Local developer Harridan is seeking to turn its Woolloongabba apartment project into the first stage of a broader transformation of Burke Street, using a new 16-storey mixed-use building to establish a greener pedestrian connection toward the rapidly evolving Boggo Road transport and knowledge precinct.

The South East Queensland developer has filed plans for 154 apartments on the <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/4-burke-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">southern side of Burke Street</a>, where its proposal has been designed alongside a wider vision by LatStudios for the street.

That vision positions the southern side of Burke Street for buildings of 15 storeys and above, while envisaging lower-rise development of up to five storeys on the northern side to transition into Woolloongabba's existing character housing. It also proposes wider pedestrian verges, deep planting, new street trees and upgrades to the pedestrian approach to Boggo Road Station.

The Harridan development itself has been designed by Brisbane-based Arqus Design and will comprise 154 apartments across 16 storeys. The mix is weighted heavily toward two-bedroom apartments, with 121 proposed alongside 10 one-bedroom and 23 three-bedroom residences. There will typically be around 14 units per floor.

A lower-ground car park and three podium levels will accommodate 156 resident parking spaces, along with visitor and commercial parking. There will also be 154 resident bicycle spaces and 40 visitor bicycle parks.

&nbsp;

Harridan is a family-owned developer and part of the Holmwood Highgate Group, with more than three decades of development activity across South East Queensland. Its portfolio spans residential, commercial and industrial property, with current residential projects including Riverbank on Byron in Bulimba, Esperance Residences in Carina and The Precinct at Kinross Road in Thornlands.

Wooloongabba has been popular for apartment developers, particularly since the announcement of the 2032 Summer Olympics games in Brisbane.

While there have been a lot of development applications, it has failed to materialize into real supply.&nbsp;

Sarazin has been the major player in the area. They are under construction at Murcia Residences, on the fringe of East Brisbane and Woolloongabba. They have just launched <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-stanley-residences-woolloongabba-8-trafalgar-street-woolloongabba-qld-4102">The Stanley Residences</a>, in Woolloongabba on Trafalagar Street. They also have Nuage coming soon on the nearby <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/nuage-woolloongabba-14-wellington-road-woolloongabba-qld-4102">Wellington Road</a>.

Joel Robinson

First look: Harridan plans Burke Street transformation beside Boggo Road transport hub

IN BRIEF

<ul>
	<li>
	Just three double-storey Sky Homes sit at the top of The Waterline, each with its own private marina berth and rooftop terrace.
	</li>
	<li>
	Construction on The Waterline is complete, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.
	</li>
	<li>
	Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and are priced from $3.65 million.
	</li>
</ul>

<hr />
Lewis Land has opened the first completed sky home for inspection at Harbour Shores, giving buyers their first opportunity to step inside one of just three double-storey residences crowning The Waterline.

Each sky home comes with its own private marina berth, rooftop terrace and Broadwater views, combining the scale of a larger home with direct access to the boating lifestyle that underpins the wider <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/harbour-shores-biggera-waters-564-oxley-drive-biggera-waters-qld-4216">Harbour Shores</a> masterplan.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366708]

Lewis Land Head of Development Michael Long said the inclusion of a berth with every Sky Home had become increasingly valuable as marina access across the Gold Coast tightened.

“Marina berths are becoming increasingly difficult to secure across the Gold Coast, so including one with every Sky Home makes this a genuinely rare offering,” Long said.

“The private 70-berth marina will accommodate boats up to 12 metres in length and is positioned just 2.5 kilometres from the Broadwater, placing the open ocean only 15 minutes away.

“Being able to step out of your home onto your boat is a rare luxury, and it’s something residents here can look forward to when it opens later this year.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=113271 project_image_fid=366709]

The display opening comes as construction completes on The Waterline, with the first residents expected to move in from mid-October.

The three Sky Homes range from 282 sqm to 367 sqm and each feature three bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive kitchens with butler's pantries and large balconies taking in the Broadwater outlook.

