KIRRA will soon feature another skyscraper, as construction starts on the $40 million Pure Kirra residential apartments.

Work on the 14-storey building on the corner of Haig St and Musgrave St was well and truly underway this week.

The high-rise will feature 33 units of 131sqm, with two bedrooms and a study in each.

There will also be a retail floor on the bottom level, including restaurants, cafes and other traders.

Glenzeil Construction project manager Alan Moss said yesterday that construction would be completed in roughly a year.

"We're on program, we've got all of our basement retention, should be finished this week," he said.

"I'm hoping that the gantry out the front of the site should be up today."

Mr Moss said that Glenzeil had completed the $50 million Nirvana by the Sea skyscraper in 2009 and knew there would be some issues with water and sand at the site, but was confident development would go smoothly.

"We know what to expect," he said.

Developer Michael Pikos said the southern Gold Coast was back on the map as a prime spot to live and was doing well economically.

"I'm happy to see a job happening down the coast," he said.

"At the southern end of the Gold Coast it's very much about the family atmosphere.

"It's been a favourite of Brisbane and Gold Coast residents over many years

Mr Pikos said all apartments would have 180 degree views of both the beach and the hinterland and that sales were going well.