Changes slated for iconic St Kilda precinct

St Kilda’s bustling tourism precinct is tipped to get a huge makeover, with cars to be banished from some roads to create a pedestrian plaza.

Render of the proposed Palais Theatre and Luna Park revitalisation project. Picture: Port Phillip Council

An iconic St Kilda precinct will be upgraded for pedestrians and to deter hostile vehicle attacks under a $3.8m council plan.

The City of Port Phillip wants to create a plaza in front of the Palais Theatre to be integrated with the entrance to adjacent Luna Park.

It would feature seating, garden beds and trees, improved paving and new public lighting, but would require changes to road use.

In a report to go before a council meeting on Wednesday, management said the revitalisation project would mitigate the “threat of vehicles used as weapons (VAW)” and enhance the iconic status of the popular precinct.

“Whilst providing a visual cue and some level of protection from potential VAW, the barriers used on event days do not provide the level of protection that rated (hostile vehicle mitigation) barriers and objects do, which must perform to a standard,” it said.

“Other public realm shortcomings include inadequate public lighting, a lack of shade and areas to sit, and inadequate road crossing facilities on Cavell St to meet demand during the tourist season.”

The Lower Esplanade would be closed to make way for the plaza. Picture: Port Phillip Council

The plaza would include garden beds, seating and enhanced street lighting. Picture: Port Phillip Council

Pending approval, the section of Cavell St between the Palais and Luna Park will become a shared zone, and Lower Esplanade in front of the theatre will be closed and the section to Jacka Blvd will be made two-way.

Council received $1.3m from the Department of Environment Land Water and Planning for theatre forecourt construction, and has put up $2.5m of ratepayer funding for the project.

Construction is due to start in May 2022 and take about six months, with some disruption to traffic and pedestrians expected.

The Esplanade Market and access to the Palais and Luna Park will remain open during construction, which is planned to occur outside summer.

Submissions on the road closures can be made from December 15 until January 23, while council will decide on whether to close the roads at a February 16 meeting.

The council report said the precinct revitalisation relied on the Lower Esplanade closure as a key project component.

“Should the road closure process be delayed, this may impact the construction timeline,” it said.