The residential transformation of St Kilda Road is set to continue into with more new apartment plans for the sought-after boulevard.

Wing Tai Asia has lodged plans for a major residential tower at 464-466 St Kilda Road, replacing the former VACC House with an 18-storey mixed-use development designed around a retained heritage podium and a sculpted contemporary tower.

The proposal, prepared under Victoria’s Significant Residential Development with Affordable Housing pathway, would deliver 325 apartments and ground-floor retail across the prominent 4,653 sqm boulevard site in Melbourne’s St Kilda Road North Precinct.

The project centres on the adaptive reuse of the site’s heritage-listed VACC Building, an eight-storey office designed by Bernard Evans that has occupied the address for decades. Planning documents state the development would involve “carefully dismantling and conserving off-site the original metal fabric of the podium visible from St Kilda Road,” before reinstating it as the defining frontage of the new scheme.

Above the restored podium, Wing Tai is proposing a curvilinear residential tower. The scheme includes 172 one-bedroom apartments, 63 two-bedroom apartments, 66 three-bedroom apartments, and 24 four-bedroom apartments, alongside two ground-floor food and beverage tenancies fronting St Kilda Road.

The tower has been designed with substantial articulation and variable setbacks to minimise perceived bulk and maintain view corridors along the boulevard. Urbis, which prepared the planning report, said the design “has been significantly articulated through a curvilinear design” with “an interplay with materials, façade expression and depth” to create visual separation and visual interest.

The proposal also includes 254 basement car spaces, landscaped pedestrian links connecting St Kilda Road and Queens Lane, and a biophilic landscape strategy featuring canopy trees, raised planters, cascading greenery and a glass oculus pool overlooking the eastern frontage.

Planning documents confirm the $270.1 million development will contribute 3 per cent of project costs to the Social Housing Growth Fund as part of the application process.

Wing Tai acquired the St Kilda Road property in 2018 alongside Abacus Property Group for $95.38 million, before later consolidating ownership of the site. The property previously served as the Victorian Automobile Chamber of Commerce headquarters for around 60 years.

The transformation of the St Kilda Rd boulevard is already beginning to materialise, with a number of high-profile projects recently completed, launched, or approaching launch as developers continue to back the long-term appeal of the precinct.

Among the most notable recent completions is Louise by Samuel Property Group, just off the strip on Queens Lane, the same pocket Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched The Queensbury. Mirvac is too on the same street with The Albertine, which is approaching completion.

Dexus recently secured approval for its slice of St Kilda Road, while Gurner also has approved plans for the precinct.

Joel Robinson

Wing Tai unveils 325-apartment St Kilda Road tower on former VACC House site

Malaysian developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/s-p-setia">SP Setia</a> is the latest to jump into St Leonards booming Transport Oriented Development precinct.

The developer, which has previously delivered Sapphire by the Gardens apartment development in Melbourne, identified the Atchison Street site in 2023. It filed a Scoping Report around 12 months ago, and now has revealed the designs for the new&nbsp;40-storey mixed-use tower.

The State Significant Development Application covers <a href="https://next-portal.urban.com.au/projects/14650/summary">20-22 Atchison Street</a>, a 1,374 sqm site positioned between St Leonards Station and the new Crows Nest Metro station.

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/cox-architecture">COX Architecture</a>, the project would deliver 181 apartments, above a four-storey commercial podium, five basement levels, and new public domain works along Mitchell Street. The apartment mix comprises 35 one-bedroom apartments, 39 one-bedroom-plus-study apartments, 85 two-bedroom apartments, and 22 three-bedroom residences.

The proposal has been lodged as a shop-top housing development under the NSW Government’s TOD planning pathway, which allows increased density around key transport infrastructure. The site sits within the recently rezoned Crows Nest Accelerated TOD Precinct.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b799673d-48e2-46b0-801a-0e33a9330100" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20site.png?VersionId=dPh0UfwfaHpbFL1R7H1cbZNbIW0CHbCC" />

SP Setia acquired the Atchison Street site as part of its continued expansion into the Australian apartment market. In comments made to City &amp; Country (The Edge Malaysia) in 2023, SP Setia President and CEO Datuk Choong Kai Wai described the acquisition as “a strategic move” aligned with the group’s post-pandemic market recovery strategy.

“Our target for this exceptional development is local and overseas buyers, including first-home buyers, downsizers and investors,” Choong said.

The tower has been designed as a slender vertical form rising from a mixed-use podium, with COX Architecture positioning the development as a response to the evolving St Leonards and Crows Nest skyline.

“The purpose of the project is to facilitate the delivery of high-quality housing at a strategically located site and deliver a built tower outcome that is consistent with the desired future character of St Leonards and aligns with the TOD controls,” the design report stated.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="b1a85eee-76f7-436c-a6da-73ba827b9b13" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/atchinson%20entry.png?VersionId=dA9jHGPMcm.dDbwk4QfxqWiY5bfh3UVt" />

The podium would incorporate retail uses fronting Atchison Street, commercial tenancies, landscaped communal areas, and pedestrian improvements along Mitchell Street. Vehicle access and loading would be consolidated via Atchison Lane.

