Call for city businesses to stay open longer as $1.7bn Southbank arts precinct gathers pace

A call has been made for Melbourne businesses to stay open later at night. It comes as the city’s arts precinct is transformed.

CBD businesses should consider staying open later to cash in on Melbourne’s booming night time economy, a city lobby group says.

And a key employers’ organisation wants Melbourne to host a world-class business conference that would bring the best minds to the city for an event that would be syndicated globally.

As the inner city continues to recover from pandemic lockdowns, trends are emerging on how people work and visit the CBD.

Office occupancy rates are still well below 50 per cent, but the city is often buzzing with activity on week nights, and during weekends.

Committee for Melbourne CEO Mark Melvin said the way some people work will have changed permanently, with many working part of their week from home.

“It is therefore important that we find a way of developing an experience economy that means that city workers are encouraged to come in to work, and also participate in activities in the CBD,” he said.

Melbourne businesses could benefit from staying open later, a lobby group believes. Picture Getty

“CBD businesses might consider changing their ways of working. Since the night time economy is booming, then maybe retail and arts organisations could open longer into the evening to take advantage of the increased foot traffic.”

Mr Melvin said it was crucial that a revitalisation process for the CBD considered Greater Melbourne, and how residents across the whole city took part in the work and life of the city.

“Where projects in the CBD can be accessible from across the whole of the city, or allow the public to participate – such as more green areas and experience spaces – these are ways of attracting residents into the CBD,” he said.

Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry chief executive Paul Guerra said that work patterns were still a work in progress, but it was likely that employees would return to offices three days a week on average.

“There could be an opportunity for companies to share accommodation,” he said.

“We might say, let’s take a floor, three days a week for the first week I’ll take it, you take it two days, and then the next week we swap.”

“We may get to the point of universities expanding into a CBD office environment. There’s a way to run before we panic about turning it all into housing.”

Mr Guerra said Melbourne needed to attract more corporate head offices, and create a world-class business conference of its own.

“It should have a Melbourne flavour, and become the go-to event from anywhere in the world so that any business leader would want to attend,” he said.

The city’s night culture could boost CBD retail and food ventures. Picture: Getty

“Let’s bring the bright minds of the state together – we understand how to run events, we understand how to run conferences – now let’s get the right people together to say what are the best conferences in the world.”

“What’s the hallmark of those, and how do we then develop our own for Melbourne to attract the best of the world to be at?”

The chamber’s aim would be that within five years the conference was syndicated globally.

Mr Guerra said that Melbourne also had the opportunity to better showcase the state’s Indigenous heritage, such as creating a major Aboriginal cultural centre.

City of Melbourne is planning to undertake a feasibility study and business case for a First Nations Cultural Precinct designed with Indigenous groups where “First Peoples can practice continuity of customs and traditions”

New parkland at heart of arts precinct

New public parkland being built behind the NGV to connect Melbourne’s leading arts institutions will be almost the size of the MCG oval, and open within six years.
Early works have gathered pace on the $1.7bn Melbourne Arts Precinct transformation, which is underpinned by a new contemporary gallery with a rooftop terrace — providing sweeping views across the Yarra River and CBD.

The new gallery was recently gifted a record $100m by Lindsay and Paula Fox, and will now be called The Fox: NGV Contemporary.

Park land spreading across 18,000 sqm will be built between the contemporary gallery, the existing NGV, and the Arts Centre, with connections and entrances to the tourist drawcards.

The park land around Melbourne’s leading arts institutions will be almost as big as the MCG.

How the parkland area will look at the revamped Arts Centre.

The Fox: NGV Contemporary, is to be built at Southbank.

President of the Council of Trustees of the National Gallery of Victoria, Janet Whiting, said the “meadow” would be permanently activated and create a flow south to the Melbourne Recital Centre, Buxton Contemporary, the VCA, the Malthouse, and ACCA.
To the north it will point towards Federation Square and ACMI.
“It will be one continuous space that leads from one (venue) to the next, to the next,” she said.

“There’s nowhere in the world that will have it.”
Ms Whiting said the project had been planned to provide easy access to the world-class facilities around Southbank, with the existing NGV outdoor areas to be remodelled.

“It will all connect, we (the NGV) are contributing our garden, that will all connect to the ‘Meadow’,” she said.
“The planting will change, and there will be sculptures — large-scale, strong works that can be outside.”

Ms Whiting said the new open space would be free and available all year round, and while new restaurants and cafes would entice hungry visitors, families could also come with a picnic to enjoy the stunning scenery.

“It is going to be safe, and well lit. The whole aim is to keep the area activated,” she said.

Construction has begun on the project, with the early works including the removal of City Road steps and the Arts Centre Melbourne’s Harold Alexander Terrace.

Plants, trees, landscaping and paved outdoor areas behind the Theatres Building and towards Hamer Hall will also be removed, in order to clear the area for building and landscaping.

When the project is complete, the new public parklands will have “significantly” more plants, trees and landscaping, project plans say.

The project has been planned to provide easy access to the world-class facilities around Southbank

The new gallery was gifted $100m by Lindsay and Paula Fox.

It will be Australia’s largest gallery of contemporary art and design.

Importantly, both major political parties strongly back the project, and say it will be a leading tourism attraction when finished in 2028.

Sport, Tourism and Major Events Minister, Steve Dimopoulos, said the Melbourne was the cultural capital of Australia but the new NGV contemporary building “will be a globally significant building and further enhance Melbourne’s reputation throughout the globe”.

“When completed, the arts precinct will be one of the world’s great cultural destinations, providing thousands of jobs for Victorians along the way”.
He said the transformation would bring “cutting edge contemporary art and design to Victoria” and exhibit the state’s artists to the world.

Opposition arts spokesman, David Davis, said the project would strengthen the NGV’s “position as the pre-eminent gallery in the southern hemisphere”.

“An expanded NGV with its new contemporary arts expansion has not only importance for Melbourne and arts tourism, but also for the whole state,” he said.

“The Liberals and Nationals will foster the leadership role of the NGV of other public galleries across the state, noting its significant support through leadership in curating, collection conservation and travelling collections.”

Once the arts precinct revamp is finished by 2028, there will be new dining and event spaces, as well as a refurbishment of Victoria’s State Theatre.

There will also be a better flow through to the western section of Southbank and the Yarra River, with benefits likely to be passed to existing venues along the waterfront.

The Fox: NGV Contemporary will have a massive 30,000 sqm of accessible space, including 13,000 sqm of dedicated display areas for art and design.

The publicly-accessible rooftop terrace will include a sculpture garden, opening up a new vantage point across the CBD and towards the Yarra Valley.

It will be the largest gallery dedicated to contemporary art and design in Australia.