, identifying Scarborough as the City’s coastal hero and supporting year-round activation, stronger visitor experiences, wellness, improved connectivity, distinctive food and drink offerings and appropriate private investment in tourism products.

The southern site EOI builds on direction from these plans while also reflecting recent community feedback. The process responds to an identified need for carefully planned, year-round activation consistent with the City’s destination planning, which identifies Scarborough as a leading coastal destination and supports appropriate private investment to strengthen visitor experiences, local business activity and the precinct’s long-term appeal.

Feedback from the community shows locals value the beach, local character, family appeal, activities and sense of community, while identifying safety, parking and access, public transport, green and shaded spaces, events and local identity as priorities. Community feedback also strongly reflected the need to improve the ‘wood chip’ sites. The City is responding by using these insights as part of the ongoing a management, planning and communication for the Scarborough precinct, with the EOI representing a clear way to activate the southern site to deliver positive community outcomes with an experienced hospitality operator. 

Overall, engagement with the community and Councillors shaped a precinct vision centred on families, wellness, recreation and complementing the existing offerings from local businesses.

No. The southern site is Crown land and is not being sold. The intended model is a long-term Crown lease and sublease, subject to required approvals. The specific tenure arrangements are not final.

The City’s planning direction strongly supports continued beach and promenade access, strong pedestrian connections, public realm integration and visual permeability. A proposal would need to address links between the upper and lower promenades and maintain access requirements. The final boundary between public areas and any leased premises would not defined until detailed proposals are considered.

The southern site opportunity is intended to complement the existing foreshore offer. Proposals will be assessed for how they broaden Scarborough’s appeal, support year-round use and add experiences not already well represented.

The City’s current direction is primarily one- and two-storey built form to achieve the vision for a low-scale and coastal responsive design. No design has been approved and any imagery is for illustrative purposes only. Final height, scale and view impacts would be assessed later in the EOI process.

The southern site is intended to support a mix of hospitality, wellness, retail, recreation-related experiences, events and visitor services within a low-scale, family-friendly, coastal destination. No businesses or activities have been selected as the EOI is inviting ideas that complement the existing precinct, reflect Scarborough’s coastal character and support year-round activity. Any proposed operation would need to:

• reflect Scarborough Beach’s coastal character and active lifestyle
• add new activity to the foreshore
• encourage visitors to stay longer and return more often
• contribute to year-round activation
• complement and enhance the existing Scarborough Beach experience
• provide lasting value and remain relevant as the precinct evolves.

The City recognises parking and access as longstanding concerns for locals, businesses and visitors. The Scarborough Beach precinct approach addresses precinct-wide parking, wayfinding and transport, supported by improvements already delivered including real-time parking guidance signs and online parking availability, the free high-frequency Surf CAT, new bus lanes and embayments, intersection and pedestrian signal upgrades, extended bus connections, designated rideshare areas and established walking and cycling links.

EOI submissions should demonstrate consideration of likely parking demand, traffic movements, pedestrian and cycling access, accessibility requirements, deliveries, waste management, servicing, utilities and construction staging, having regard to the proposed use of the site and any measures proposed to manage these matters.

More detailed assessment and supporting information would be required from shortlisted respondents as part of a later stage of the process. Traffic, access, servicing and parking matters specific to the southern site would also be subject to further consideration through detailed design and relevant approval processes. 
 

The current commercial EOI relates to the southern site only. The City is progressing with planning for the northern site, which is set aside for sport, recreation and events. Any imagery is for illustrative purposes only.

No. The EOI is an early competitive stage. Earlier preliminary market testing was non-binding and did not select, shortlist or advantage participants. No developer, design, lease or authority to start works is approved through the EOI.

Stage 1 (EOI) assesses vision alignment, experience, capability and capacity without requiring a final design or commercial offer. Stage 2 (Request for Detailed Proposal) will invite shortlisted respondents to provide a detailed proposal including concept, operating model, delivery strategy and commercial position.

Official submissions and clarifications will use the nominated procurement process.  Submissions will be evaluated and a shortlist may be identified progress to a detailed proposal stage to help shape the next chapter of one of WA’s most recognised coastal destinations. 

If the opportunity aligns with your organisation’s experience, ambitions and investment objectives, the next step is to engage with the formal Expression of Interest (EOI) process.

Submission details

This information and EOI document is intended to help prospective respondents in determining whether the opportunity warrants further investigation and participation in the formal process. Interested parties should access the formal EOI documentation through the nominated procurement portal outlined below:

• Closing time: 14:00 AWST Wednesday 18 November 2026
• Online submission: https://public.sl360.au/request/advertised.

Key documentation

The procurement portal contains all information necessary to prepare a response and receive official updates and correspondence throughout the process, including:

• EOI Conditions and process rules
• Response requirements and submission instructions
• Evaluation criteria
• Probity and communication requirements
• Clarification and addenda processes
• Submission timetable and key dates.

Key dates

• October 2026: EOI open
• November 2026 – February 2027: shortlisting for EOI respondents
• March 2027: Request for detailed proposal expected
• July 2027: Evaluation, preferred respondent and Council reporting.

NOTE: The formal EOI documentation would prevail in the event of any inconsistency with information presented in this opportunity overview. Dates are indicative and may be varied by addendum issued through the procurement portal.

The EOI is a market process, not the statutory consultation stage. Before a long-term lease, the anticipated Major Land Transaction process would require a publicly advertised business plan, submissions and a Council decision. Later planning processes may also require consultation.

The intended model is for a private partner to fund, develop, operate, maintain and renew the southern site for hospitality. The final City contribution, lease income, public realm works and allocation of maintenance costs remain subject to a detailed proposal later in the process.