Residents would have access to more than 665 sqm of communal indoor and outdoor spaces, while the development proposes 96 parking spaces across five basement levels.

The proposal also includes a commitment for 10 per cent of residential floor space to be allocated toward affordable housing through a monetary contribution.

COX said the tower form responds directly to the emerging high-density character of the precinct while seeking to maximise solar access, cross ventilation, and outlook from apartments.

<img alt="First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2163f85c-f63b-4be3-aafa-f8763976cec5" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Article%20Feature%20Image%20%28Grid%29_5.png?VersionId=WiAmtIKJ6.ZQ41EtYEQ1fol7AeorKBlL" />

“The building is orientated towards north,” the Apartment Design Guide compliance report noted, adding that the tower’s slim form was driven by the constrained inner-urban site dimensions.

The design also incorporates landscaped setbacks and communal open space at podium level, intended to soften the interface with surrounding streets and improve pedestrian amenity.

The project adds to a growing wave of redevelopment proposals reshaping St Leonards and Crows Nest following the opening of the Sydney Metro City line and the NSW Government’s push for higher-density housing around major transport nodes.

Last week Stockland filed plans just down the road. They want to build a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/601-pacific-highway-st-leonards-nsw-2065">52-storey tower on Pacific Highway</a>.

Read more:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-stockland-plans-52-storey-538-apartment-st-leonards-tower">First look: Stockland plans 52-storey, 538-apartment St Leonards tower&nbsp;</a>

First look: SP Setia targets St Leonards skyline with 40-storey TOD tower

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/urban-property-group">Urban Property Group</a> has revealed plans for a new mixed-use tower at 10 Dangar Street, Wickham, advancing a proposal that would reshape the southern gateway to Newcastle’s city centre with one of the city’s tallest residential buildings.

The State Significant Development proposal, now on exhibition, seeks approval for a <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/bowline-10-dangar-street-wickham-nsw-2293">43-storey tower</a> immediately adjacent to the Newcastle Interchange. The project would deliver around 200 apartments, including 42 affordable housing dwellings, alongside 99 co-living units, a 171-room hotel, retail space, and new public domain integrated through the site.

The scheme marks a significant escalation of plans previously approved for the site. Urban Property Group took over the prominent 2,904 sqm parcel, where excavation and demolition had already commenced under an earlier consent for a 14-storey mixed-use development.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="58a96dd9-407f-4d20-86b4-94e4bfeef74b" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20podium.png?VersionId=LGlf08pdFGAZDzvx_CXC4XakHNZRuEE0" />

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/sjb-architects">SJB</a>, the tower has been conceived as a landmark transit-oriented development anchored to the Newcastle Interchange precinct. The proposal includes 245 build-to-sell apartments across a mix of one, two, and three-bedroom residences, as well as two penthouses. Fifteen apartments and one operational unit are earmarked for NDIS housing. The co-living component would add a further 99 units, while the podium would accommodate retail uses and hotel facilities.

SJB said the site presents “a valuable opportunity to anchor the precinct by setting the standard for design, active ground planes and character at the key southern gateway.”

The architecture responds directly to the site’s position beside major transport infrastructure and within one of Newcastle’s fastest-evolving urban renewal precincts. The tower form sits above a sculpted podium designed to frame new public spaces, including a through-site pedestrian link connecting Station Street to Hannell Street, landscaped plazas, and activated retail edges.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a7bd6ff0-f7db-4ce8-a6dc-ea56e72c6149" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20lanne.png?VersionId=xzf39VADyhj7zBQY2I9fx9vI62u2tuSb" />

The design report describes the project as part of the broader transition of Wickham into “a vibrant, high-quality mixed-use urban precinct” that leverages proximity to the station, open space, and regional connectivity.

A detailed public art strategy has also been prepared for the development. The strategy positions the project as “a transit-oriented development of state significance at the gateway to Newcastle’s city centre” and outlines a series of integrated artworks responding to Newcastle’s industrial and transport heritage.

Creative Road’s curatorial framework for the project, titled Unveil, draws on “stratified surfaces, carved volumes, and light-filled apertures” while referencing Newcastle’s transformation from an industrial city into a contemporary education and technology hub.

<img alt="First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s next supertower at Wickham interchange" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="77a882bb-14b1-4d28-99ff-9438e39508c0" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/wickham%20site.png?VersionId=cevgo_vN0eKPK78P8YcEu3mKPLkpFqE7" />

The proposal is being advanced through the NSW Housing Delivery Authority pathway after being declared State Significant Development in June 2025. The accompanying scoping report states the development aims to “maximise the site’s proximity to the Newcastle Interchange by delivering transit-oriented development” while increasing housing supply and affordable housing provision within the Newcastle LGA.

Urban Property Group’s plans align with the long-term strategic vision established under the Wickham Master Plan, which identified the interchange precinct as suitable for substantial uplift in height and density. The current proposal would significantly intensify that vision, positioning the tower among the tallest developments proposed for Newcastle.

The site sits immediately north of the Newcastle Interchange, bounded by Dangar Street, Hannell Street, and Charles Street. It is surrounded by a rapidly growing cluster of residential towers and mixed-use projects that have emerged following the completion of the light rail and transport interchange.

