Residents from inner city Melbourne are angered over the local governments bulldog approach to ignore their concerns and destroy the century old feel of the area.
The legendary Palace music venue has already been torn down after a well-timed fire gave developers a reason to demolish the building. (Was anyone ever charged over that fire?)The development proposal is to build a monstrosity the size of a shopping mall on the beautiful St Kilda foreshore.
Spread over five levels on this beachfront public space, there will be:
• 181 retail tenancies, which include 36 national chains and 90 'independents' (defined by the developer as a trader with less than 10 stores).à
• a cluster of nightclubs and music venues plus pubs, taverns, bars and restaurants (including a restaurant to train hospitality students)
• a multi-screen cinema complex
• a 90-room hotel and convention space
• a fitness centre
• an art gallery
• 1200 space car park
• public grass areas on the roof of the complex,
• public walkways throughout,àpublic steps leading to Jacka Boulevard and a shop-fronted public plaza.
Destroyed in this madness will be the 100 year old split-level beachside promenade,
When the idea was first proposed years ago, St Kilda Council told Undercover at the time that the concerns of the locals at the time were not realistic and that the plans would not effect the cultural aspects of the area. Well it will ... unless enough residents can be heard.
The residents have always been prepared to compromise.
• A restored Palais Theatre as the main attraction on the site.à An elegant, glamorous queen hosting concerts (classical to rock), plays, events, movies, parties.?
• One , only one , big live music venue (to replace the burnt down Palace venue).?
• Additional venues to be kept relatively modest in size and required to deliver a mix of innovative and funky styles, focus on nurturing new talent , music, performance, comedy, multi-media work. ?
• No major pubs or large drinking venues. We already have a selection of large eating and drinking areas at the Sea Baths.à The St Kilda Triangle should offer a different experience.à We suggest small intimate spaces , small bars and cafes, attracting new owner/operators. There are plenty of examples in the CBD to inspire the St Kilda Triangle site.?
• Abundance of public open spaces to challenge the imagination to engage in a range of non-commercial, non-paying, non-consuming activities.à These could include innovative kids play areas, comfortable and inviting seating, protected areas to escape traffic, wind, and searing summer sun, pathways, small and large meeting spaces, including open parkland for public events and exhibitions.à ?
• Care in design so that public spaces are not overwhelmed by private drinking spaces.?
• Some retail to support the cultural, entertainment and recreational focus of the site and its foreshore location. This is not the place for a supermarket, nor for large clothing, electrical, home wares and other consumer goods chain stores. The total number of tenancies should be drastically reduced, suggest less than one third of the current proposal of 181.à Small, owner-operated shops or kiosks, that in themselves could become an integral part of the site's attraction if they displayed creative and original wares, in keeping with the vision of non-mainstream, non mass-produced expression of the cultural offerings.?
• New buildings and landscaping should not obstruct views from the Upper Esplanade promenade to the bay and the beach, nor to the Palais Theatre and Luna Park.?
• We do not support the proposed loss of the upper/lower Esplanade topography.à We would prefer to maintain the Upper Esplanade as an elevated boulevard.à However, we can envisage gentle terracing towards , and even over , Jacka Boulevard, to provide direct pedestrian access to the beach.
Objections are urgent. They must be placed with St Kilda Council today (November 29).
Visit the website and object to the madness.
http://www.unchainstkilda.org/
