Plans to revamp Glen Waverley’s Kingsway dining precinct will remove 99 carparks

PARKING spaces are out and pedestrians are in, with plans for Glen Waverley’s dining precinct stripping Kingsway of nearly 100 carparks.

An artist’s impression of the Monash council’s plans to transform Kingsway in Glen Waverley into a pedestrian-friendly space.

GLEN WAVERLEY’S dining precinct will undergo an overhaul to push out parking and bring in more pedestrians, under council’s latest plans.

Kingsway will be stripped of 99 kerbside carparks with just the median strip of parks left, so diners and visitors have more space on the footpath.

The 99 spaces will be relocated into another carpark — to be built before the Kingsway transformation — in a 1200-space multi-level carpark on Montclair Ave.

But the carpark will also have to include 800 new parks partly paid for by traders contributions, 199 existing parks on the site, and 197 parks to replace those in Kingsway and the Glendale East carpark.

Glen Waverley’s Kingsway dining precinct is home to a number of eateries.

Mayor Rebecca Paterson said Kingsway was a premier dining and entertainment precinct but traffic congestion was causing significant issues.

“The traffic congestion, particularly cars waiting in Kingsway for a car space to become free, is undermining the potential of this area,” she said.

Glen Waverley Traders Association president Christo Christophidis welcomed the transformation but said parking was the number one issue and a carpark needed to be built immediately.

“It will be game changing, as we are the jewel in Monash’s crown,” he said.

“We are the busiest precinct in Monash and deserve the attention and funds to elevate the aesthetic look and services that must come with change before other precincts get the much valued funds.

“We cannot wait three years for this to be built ... We need one right now to begin building.”

Mr Christophidis said Glen Waverley had a “bad reputation that parking officers are like hawks” and more needed to be done to encourage people to come into the area, not drive past.

Council intends the carpark to be delivered on a cost-neutral basis using past and future trader car parking contributions — including the already $8 million contribution paid.

Cr Paterson said the transformation was just a concept, so no dates had been proposed for works.