Each residence also has three secure basement car spaces and additional storage.

“This is the first opportunity the Gold Coast has had to step into Harbour Shores and see, touch and feel what we’re bringing to life here,” Long said.

“There are only three Sky Homes within The Waterline, ranging in size from 282sqm to 367sqm, with each residence featuring three large bedrooms, three bathrooms, multiple living zones, expansive custom-built kitchens with butler’s pantry, and large balconies capturing Broadwater views.”

<img alt="Harbour Shores" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="bab65e10-4fab-45e1-92d8-fc56e2ab98ff" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-25%20at%202.00.16%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=XT8q76LsPkw3cYTsvN3JfFDaPLud90PN" />

Residents of The Waterline will have access to a private pool, along with Harbour Shores' wider collection of amenity including a lagoon pool, social clubhouse, tennis court, gym, yoga facilities and sauna.

Lewis Land partnered with Studio Collective to furnish the completed display, with the interiors designed to demonstrate how the residences could function as permanent homes rather than simply as show apartments.

Studio Collective Director Melissa Park said the surrounding waterways informed the interiors, but in a more restrained way than a traditional coastal scheme.

“We drew inspiration from the canals and coastal surrounds, but our approach was to interpret that subtly through layered materials and a grounded palette of earthy tones, rather than literal coastal references,” Park said.

“We introduced hero moments of green and teal to reference the surrounding waterways, while mirrored elements help reflect natural light.

“The result is a residence that feels elevated yet comfortable, somewhere buyers can genuinely imagine themselves living, entertaining and unwinding.”

Sky Homes are priced from $3.65 million.

Lewis Land is also offering private marina berths with The Residences, its limited collection of three and four-bedroom villas positioned directly along the Harbour Shores waterfront boardwalk.

Three-bedroom villas are priced from $2.99 million, while four-bedroom residences start from $3.19 million.

Harbour Shores is being marketed by Colliers International.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=113271]

Lewis Land opens sky home display as The Waterline completes at Harbour Shores

St Vincent de Paul Society Housing Australia has filed plans for a major mixed-use housing precinct on the southern edge of the North Sydney CBD, adding another significant proposal to a pocket around North Sydn​ey Station that is quickly becoming one of the LGA's busiest development zones.

The State Significant Development Application covers a 5,990 sqm site at <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/1-19-mackenzie-street-lavender-bay-nsw-2060">1-19 MacKenzie Street and 211 Blues Point Road in Lavender Bay</a>, immediately south of Nor​th Sydney Station and between the commercial core and the lower-rise Lavender Bay Heritage Conservation Area.

Designed by Wardle, the proposal would deliver a new residential tower comprising 88 build-to-sell apartments and 19 affordable apartments, alongside a separate co-living building with 57 rooms and a building manager's studio.

It would also see the significant restoration and upgrade of St Francis Xavier Catholic Church, the adaptive reuse of the former school building, new parish facilities, retail, a new public square and around 1,000 sqm of publicly accessible open space.

<img alt="Vinnies North Sydney" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d5dd7f87-a617-463e-b577-17541e01f0e9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.13%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=4R8TsFN3P_LrrXO2HswTOIrx2blil8lh" />

The project is seeking a concurrent rezoning of the site to R4 High Density Residential and an increase in the maximum building height to allow a tower reaching RL120, or up to 20 storeys. The proposal was progressed through the NSW Government's Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

The build-to-sell component will be weighted toward larger apartments, with just six one-bedroom apartments compared with 31 two-beds, 43 three-beds and eight four-bedroom residences.

The 19 affordable apartments will comprise two studios, 15 one-bedroom apartments and two two-bedroom apartments, taking the total apartment component to 107 residences before the 58 co-living rooms are included.

<img alt="Vnnies" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="7d568ca5-cb90-4e18-96c6-d9795dba0c56" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.10.05%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=GY2R5M9VtQh0EKy1vajaea19PSLOPuRD" />

Wardle's design for the Vinnies site has sought to negotiate that emerging high-rise context while retaining the lower-scale character of MacKenzie Street and the adjoining heritage conservation area.

