The Australian: The Nikiforides brothers at Niecon Developments growing their Gold Coast home

In a region like the Gold Coast full of veteran developers, it would be easy to write off the three Nikiforides brothers newly heading Niecon Developments for their age. But between them, they have almost 100 years of property experience.

While one would not traditionally start counting years of experience from such a young age, the siblings – William, 35, John, 34, and James, 33 – have been in high-vis on worksites since they could walk alongside their father, the late Con Nikiforides.

“We were around sites since we were babies basically, going from place to place, seeing things, hearing things,” William said. “Always having to sweep up things.”

They are the third generation to head the family business which began operations in 1969 out of Canberra under grandfather Bill before expanding to Sydney and later along Australia’s eastern seaboard. They set down roots on the Gold Coast in 1978 and quickly established themselves as industry leaders and are behind some of the coast’s most iconic buildings, including Oracle towers and Niecon Plaza.

Now, as the Coast readies itself for its next phase of life following massive migration through the Covid-19 pandemic and the lead up to the Olympic Games in Queensland in 2032, Niecon Developments is carrying a workbook of completed and upcoming projects to the tune of $1.68bn.

It has been a relatively easy transition for the boys to take over following their father’s death in 2017 at the young age of 56. William has stepped up as managing director, while middle child John heads the legal side of the business as general manager and youngest James handles sales and marketing.

“Being the third generation, for us, is really special,” John said.

“I think that we always had an eye to get there. We were expecting it to be in it in a different form with dad continuing to be involved. Unfortunately, when that was no longer the case, we did take it upon ourselves to join together and to continue, in a way.

“So, we brought some separate skill sets in as well which was pretty important.”

Gearing up for a new era of growth, Niecon has a project pipeline worth almost $300m. Not looking to get caught up in the fever of the current construction boom, the boys have taken a considered approach to new projects.

“The southern states have, you know, they’ve seen some of the harshest lockdowns and I think that has only propelled the attraction of the Gold Coast as not only a destination for fun, but also a destination to grow and create life and work remotely,” James said.

“We would love to continue to contribute to the Gold Coast and to give back to the community that has given us so much because we were born and raised here.”

The latest is Ventura Residences, a boutique development of 47-premium residences at Mermaid Beach. The two double-storey park-facing villas are selling well with owner occupiers who are also drawn to the amenity of an exclusive residents’ recreational terrace and lounge, suspended waterfall edge pool and sun deck.

The project is scheduled for completion in May next year, with another residential development application before council for a 93-unit residence at Biggera Waters. The brothers are also looking to workout the plan for a medical project in collaboration with the Queensland government.

Originally posted in The Australian – 16 June 2022