First look: Urban Property Group unveils Newcastle’s latest tower at Wickham interchange

Bottega House has completed settlement of a landmark riverfront site in Macquarie Street, St Lucia, representing its first major Brisbane development.&nbsp;

Positioned on the banks of the Brisbane River, the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/180-macquarie-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">premium site at 180 Macquarie Street</a> features uninterrupted river frontage in one of Brisbane’s most tightly held residential precincts.&nbsp;

The proposed development, currently under assessment with Brisbane City Council, has been designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/plus-studio">Plus Studio</a> with interiors by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/interior-designers/mim-design">Mim Design</a> and will deliver a boutique collection of premium residences positioned specifically for owner occupiers and downsizers.&nbsp;

The residences are set to redefine luxury apartment living in the area, with a focus on architectural quality, refined finishes, landscape integration and elevated amenities including curated wellness facilities, resort-style pools and recreation spaces rarely seen in the local market.&nbsp;

Exclusive sales for the project will be led by Keenan &amp; Byrne, ahead of an anticipated launch later this year.&nbsp;

Bottega House Managing Director Nick Malloch said the project reflects the group’s ambition to deliver a highly curated residential offering within one of Brisbane’s most tightly held precincts.&nbsp;

“This is an incredibly rare riverfront opportunity and one we have approached with a long-term perspective,” Malloch said.&nbsp;

“Our vision from the outset was to create a boutique collection of residences that feel more like private homes than traditional apartments, with generous proportions, refined finishes and exceptional amenity throughout."

Malloch says there is a&nbsp;lack of premium owner-occupier stock of this quality in the market, particularly for downsizers wanting space, privacy and a true lifestyle offering without compromise.&nbsp;

"Demand is expected to be strong given the scarcity of premium riverfront opportunities of this nature within Brisbane’s inner-west."&nbsp;

Bottega House secures landmark riverfront site in St Lucia 

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The arrival of the first piling rig officially marks the commencement of construction at SIERA’s new beachside apartment development, Exhale, in Northcliffe.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/exhale-surfers-paradise-8-enderley-avenue-surfers-paradise-qld-4217">Exhale</a>, a glass-encased tower featuring 54 large-scale apartments at 8 Enderley Avenue, is SIERA’s third Gold Coast development. It follows the recently completed PIPIS Bilinga beachfront project, which achieved suburb-record prices, and the soon-to-be-completed Chevron Island development, Tapestry.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359603]

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/siera">SIERA</a> Founder and Managing Director Brent Thompson said the arrival of the piling rig represented a significant milestone for the development, which is scheduled for completion in late 2028.

Over the next month, around 260 piles are expected to be installed as work progresses on the basement structure. The building is anticipated to rise above ground level early next year, before unveiling its sculptural glass curtain wall, developed in collaboration with specialist façade engineers.

“The façade was designed to maximise panoramic coastal views while creating a distinctive architectural identity,” Thompson said.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=355935]

Designed by BDA Architecture, Exhale will comprise just 54 two- and three-bedroom residences across 26 levels, a level of low-density living rarely delivered in this beachside pocket between Surfers Paradise and Broadbeach.

The project has been conceived as a resident-only building, with no short-stay accommodation permitted. SIERA says the model is intended to appeal to long-term owner-occupiers rather than transient holiday demand.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=361052]

Residences have been designed with large-format layouts and expansive glazing, with most apartments featuring more than 30 metres of glass frontage to maximise natural light and ocean views.

The amenity offering spans two levels and centres on wellness and lifestyle, including a heated magnesium pool, sauna, yoga and Pilates studio, gymnasium, private dining facilities, cinema lounge, and dedicated surfcraft storage.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=112661 project_image_fid=359607]

More than half of the apartments have already sold. SIERA has also opened a sales gallery for Exhale at its Chevron Island commercial premises, near its Tapestry tower and the site of its second Chevron Island apartment development, which is slated to launch in early 2027.
</section>
</section>

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=112661]

SIERA kicks off construction at Northcliffe tower Exhale

Queen Victoria Market

<html><body>
It seems almost counterintuitive that a venue slated for inclusion on Australia’s National Heritage List is due for a mass redevelopment. That's the case though with last week's announcement that Queen Victoria Market (QVM) is to be nominated by Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt for the prestigious inclusion.

The announcement was music to the ears of Melbourne Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, who has become the public face of QVM's forthcoming redevelopment. On the potential National Heritage Listing Lord Mayor Robert Doyle stated:

<blockquote>
Today’s announcement is a major milestone for the QVM renewal project on the path that will protect and preserve the market for future generations. If QVM qualifies, there is scope to then add it to the ‘Tentative List’ to be considered for UNESCO World Heritage listing.

QVM has traded continually as a market since 1878 and predates Melbourne’s only current UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Royal Exhibition Building and Carlton Gardens. In the last 30 years alone, half the city has been rebuilt or redeveloped, but for 143 years QVM has been a constant in the story of our society and economy, a story which will continue well into the future.