The main building adopts a three-storey podium and tower arrangement, with the podium aligned to the ridgeline and front setback of St Francis Xavier Church.&nbsp;Wardle has designed the podium with colonnades, seating, recessed entries and active ground-floor frontages, with sandstone-toned precast concrete and face brick referencing the materiality of the existing church.

The tower then steps back eight metres to the south and six metres to the north before rising in a sculpted form comprising four interlocking quadrants. Wardle has also introduced rounded forms and chamfered corners to reduce the tower's perceived bulk and improve view sharing with neighbouring development sites.

Resident facilities and outdoor areas are planned at the separation between the podium and tower at Level 3, oriented toward Sydney Harbour and the CBD skyline.

The tower itself will feature a glass reinforced concrete facade, with recessed balconies and deep reveals used both to provide shading and privacy and frame views toward the harbour and city. The lower levels take a different architectural approach, using brick and sandstone-toned finishes intended to establish a stronger relationship with St Francis Xavier Church. The Church itself will be conserved and upgraded for its continued use, while the former school building will be adaptively reused as part of the co-living component.

<img alt="Lavendar Bay" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="2d4418ad-90aa-4d49-af93-c80b140aea80" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%209.09.47%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=Kv4gzbsACaGvZSRuaqcfGC54jEJRXIDJ" />

&nbsp;

The proposal adds to an increasingly concentrated pipeline of residential development around Blue Street, MacKenzie Street and Lavender Bay.

Just west of the site, Central Element lodged plans earlier this year for one of the most significant residential developments proposed in Lavender Bay in recent years.

Central Element's SJB-designed scheme at 64-66 Lavender Street and 3-7 Middlemiss Street would deliver 163 apartments across two towers rising 23 and 32 storeys, replacing five existing apartment buildings containing 32 homes. The project also forms part of the Housing Delivery Authority pathway.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-central-element-reveals-lavender-bay-apartment-plans?utm_source=chatgpt.com" rel="noopener" target="_blank">First look: Central Element reveals Lavender Bay apartment plans</a>

Immediately around North Sy​dney Station, another two significant proposals have emerged at 5 and 15 Blue Street.

Zurich Australian Insurance Properties is seeking to adaptively reuse its longstanding commercial building at 5 Blue Street, directly above North Sydney Station, rather than demolishing the structure.

Its SSDA proposes converting the building into a 14-storey mixed-use development with 62 apartments and 86 co-living rooms, together with ground-floor retail and a major refurbishment of Blue Street Plaza. The application is currently at the Response to Submissions stage.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/nsw/first-look-zurich-targets-north-sydney-office-conversion-with-148-unit-proposal-above-metro-station">First look: Zurich targets North Sydney office conversion with 148-unit proposal above Metro station</a>

&nbsp;

First look: Vinnies files for 20-storey Lavender Bay apartment tower as North Sydney housing pocket heats up

When the opportunity arose for South Australian developer Palumbo to return to Kent Town, where it had previously delivered East Park Apartments and the East 
Rundle Apartments, it wasn't one the longstanding developer-builder was going to pass up.

The decision was quickly vindicated, with more than 30 apartments sold within the first month of launching <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/royal-apartments-kent-town-2-8-north-terrace-kent-town-sa-5067">Royal Apartments</a> to the market.

The 206-apartment development, which will bring significant new supply to Adelaide's tightly held eastern city fringe, also gives <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/palumbo">Palumbo</a> the opportunity to bring new life to one of Kent Town's most recognisable watering holes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376073]

Royal Apartments incorporates the historic Royal Hotel, a venue Palumbo Managing Director Daniel Palumbo said has a longstanding connection with the local community.

"Everyone in the area has history with the Royal Hotel," Palumbo told Apartments.com.au.

