Road closures, pop-up parks planned as restrictions ease in Port Phillip
Street playgrounds, pop-up parks and roads taken over by outdoor dining tables are on the cards in Port Phillip under a bid to revitalise the area when coronavirus restrictions lift. But not everyone is happy about the alfresco-only dining plan.
Inner South
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Children could soon be playing in the streets in Port Phillip under a plan to turn roads into pop-up play areas.
The move is part of Port Phillip Council’s drive to reactivate public space once coronavirus restrictions ease.
Street closures to allow for socially distanced outdoor dining are also on the cards to help hospitality businesses decimated by the shutdowns.
The council has already submitted three grant applications to create the parklets and “play streets” and hopes to snag a share of the State Government’s outdoor eating and entertainment package cash to help restaurants and cafes get back on their feet and welcome diners.
Mayor Bernadene Voss said the council had waived footpath trading fees until the end of the year as part of its $2.8 million COVID-19 emergency relief package.
A new business advisory group has also been set up to help guide the council’s decisions to “reduce red tape” for businesses. The group will meet for the first time on September 22.
“Outdoor dining will be key to reinvigorating Port Phillip and we’re looking forward to a safe and thriving summer, as our much-loved venues re-imagine and reinvent themselves in these unprecedented times,” she said.
But many top restaurateurs, including the Stokehouse’s Frank Van Haandel, say the government’s $290 million plan to expand alfresco dining would not work for many restaurants.
Mr Van Haandel said while outdoor dining sounded idyllic, Melbourne’s weather was too unpredictable to sustain a business.
“We are not Port Douglas or Noosa down here. The wind can pick up, your food gets blown off the table and it’s cold within two minutes,” he said.
“We absolutely have to have internal dining and it needs to be 50-plus patrons.”
Meanwhile, Port Phillip Council has also snagged $1.3 million from the government towards creating an outdoor plaza in the Palais Theatre forecourt — part of the notorious St Kilda Triangle site.
The plans include ice-cream shaped anti-terrorism bollards and a road closed to create a grassed area connecting the Palais to Luna Park.
The project, which will see 20 car spaces removed from the precinct, will also include a raised pedestrian crossing on Cavell St, as well as new garden beds, trees and street lighting.
The council will contribute $2.5 million to the redevelopment, which has been touted to become “the jewel in St Kilda’s crown”.
Cr Voss said the pandemic had made the council “even more aware” or the importance of outdoor public spaces.
A further $1.3 million from the State Government’s local parks program will be used to create a new park in Kings Plaza, South Melbourne — one of Port Phillip’s most built up and space-starved areas.
“As our city grows, it’s important to create outdoor space for our residents and visitors, so everyone can experience the joys of living, working or playing in Port Phillip,” she said.
Constructions is due to start next month.
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