We’re planning an appropriate and respectful acknowledgement of the market’s history as our city’s first cemetery and as a site that is significant to Melbourne’s Indigenous people, including the Wurundjeri.
<cite>​Lord Mayor Robert Doyle</cite>
</blockquote>

And it's QVM's long and varied history that will make its redevelopment all the more interesting. How will "Appropriate and respectful acknowledgement" translate into a modern facility catering for the immediate area's booming population and the needs of Melburnians at large?

QVM has in days gone by served as a cemetery, where as many as 10,000 people were buried onsite from 1837 to 1917. A small section of the cemetery was approved for the purposes of a market during 1859 and has flourished ever since to become the last surviving market in the municipality.

According to City of Melbourne, QVM provides significant architectural attributes worthy of recognition via the following structures:

<ul>
<li>The two storey and single level shops on Victoria Street and Elizabeth Street have intact timber shopfronts. The Dairy Produce Hall arch between the two groups of shops on Elizabeth Street is unusual, and the facade of the Meat Market is a design by noted architect William Salway.</li>
	<li>The Dairy Produce Hall is in a restrained stripped classical style, with an interior that is notable for the intact stall fronts timber surrounds and marble counters. F Shed and the cemetery wall demonstrate an innovative approach to the division of market and cemetery functions.</li>
	<li>The market buildings comprise the Meat Market (1869), Sheds A-F (1878), Sheds H and I (1878), Sheds K and L (1923), Elizabeth Street Stores, Victoria Street Shops (1887, 1891, and 1923), Dairy Produce Hall (1928), Franklin Street Stores (1929-1930), M Shed (1936), John Batman Memorial (1881) and the site of the Old Melbourne Cemetery (1837-1917) (Source: Victorian Heritage Register).</li>
</ul>
<h2>QVM's social character</h2>

<blockquote>
QVM was a place apart from the city proper, separate from the business and commercial activity of the growing city. It was removed from the ornate facades of city buildings in the main thoroughfares, where buildings were on show and at times were ostentatious, especially during the boom years of the 1880s.

The market, by contrast, represented the back door of the city, characterised by its mess and smell and noise.

QVM also served as an interface of society; a meeting ground; an unstructured social place, unlike other places in the city where rules and codes of conduct applied; like parks and gardens the market was a liminal space between order and disorder in the city, a place of encounter. Situated on a marginal site at the edge of the city, the market attracted the marginalised of society: the poor, the homeless, the hungry.
<cite>City of Melbourne</cite>
</blockquote>

Still a popular meeting place (albeit under different circumstances) and gaining additional popularity by way of expanded night market activities, QVM's pending redevelopment master plan is at a <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/projects/queenvictoriamarket">final draft stage</a>, with said master plan due to be reviewed for approval by the Future Melbourne Committee on July 28th.

According to the master plan all land designated to QVM has been divided into four quarters, interlinked by a market cross that will act as the precinct's main thoroughfare. The differing quarters will reflect the unique characteristics and purpose of each area within the new QVM, while still respecting the grand history of the institution.

Further details on QVM's redevelopment that will flow in coming months will be dissected on Apartments.com.au as they are made public.

Lead image courtesy Museum Victoria.
</body></html>

silvermb

Queen Victoria Market considered for national heritage listing

<html><body>
During March the City of Melbourne undertook Phase 3 of the community engagement process seeking feedback on the draft master plan that was released in February for the pending Queen Victoria Market redevelopment. Approximately 4,400 people participated in the engagement process and a further 1,120 surveys were completed by a diverse cross section of interested parties comprising market traders, local residents, local workers, customers, visitors and stakeholders.

This third round of engagement followed the earlier two phases conducted in November 2013 and April-May 2014 respectively, which helped to inform and develop the draft master plan.

<blockquote>
The Draft Master Plan outlined a variety of proposals to revitalise the market precinct with a strong focus placed on improving the trader, customer and community experience. The Draft Master Plan divided QVM into four distinct quarters, each linked by a market cross of public spaces within the precinct.

It is connected to the rest of the city by the grid of surrounding city streets. The intent is to coordinate a suite of projects that can be developed with a degree of independence from each other, while complementing each other and contributing to the precinct as a whole. It also enables targeted consultation and stakeholder input, in-depth investigations, exploration of options, and detailed resolution of proposals that can be delivered in stages.
<cite>City of Melbourne Draft Master Plan</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/qvm_masterplan_draft.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="QVM Draft Master Plan © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="394" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/qvm_masterplan_draft.jpg?itok=LGN93Ze2" title="QVM Draft Master Plan © City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>QVM Draft Master Plan. Image © City of Melbourne</figcaption></figure>The engagement process elicited a range of feedback on the draft master plan an overview of the key findings is summarized below:

<ul>
<li>
Opening Hours: the majority of both the traders and the public participants are supportive of the concept to enhance the market as a destination that provides a changeable range of offers.</li>
	<li>
Use of open space: both the traders and the public showed a preference for programmed markets and events in the new open space proposed for Q3 – Quarter Three.</li>
	<li>
Access: while traders said that improved car parking would improve access to the market, public participants said that improved pedestrian amenity and safety would make it easier for them to access the market.</li>
	<li>
Heritage: both the traders and the public participants said that they preferred artwork, signage or landscape features as ways to celebrate the market’s history.</li>
	<li>
Market Cross: the most common suggestion by traders and public participants for Market Cross was public seating.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Next steps</h2>

Next month the final draft of the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Master Plan will be released for final community feedback before being presented to council for adoption in June. From July onwards the master plan will begin to be implemented with detailed scoping and the preparation of concepts and options for each quarter. Running parallel to this is the City of Melbourne's settlement of the Munro site.

