The Queen Victoria Market to Get New Gallery, Artist Spaces and Community Centre
It's part of the precinct's $250 million renewal.
The City of Melbourne has finally spilled the beans on what's happening at the Queen Victoria Market's Munro site. To be revamped by PDG Corporation, the Council-owned spot — which is the building that, up until recently, housed The Mercat — will be transformed into a mixed-use development, offering affordable housing, spaces for artists, a gallery, among other facilities.
The City bought the Munro site back in October 2014 to the tune of $76 million. The purchase aimed to make sure that Queen Vic Market wouldn't ever have to put up with a nasty neighbour, in the form of a chain store, ugly apartment block or massive supermarket. "This was always about planning for growth and QVM's future prosperity," said Lord Mayor Robert Doyle in an announcement today.
A huge $89.7 million will go into the redevelopment. When it's done, Melburnians will have a gallery and studio spaces, as well as a community centre and kitchen. Plus, the plan takes families into consideration, through the addition of a 120-place childcare facility and a services centre dedicated to maternal, child health and family services. On the more commercial side, there'll be residential apartments, a hotel and retail spaces.
Perhaps most controversial is the erection of a 196-metre tower (roughly 60 storeys) will sit at the eastern end of the development towards La Trobe Street. These plans have been under negotiation with PDG for a while now but, according to Lord Mayor Doyle, the tower will allow for the market-end of the Munro building to be low-rise. "We have incorporated design elements that honour Queen Victoria Market's rich and diverse history, including brickwork to reflect the existing Mercat Hotel façade, which will be retained," the Lord Mayor said. According to The Age, the approval of the building required PDG to provide 56 low income housing units and underground car parking, which will free up space to create a new 1.5-hectare open space called Market Square.
This development, which should start later this year, is part of the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal. The renewal aims to restore the market's heritage while delivering modern facilities, and will span the next five years. As well as refreshing the existing sheds and fixtures, the $250 million revitalisation will also see a new elevated greenhouse-style pavilion built, the new Market Square and another area that can host markets, festivals and more at the intersection of Queen and Therry streets, dubbed Market Cross.
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