"It was quite an active pub and social gathering place for locals. We want to bring it back to its former glory."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376072]

The wider development will comprise two residential towers alongside the restored hotel, sitting on North Terrace opposite the Adelaide Park Lands.

For Palumbo, the project also marks a return to familiar territory.

The developer completed East Park Apartments next door more than a decade ago and jumped at the opportunity to develop in Kent Town again when the Royal Hotel site became available.

"The opportunity emerged, and we moved to secure the site," Palumbo said.

"We were approached by the previous landowner, who said they had extensive commitments in Sydney and weren't in a position to deliver the project.

"We took over the site and within six months recut the design scheme to be more in keeping with the type of development we want to bring to Adelaide.

"Now we're on the market and those changes have really resonated with local buyers."

That has translated into a strong start to sales, with 33 apartments transacting in the project's first 35 days.

Palumbo said the early purchaser profile had been consistent with the group's traditional focus on owner-occupiers rather than investor-led apartment stock.

"Local owner-occupiers have always been our market," he said.

"There are always some investors, but we've never developed what would be called traditional development stock. Owner-occupiers are very much our market."

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376068]

The buyer mix has been diverse so far, with downsizers and younger professionals both accounting for a significant portion of early sales.

South Australia's current stamp duty settings, which allow&nbsp;eligible homeowners in South Australia aged 60 savings of up to $103,830 on stamp duty when they downsize to a new property valued at up to $2 million,&nbsp;have helped encourage downsizer activity, while younger buyers in their late 20s and early 30s have been attracted to the opportunity to live immediately outside the CBD while still being able to walk into the city.



Location has been a major part of the proposition for both buyer cohorts.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376075]

Royal Apartments sits on North Terrace directly opposite the Adelaide Park Lands, with residents able to walk through the parklands toward the East End, Rundle Street and Rundle Mall.

Apartments have been positioned to capture views across the parklands, Adelaide skyline, Botanic Gardens and Adelaide Hills.

Palumbo believes the scarcity of developable land along this section of the Park Lands makes the site particularly difficult to replicate.

"There's very few allotments on that side that can be developed," he said.

"If this location was in New York and you were sitting on Central Park, you'd be talking about a $60 million apartments."

Royal Apartments will offer a broad mix of residences, ranging from one-bedroom apartments through to four-bedroom sub-penthouses and penthouses.

Current listings include one-bedroom apartments from $680,000, while larger three and four-bedroom residences are priced around $2.5 million.

Residents will have access to a swimming pool, gym, barbecue and recreation areas, residents' lounge and dining space, and a communal deck.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6109 project_image_fid=376067]

The apartments will feature generous balconies, while secure parking, bicycle storage and storage cages will also be provided.

A porte-cochère-style arrival and drop-off area has also resonated with buyers, particularly those attracted to being able to walk into the CBD during the day while retaining secure vehicle access at home.

Palumbo is acting as developer, architect and builder on Royal Apartments, continuing the vertically integrated model it has used across its South Australian portfolio.

The group was also behind the $150 million Sofitel Adelaide, the 251-room five-star hotel and residential tower which opened in 2021.

Palumbo said Royal's launch had come at an interesting time for the broader Adelaide apartment market.

Buyer confidence had initially been impacted by uncertainty surrounding the Federal Budget and broader economic conditions, but Palumbo believes sentiment is beginning to improve against a backdrop of significant investment flowing into South Australia.

He pointed to increased activity across defence and resources, including Olympic Dam, as potential long-term drivers of the state's economy and housing market.

"Money is starting to flow into Adeliade, significant amounts as Adelaide bucks the trend of the rest of the country.," Palumbo said.

"There's a lot of activity in the economy over the next decade. I think more investment will come into this market."

Early works on Royal Apartments are expected to commence this year, with major construction activity and cranes anticipated on site from early next year.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=6109]

Palumbo's return to Kent Town strikes early chord with buyers

Go-to builder-developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/graya">GRAYA</a> is continuing to bulk out its already impressive and diverse apartment portfolio across South East Queensland. Their latest milestone is securing development approval for Silk, its boutique riverfront apartment development in St Lucia.

