State government approves City of Melbourne’s ‘Boyd Village’ redevelopment in Southbank
A key Southbank site has been given the green light for development, bringing affordable housing to the inner city and creating hundreds of construction jobs.
Victoria
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A City of Melbourne plan to redevelop a key Southbank site with affordable housing and community facilities has finally been given the green light.
The council has partnered with developer PDG Corporation to transform the old J H Boyd Girl’s School site near City Rd into a “vertical village” with a park.
PDG, which paid the council $16.5 million for some of the land, will build a multi-level residential tower.
It will include 40 affordable housing units and 920 sqm of community facilities to be managed by Town Hall.
The site’s redevelopment has been planned for several years, with the state government now giving approval to the venture.
Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the project would create 500 construction jobs.
“We understand the importance of construction to our local economy, and that’s why we are supporting projects that deliver work opportunities for all tradies from concreters to sparkies to glaziers and many others,” she said.
“These new facilities will allow for the expansion of the City of Melbourne’s existing services at the much-loved Boyd Community Hub.”
Deputy Lord Mayor Nicholas Reece said the project showed what could be achieved when local government and the private sector worked well together.
“Southbank needs more community facilities and this project will also help to reduce the shortage of affordable homes within the City of Melbourne,” he said.
A hotel originally planned for the site will not go ahead.
Most of the tower will comprise apartments, while shops and co-working areas will be built on the ground floor.
In 2018, the council said a basketball court was originally mooted for the site, but after community consultation, it was decided the court would be located in the Kings Way undercroft as part of the separate City Rd master plan.
PDG is already involved in building the council’s Munro development next to Queen Victoria Market, which will also include cheaper housing and community facilities.
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