The Age Embraces Market Plans -
In an editorial this week The Age announced its support for the
Melbourne City Council plan to retain the market in its current form.
Reference was made to the need for a social enterprise rather than
a commercial one and the importance of “grittiness” and “anarchy” over a
sanitised presentation. The article talked about the sense of moving parking
underground and the appropriateness of green park over graves.
We liked their comment about extending the use of the market site –
“Victorians want more of the Vic Market - let's give it to them.”
Go to The Age for the full article - http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/vic-market-must-be-preserved-and-enriched-20140426-37aa1.html
Participate Melbourne Receives Input -
As part of the second stage of renewal consultation the City of Melbourne has a forum on its website inviting comments on QVM. Here are some inputs -
I think that the market is definitely due for renewal, so this is a really good and important project. It would be great if the market could connect better to Flagstaff gardens. The new development site offers a great opportunity to further connect the CBD with the market, and so strategically placed shops, and a well designed ground floor that opens on all ends would be useful. A new open space will be great, particularly if it can be used for community events. The roundabouts (particularly Dudley St) have been a menace to cyclists and I will be glad to see them go.
The new public space will be an exciting opportunity for some more greenery in the area, even if it is amongst a commercial area. A multi-purpose space that could be used in the night markets with multiple areas for performances would be great. If this can be set in a leafy environment, watered with all the water coming off the roofs of the sheds it would be an excellent space for the community.
Congratulation CoM on your bold initiative to create a new public space for the city's north. I would like to question however the urban thinking in the proposed extension of Franklin St. In effect this places a new conflicting high use roadway directly into the Market precinct which previously did not exist. This seems conceptually inappropriate and incompatible with the adjacent New Public Space. Are we are missing out on the opportunity to possibly repurpose the Storage Sheds and add new life to the Public Space? Are cars simply winning again?