By December a strategy will have been developed to implement the master plan with renewal works set to commence during 2016. Beyond this a series of key milestones are proposed with August 2019 seeing the removal of the existing roundabout and delivery of New Franklin Street, with existing car parking relocated elsewhere within the precinct, likely to be the Munro site.

By August 2022 it is envisaged that the new open space will have been developed over the existing car park with the final stage - the development site to the south of New Franklin Street to be developed by August 2026. These timelines are subject to change based on input and the desires and aspirations of the private sector to deliver the project in stages over a 10 year period, or in a much more constricted timeframe.

For more information see the City of Melbourne's <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/files/5714/2536/6863/QVMPR__Draft_Master_Plan_FINAL.pdf">Draft Master Plan</a> for the Queen Victoria Market Renewal and the <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/files/3514/3020/3155/QVM_Phase_3_Community_Engagement_Report.pdf">Phase 3 Engagement Report</a>.
</body></html>

Laurence Dragomir

Queen Victoria Market Renewal: Phase 3 Engagement Report 

<html><body>
Yesterday marked another step in the long road to gaining a revamped Queen Victoria Market. The third stage of community engagement regarding the redevelopment has commenced, which coincides with the release of the <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/files/6414/2493/0317/QVM_Precinct_Renewal_Draft_Masterplan.pdf">Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal Draft Master Plan</a>.

The Draft Master Plan follows a period of consultation in which the community and those with vested interests in the market utilised the opportunity to inform Melbourne City Council as to what they would consider an ideal revamp of the institution. Following a period of further public consultation beginning this Monday coming, it's expected a final master plan will be delivered toward the end of 2015, with detailed design commencing thereafter.

And it's the final master plan which will outline the scope of works to be undertaken, where the current expectation is that the renewal may generate 9000 new jobs at the market, 12,000 jobs in the surrounding precinct and thousands of construction jobs.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image2qvm.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Precinct Location and Staging Plan and quadrant divisions"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="263" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image2qvm.jpg?itok=RNW2BZ3a" title="Precinct Location and Staging Plan and quadrant divisions" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Precinct Location and Staging Plan subsequently split into quadrant divisions</figcaption></figure>According to the Draft Master Plan "Queen Victoria Market will be a ‘market of markets’, with a distinctive offer and experience in each of its main trading quarters, interlinked by a network of attractive public spaces and connected to the surrounding city by high quality streetscapes."

While Quarter 1 covers the existing halls of Lower Market, Quarter 2 or Upper Market with its Victorian sheds is due for substantial change. A new frontage to Peel Street will be created while the quadrant is still listed as a possible location for an underground car park.

Quarter 3 will consist of open-air sheds and new public open spaces capable of handling changing markets and events. Quarter 4 involves the recently purchased Munro site and will see new development including a restored Mercat Cross Hotel, fine grained retail, hospitality and community uses that complement Queen Victoria Market. The new mixed-use building will also carry a mid-block pedestrian link between Franklin Street and Therry Street, in turn providing easier access to the market for the thousands of apartments under construction on or near Franklin Street.

<h2>What they say</h2>

<blockquote>
In 2013, Melbourne City Council committed to the largest investment in its history: up to $250 million to renew the Queen Victoria Market (QVM) precinct.

After 18 months of speaking with traders and the community about what the renewal might look like, we now have an ambitious master plan which will bring the market into the 21st century while preserving its unique character and heritage. It will retain what we all love about the market, such as the fresh meat and produce and speciality shops, while facilitating a contemporary retail offer, new public spaces and the realignment of Franklin Street to create an important East-West connection.

I invite the community to have their say on the draft plan which divides the seven-hectare market site into four quarters, each with its own unique characteristics, opportunities and potential future use. The quarters intersect at the Market Cross, a new meeting place in the heart of QVM.
<cite>Lord Mayor Robert Doyle</cite>
</blockquote>

<blockquote>
The purchase of the Munro site has been a game-changer. It gives us more options when we look at locating car parking and community facilities within the market.

This is the third and most critical round of community engagement to date. We’ve laid out a vision for each of the market quarters, but we need to test that vision with traders, shoppers, visitors and residents of the precinct to find out what’s important to them.
<cite>Councillor Stephen Mayne, Chair of Council’s Finance and Governance Portfolio</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image4_3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Melbourne City Council's envisaged timeline for the project"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="294" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image4_3.jpg?itok=4gy4eykJ" title="Melbourne City Council's envisaged timeline for the project" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Melbourne City Council's envisaged timeline for the project</figcaption></figure><h2>Comment</h2>

Noted in The Age yesterday was a piece outlining certain traders displeasure with the revamped market <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/queen-victoria-market-traders-fear-extended-hours-will-threaten-family-businesses-20150226-13pi9z">trading seven days a week</a>. While not fundamentally against the changes that a redeveloped market would bring, their concerns lay primarily with the envisaged 6am-10pm trading hours.

