Queen Victoria Market sheds excavation to be deeper but over less area, council plan reveals

CHANGES to the redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market have been revealed today — and it’s good news for fruit and veg traders.

EXCAVATIONS under Queen Victoria Market’s distinctive sheds will be deeper but affect a smaller area under revised plans for the heritage-listed site today.

The Melbourne City Council also revealed that the new “glasshouse” pavilion will be much shorter in length. The $5.6 million structure will be built on the northern end of Queen St, providing space for traders disrupted when the redevelopment proper begins.

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Changes to the excavation under the sheds means fewer fruit and veg traders would be disrupted so the new pavilion only needed to be 120m long, not 250m as first planned.

Artist's impression of the (revised) market pavilion for the Queen Victoria Market renewal project. The market will house traders who are displaced when the main redevelopment begins. Pic: City of Melbourne

Work on the open-air, two-level building will start in October.

Digging will be under the western end of Sheds A to D which were built between 1878 and 1922. Vehicle access to the underground operations and car park will be via Peel St. Part of the roof of Shed D will be raised to allow for high trucks.

Less work will be needed to restore the Queen Victoria Market sheds. Pic: Aaron Francis

The digging work will affect a section of the former Jewish cemetery. But council has confirmed with the Jewish community that graves in the area were exhumed as long ago as 1922.

Map of the Old Melbourne Cemetery, currently the site of the Queen Victoria Market. The red line indicates the location of the proposed underground operations.

Aerial view of proposed below ground operational area of the A to D Sheds at the Queen Victoria Market. Victoria St on the left, Peel St on the right. Pic: City of Melbourne

Some of the restoration work on the sheds is also not as drastic as was first feared. Some structural reinforcing will take place, as well as better roofing and solar panels.

The revised basement option under the Queen Victoria Market sheds. Pic: City of Melbourne.

The three levels plus mezzanine will be for goods deliveries, storage, cool rooms as well as waste and recycling. The bottom floor will provide 220 car spaces for customers.

Some fruit and veg traders will move to the new pavilion during redevelopment. Pic: Aaron Francis

Melbourne's Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood announced the changes. Picture: Andrew Henshaw

Another 500 parks will be provided in the Munro site development between Therry and Franklin streets.

The glasshouse-style pavilion is intended to be a five-year option but it could remain if required.

The council is also offering traders financial and business support during the transition, aiming to head off any concerns about from stallholders.

An $8 million fund has been set aside to help traders during the five-year redevelopment.

Eleven traders have sat on the Traders Representative Committee during consultations.

Council officers were briefing dozens of traders on the proposed changes on Thursday afternoon.

Council is pushing ahead in the redevelopment of the Queen Victoria Market. Pic: Michael Klein

Acting Lord Mayor Arron Wood said the tradeable area would be double the existing quantity when completed.

He said the market was home to about 700 small businesses who are “at the heart of the market and an integral part of its future’’.

“The recently-released independent business case showed us that doing nothing is not an option and without intervention, businesses will continue to decline,’’ Cr Wood said.

The Queen St and Therry St sections of the market will be free of traffic when the $250 million project is complete.

Councillors will review the latest proposals on Tuesday.

The Queen St area where the market pavilion will be built. Pic: City of Melbourne

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