The approval clears&nbsp;the way for the team to begin construction planning for the 22-residence project.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/silk-st-lucia-16-18-sandford-street-st-lucia-qld-4067">Silk</a> will rise 15 levels from an 810 sqm site at 16-18 Sandford Street, occupying a prominent bend of the Brisbane River with a prized northern aspect across Orleigh Park toward the Brisbane CBD.

The approved scheme will comprise 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences, continuing GRAYA's move into larger-format apartment developments targeting Brisbane's prestige owner-occupier market.

The project has been designed around the site's broad river frontage and dual-direction views, with GRAYA prioritising larger residences, privacy and outlook over apartment yield.

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="aa5c2349-f96c-4914-a812-1f2cd6827af8" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.44%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=WY0vEU_7vYjeRJKQHiCwFdMxu8PvFh52" />

GRAYA Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Rob Gray said the project had been shaped around local homeowners wanting to remain in St Lucia without maintaining a traditional family home.

"St Lucia is one of those suburbs people do not want to leave," Gray said.

"They know the river, the trees, UQ, the golf course, Toowong and Indooroopilly, and that familiarity is hard to replace.

"True riverfront opportunities here are exceptionally scarce. What we have designed at Silk is a way to stay in the suburb people love, with the scale and privacy of a private home and far less to maintain.

"This is not typical apartment product. It is a proper home on the river, and that is exactly what this market has been missing."

The approval comes as new apartment development continues to increase across the St Lucia and neighbouring Toowong corridor, although direct riverfront sites remain considerably more tightly held.

GRAYA Co-founder and Managing Director Andrew Gray said securing the approval had removed a significant element of development risk from Silk.

"Genuine riverfront sites of this quality in St Lucia are not something that comes up regularly," Gray said.

"The approval removes a substantial layer of execution risk, and the location underwrites demand in a way very few inner-city sites can.

"The fundamentals here are as strong as anything we have assessed in Brisbane."

<img alt="Silk St Lucia" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="d0f3d734-65e1-48e8-8ed3-2e0715ffcdd9" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-08-26%20at%208.25.56%E2%80%AFAM.png?VersionId=sOLSs_jdHkXLWbBKzRyayf5BfTb2vPsD" />

Silk will see GRAYA return to a stretch of the Brisbane River where it already has recent construction experience. The vertically integrated group recently completed ARC in neighbouring Toowong as builder for developer Spyre, delivering the riverfront project on a constrained site.

GRAYA will take a different role at Silk, controlling the project from design and development through construction and aftercare under its vertically integrated model.

The development will include a gym and resident leisure areas at ground level, integrated with the river's edge.

Silk joins a growing pipeline for GRAYA across Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which includes Enclave, The Gallery, Coral and Ripple.

The developer-builder has also recently lodged plans for its largest project to date, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-silo-19-chester-street-newstead-qld-4006">The Silo</a>, a proposed <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/news/qld/graya-buys-frasers-newstead-site-plans-the-silo-between-james-street-and-gasworks-precincts">$700 million mixed-use development</a> in Brisbane's James Street precinct.

Silk is expected to predominantly target local owner-occupiers and prestige buyers seeking a permanent riverfront home in Brisbane's inner west.

Registrations of interest are now open, with further details on the project and construction program to be released as it progresses.

<hr />
<h2>SILK PROJECT FACTS</h2>

Developer-builder: GRAYA

Project: Silk

Location: 16-18 Sandford Street, St Lucia

Apartments: 22

Built form: 15 levels

Site: 810 sqm riverfront holding

Mix: 16 split-floor and six full-floor residences

Status: Development approved

Next step: Construction planning underway

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=152168]

GRAYA greenlit for riverfront St Lucia apartment development, Silk

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>.
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Laurence Dragomir

Queen Victoria Market Renewal: Phase 3 Engagement Report 

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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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Queen Victoria Market

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