Those gripes aside, Melbourne is a <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/CommunityServices/CommunitySafety/Pages/24HourCitypolicy.aspx">24 hour city as championed</a> by Melbourne City Council. QVM as one of Melbourne's premier tourist and shopping hubs absolutely should seek to trade as long as possible, bringing it in line with many other retailers throughout the CBD and surrounds. Provided there are sufficient ancillary entertainment options designed into the revamp, QVM should aspire to be of Melbourne's premier after dark drawcards, much like it is during the day... for five days a week at least.

Community engagement on the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal Draft Master Plan is open from Monday March 2 to Sunday 29 March, 2015. For more information, see <a href="http://melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate">melbourne.vic.gov.au/participate</a> or visit the engagement hub at 452 Queen Street at the market.
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Queen Vic set to become the 'market of markets'

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City of Melbourne recently released a development control document consisting of a series of design guidelines for the site bound by Therry, Elizabeth, Franklin and Queen Streets. This precedes the release of the draft masterplan for the Queen Victoria Market Precinct Renewal due for community engagement in May 2015.

In part the guidelines were drafted to help inform future development of the block, but with a focus on what is known as the 'Munro site'. The 6,462 square metre site is defined by of a series of old red-brick buildings housing a supermarket, cafes, antique shops and even a Mr Burger. This morning, the City of Melbourne <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutCouncil/MediaReleases/Pages/Statementregardinglandpurchase.aspx">announced that it was the successful bidder</a> for the Munro site paying $76,000,000 (plus transaction costs) with settlement on July 1, 2015. Savills City Sales &amp; Investments directors Clinton Baxter and Nick Peden facilitated the deal.

The site is illustrated below within its context.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/munro_site.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="'Munro site' highlighted as part of the greater site. © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="512" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/munro_site.jpg?itok=9RZHswLl" title="'Munro site' highlighted as part of the greater site. © City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>'Munro site' highlighted as part of the greater site. © City of Melbourne</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
The block bounded by Therry, Franklin, Elizabeth and Queen streets has always played an important part in the Queen Victoria Market precinct.

This parcel of land is currently for sale. The City of Melbourne believes it is of major strategic importance for the city and the future of the market precinct as we embark on a suite of renewal projects for the market and its surrounds.

The City of Melbourne has drafted development guidelines for developers and decision makers who may have an interest in purchasing or developing the site.

The purpose of these development guidelines is to support a best practice approach for the development of the site, consistent with the principles underpinning the renewal of the precinct.

Council has resolved to provide the guidelines to the real estate agent managing the sale of the site, for the attention of those submitting an Expression of Interest to purchase and also to make the guidelines publically available.

Council also resolved that a request be made to the vendor and the real estate agent for the EOI period to be extended to ensure any interested parties have time to consider the guidelines.
<cite>City of Melbourne</cite>
</blockquote>

<h2>Key themes and desired outcomes</h2>

The document is structured into four sections consisting of key themes or desired outcomes which are supplemented by a series of preferred outcomes accompanied by an outlining rationale for each point.

<h3>Building envelope</h3>

<ul>
<li>Munro Site currently for sale</li>
	<li>Heritage Overlays affecting the block</li>
	<li>Retain and restore key buildings: Avoid tabula rasa development
</li>
	<li>Mandatory Max. and Min. Podium: Heights to street frontages
</li>
	<li>Central Zone: Set at least 10m back from street frontages
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Access and precinct car park</h3>

<ul>
<li>Create Mid-Block Pedestrian Link: to promote access for all
</li>
	<li>Existing Crossovers Required: but minimise traffic in QVM Heart
</li>
	<li>Accommodate QVM Parking: one of multiple sites
</li>
</ul>
<h3>Streetscape and frontages</h3>

<ul>
<li>Wrap Inactive Uses : carparking in usable building space
</li>
	<li>Activate Pedestrian Mid-Block Link</li>
</ul>
<h3>Sustainability and architectural design quality</h3>

<ul>
<li>Sustainability and Architectural Design Quality</li>
</ul>
<h2>Other preferences</h2>

The guidelines set out a preferred minimum 20 metre and maximum 30 metre podium height similar to nearby <a href="/news/melbourne-terrace-apartments-a-close-up">Melbourne Terrace</a>, with any height greater than 20m to be setback from streets by 10m. This would provide an active wrap to the potential relocation of 400 public car spaces onsite from the current QVM carpark.

Council also wishes to avoid a 'tabula rasa' development scenario where the site is essentially treated as a clean slate, thus avoiding demolition of significant structures. Instead a more integrated development approach is encouraged which promotes cross site links for pedestrians between Therry and Franklin Street's as it is one of very few blocks in the CBD lacking any form of continuous north-south mid-block public pedestrian links.

