Melbourne council to consider ideas such as microbrewery or bakery for Queen Victoria Market greenhouse

A MICROBREWERY could open at Queen Victoria Market as Melbourne city council calls for innovative ideas for a greenhouse that will sit atop the $5.6 million pavilion in Queen St.

Artist impression of the Queen Victoria Market pavilion.

A MICROBREWERY could open at Queen Victoria Market in a new traders’ pavilion.

Melbourne city council is calling for innovative ideas for a greenhouse that will sit atop the $5.6 million pavilion in Queen St.

Deputy lord mayor Arron Wood said the 900sq m glass rooftop space in the heart of the market precinct would be a drawcard.

“More than 10 million people visit Queen Victoria Market every year, so this is an unprecedented opportunity for specialists in fresh food production, education, hospitality, sustainability and technology to fit out and operate a coveted space,” he said.

“From gardens filled with heirloom fruit, vegetables and indigenous plants to a microbrewery, bakery and cooking displays, the sky’s the limit for what could be achieved in this exciting new rooftop area.”

The 120m-high pavilion will be a temporary structure for traders relocated by the proposed $250 million market redevelopment.

Deputy Lord Mayor Arron Wood says the 900sq m glass rooftop space in the heart of the market precinct will be a drawcard.

QUEEN VIC MARKET REDEVELOPMENT GIVEN GREEN LIGHT

CITY OF MELBOURNE APPROVES GREENHOUSE PAVILION AT MARKET

MARKET REDEVELOPMENT CHANGES REVEALED

The 120m-high pavilion will be a temporary structure for traders relocated by the proposed $250 million market redevelopment.

Designed by Breathe Architecture, it will be suspended on columns 9m in the air with open air trading at ground level.

Construction is due to start next month, with traders shifted to the pavilion next March, and the greenhouse to start operating in mid-2018

However, Mary Lou Howie, from the Friends of Queen Victoria Market group, claimed that most traders were against the pavilion concept and opposed the plan for a carpark and trader facilities to be built under some of the heritage sheds.

“Women hate to park like that, you feel very insecure,” she said.

“When you’re shopping and you’ve got big trolleys it’s not how you want to do it.”

The current Queen Victoria Market pavilion site.

Ms Howie also questioned the National Trust of Victoria announcing its support for the project after previously expressing concern about heritage issues and nearby overdevelopment.

Melbourne Heritage Action, which is supported but the Trust, said in a statement on Thursday that excavating under sheds A-D would be a “massive intervention”.

“It represents a major change for sheds A-D, in both intervention and interruption of the ‘open character’, and probable changes to the operational ‘theatre’ of the market,” the group said.

Cr Wood said plans released last month revealed a smaller but deeper footprint for the basement under the sheds, which also meant the market pavilion could be reduced to 120m.

“After listening to customers and trader feedback, we developed an approach that delivers the back-of-house facilities traders have long requested while limiting shed removal and minimising disruption to market trade during renewal,” he said.

Expressions of interest for the pavilion greenhouse open today and close at 11am on October 9. Details: melbourne.vic.gov.au

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@JMasanauskas