Construction on Queensland’s first ‘free supermarket’ has commenced at local charity Serving Our People’s Gold Coast headquarters.

The $500,000 project, due to be completed by November, will occupy a 45-year-old warehouse on Mermaid Beach serving locals in need with a range of essential grocery items and general goods. It will also be equipped with a half-size basketball court, electric bicycles and a space for community events.

Serving Our People’s founder, Yas Matbouly, said the redevelopment work will allow the organisation to “continue to deliver on its mission of serving those most in need”, allowing it to help more people across the city.

The charity was founded as a complimentary delivery service during the pandemic in March 2020. It has helped more than 52,000 people across southeast Queensland and northern NSW. With plans to expand nationally, bases will open in Lismore and Brisbane soon.

For the redevelopment project, Gold Coast’s construction community has banded together with Hutchinson Builders leading the construction work, Spatium Architects designing plans and Zone Planning Group managing the charity’s DA.

Real estate agency Kollosche is responsible for property management and Sunland Group will take care of IT. Usher Group will update the building’s exterior and Jim’s Mowing with landscaping. Upstream Energy will install a solar system and the building’s landlord will replace the existing roof cover, at an investment of $80,000.

All of the businesses are donating staff and materials for the project.