<h2>Purchase Announcement</h2>

Prolific tweeter Cr. Stephen Mayne this morning made the following comments about the purchase by Melbourne City Council.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Here's formal council statement announcing $76m Munro site purchase. July 1 settlement means we fund in 15-16 budget <a href="http://t.co/lfoeKjI9FC">http://t.co/lfoeKjI9FC</a>
— Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MayneReport/status/522150274450722816">October 14, 2014</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
The 1 hour and 16 minute debate on the Queen Vic Market on August 12 was pivotal in driving the $76m Munro Site bid: <a href="http://t.co/I2MX9snex2">http://t.co/I2MX9snex2</a>
— Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MayneReport/status/522147531736637442">October 14, 2014</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Buying Munro site allows council to convert existing at-grade car park into public open space &amp; avoid disruptive $55m underground carpark.
— Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MayneReport/status/522148421746970625">October 14, 2014</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
Melbourne's first cemetery under the existing ugly QVM at-grade car park makes redevelopment very difficult. Munro site could take 400 spots
— Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MayneReport/status/522149496411525120">October 14, 2014</a>
</blockquote>

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck">
<a href="https://twitter.com/paul_roser">@paul_roser</a> The idea is to convert the existing ugly asphalt at grade 700 car park and convert it into QVM public open space with events etc
— Stephen Mayne (@MayneReport) <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://twitter.com/MayneReport/status/522152708464058369">October 14, 2014</a>
</blockquote>

<h2>Comment</h2>

It is refreshing to see a council get on the front foot and set a series of parameters for a key site within the city. Charting out the type of development that council expects for the site which if adhered could see a rather smooth planning and approvals process whilst also providing developers and the public with some level of certainty surrounding the site. Even more refreshing is when council considers the site to be of enough significance to warrant purchasing the site themselves as has been observed this morning to facilitate renewal of another key city asset in the Queen Victoria Market.

It would be a beneficial exercise for similar guidelines to be drafted by councils around metropolitan Melbourne on other key sites that come up for sale, but I feel where the guidelines are somewhat lacking is in the best practice and benchmarking which sees the lack any examples/exemplary projects, but without necessarily being too prescriptive. Keeping in mind that while the concept of 'good' design may be a rather subjective notion, it is one that should be encouraged, pursued and fostered.

The inclusion of a requirement for the design of any proposed development to be reviewed during various stages of the design process by the Office of the Victorian Architect Design Review Panel is a step in the right direction as well.

On September 30th City of Melbourne resolved to approve the guidelines and with their purchase of the site are now to be implemented. The outcome will be quite interesting and it may set a template for future development of consolidated sites.

The <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutMelbourne/Documents/Therry_Elizabeth_Franklin_Queen_Block_Plan_Development_Guidelines_30_September_2014.pdf">full development guidelines document</a> and <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutCouncil/Meetings/Lists/CouncilMeetingAgendaItems/Attachments/11826/EXTRACT%20OF%20MINUTES.pdf">Council's recommendation relating to the adoption of the guidelines</a> are available from the City of Melbourne website.
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City of Melbourne releases draft guidelines and buys Munro site

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This time last year I wrote an article called "<a href="/news/blockhead-concept-this-little-piggy-went-to-market-on-his-fixie">This little piggy went to market (on his fixie)</a>" which investigated (on a purely conceptual level) redeveloping the Brunswick Market site @ 661 Sydney Road into a mixed-use village.

Like most sequels, no-one really asked for it, but I went ahead and decided to produce one anyway. Without further ado here's the highly anticipated "This little piggy went to a different market", focusing on everyone's favourite, the Queen Victoria Market.

As most readers would know, the City of Melbourne have made their intentions clear in the past year regarding the market's renewal: creating one of the world's great market experiences. City of Melbourne are currently pushing ahead with phase two of their community consultation process, covered in <a href="/news/unesco-world-heritage-listing-for-the-vic">an earlier article</a>.

Based on some of the guiding principles illustrated below, I've put together a concept for the site with a focus on the new public space and southern development site.

<a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Queen Victoria Market Planning Strategy. © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="695" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket_0.jpg?itok=jvk9iWQI" title="Queen Victoria Market Planning Strategy. © City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

I've kept it rather broad and conceptual, to nut out the finer details and design it correctly would take more time than I can presently afford.

Put simply it's an idea around a series of new glazed and timber sheds which house various programs (such as nurseries, a community veggie patch, microbrewery and TAFE) bordering a large public space, featuring a mix of soft and hard landscaping.

For the new development to the south, I've kept the buildings which interface with the Queen, Franklin and William Streets to maximum height of eight levels. Predominantly residential in use they are clad in a mix of timber, masonry and off-form concrete with retail at ground level. A new laneway off Franklin Street snakes its way through the site and out on to Queen Street.

To the south of the laneway sits 18-storey and 80-storey buildings of mixed uses; the taller of which is loosely based on a shard-like reinterpretation of DCM's unbuilt Building 4 at the former Carlton Brewery site.

And with that I shall let you all (hopefully) enjoy these conceptual images:

<dl>
<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_01_1.png" rel="gallery-all" title="New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="241" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_01_1.png?itok=vijLeMYL" title="New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>New development to Peel &amp; Franklin Streets. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_02.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="239" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_02.png?itok=ByAJeeNw" title="Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>Plaza view looking west along new Franklin St. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_04_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="297" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_04_0.png?itok=DUmF24LZ" title="Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>Aerial view of north end and market precinct. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/tower_0.png" rel="gallery-all" title="300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="286" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/tower_0.png?itok=6P6MpAmb" title="300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>300m tower - drawing cues from DCM's unbuilt Brewery tower. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03a.png" rel="gallery-all" title="View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="167" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03a.png?itok=FyLk9orc" title="View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>View of new development from Queen Street. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
	<dt><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03.png" rel="gallery-all" title="View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="237" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/QVM_03.png?itok=5V7tSACP" title="View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir" width="580"></a></dt>
	<dd>View looking east along Franklin Street with skyline in the distance. © Laurence Dragomir</dd>
</dl>
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This little piggy went to a different market (probably on foot)

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Seems quite the paradox! A lead image showing a shiny new mixed-use development cut with the title suggesting UNESCO World Heritage listing for the existing Queen Victoria Market. Change is inevitable it seems for the Vic as City of Melbourne yesterday went into overdrive, banging the drums and heralding a second phase of community consultation for the icon's redevelopment.

All the juicy questions and intended answers regarding City of Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market Phase 2 can be <a href="http://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/queenvictoriamarket/faqs" target="_blank">found here</a>.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © City of Melbourne"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="695" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/Image2vmarket.jpg?itok=vAeeH4AN" title="Image © City of Melbourne" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image © City of Melbourne</figcaption></figure>In brief, the development seeks the following:

<ul>
<li>Remove cars from public spaces to make room for more retail, hospitality and events. A new below ground area could accommodate the market’s customer car park, along with new storage and operational facilities, making it more convenient for shoppers and traders.</li>
	<li>Retain and enhance the authentic market character and experience and explore opportunities for new retail, hospitality, events and activities.</li>
	<li>Create a major new public open space for the market and the city’s north.</li>
	<li>Connect Franklin Street to Dudley Street to improve traffic connections around the market, reducing congestion and making it easier for people to move around. Connecting Franklin and Dudley streets will link the market with the central city and surrounding neighbourhood.</li>
	<li>Create land suitable for mixed-use development, with funds raised through the development of land to the market’s south directed to the market renewal project</li>
</ul>
Here's another question: will the below ground car park entry be within the vicinity of Victoria and Peel? Traffic backs up quite considerably during peak times around the market, surely the new car park facility won't transplant a bank of waiting cars from a barely manageable entry at Franklin Street further north to the intersection of Peel and Victoria. Then again maybe that's nothing new!

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/VicMarket3.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victoria Street in peak hour. Image © Peter Maltezos"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="413" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/VicMarket3.jpg?itok=NB-ZRSpO" title="Victoria Street in peak hour. Image © Peter Maltezos" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victoria Street in peak hour. Image © Peter Maltezos</figcaption></figure>Once said and done, "The City of Melbourne will seek UNESCO World Heritage Listing for Queen Victoria Market at the conclusion of the renewal process, so any plans for this are at a very early stage," and would likely centre around a cultural listing.

As for the expected large-scale, mixed-use development fronting a remodelled Franklin Street and its unnamed counterpart, Peddle Thorp have devised a concept design for the island site and describe it as follows:

<blockquote>
Victoria Market is a commercial and 700+ apartment development spread over two towers, with an active street level of retail, cafe and amenities, complementing the Queen Victoria Market across the road. Ground level also houses art incubators which together with the retail opportunities presents residents with a vibrant place to live in.

The lower levels of each tower are designed to cater for boutique commercial opportunities whilst the floors above will house residential apartments with terrace spaces that allow for open visual connections with the tapestry of market life below.
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/vicmart_render_01__thumb4.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Image © Peddle Thorp"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="708" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/vicmart_render_01__thumb4.jpg?itok=d-l3TlAv" title="Image © Peddle Thorp" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Image © Peddle Thorp</figcaption></figure>Art incubators, retail spaces to service the area's exploding population, a new public space/park and enhanced amenity - surely these are noble aspirations? Clearly not in everyone's eyes; for some light relief peruse the comments section of The Age's <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/vic-market-plan-has-large-plaza-and-land-sales-to-developers-20140421-370ht" target="_blank">related piece</a> yesterday... and no you can't UNESCO World Heritage list an open air car park.
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UNESCO World Heritage listing for the Vic?

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Last Wednesday evening marked the final Night Market hosted at the Queen Vic over a prolonged summer season due to the fine weather spell. Their website provides a brief overview, <q cite="https://web.archive.org/web/20130120020937/http://www.qvm.com.au/snm/snm_home.aspx">Now in its 15th year, the Suzuki Night Market attracts over 200 stall holders and showcases some of Melbourne’s finest artisans, producing locally made clothing, jewellery, prints and an array of cultural goods.</q> I must admit i'm not much for jewellery and the like, but the food stalls and entertainment are second to none.
This summer may have come and gone but next summer season at the Night Market promises to be bigger and better, as all that have passed previously. Find below a photographic essay taken over a number of hot and humid wednesday evenings with a particular slant toward food... bring on next summer!
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