Victoria Gardens maps out $900m expansion with 17-storey tower
Victoria Gardens shopping centre has unveiled details of a massive $900m expansion.
Victoria
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An inner city shopping centre near the Yarra River would be turned into an “urban village” under a $900m redevelopment plan.
Richmond’s Victoria Gardens Shopping Centrewould be expanded to include civic plazas, a food market hall and residential towers with 1679 homes.
According to co-owners, shopping centre giant Vicinity Centres and property developer Salta Properties, the vision is to unite the shopping complex with Richmond’s “evolving urban environment via wide, active street frontages... and a network of open-air laneways”.
An estimated 680 construction jobs a year and 3300 ongoing jobs would be created by the project that is being assessed by the state government’s development facilitation program.
Vicinity chief executive Peter Huddle said the plan was to transform the Victoria St site into a sustainable mixed-use urban village, taking into account changes in how people wanted to live, work and play close to home.
“The development will seamlessly connect Victoria Gardens to the surrounding community and deliver a vibrant fresh food market hall for Richmond’s growing population,” he said.
“It will also offer more diverse housing options in an amenity-rich, urban environment to improve wellness, productivity, and social connection.”
Under the proposal, designed by architects Cox and NH, a mixed-use Doonside precinct including the market hall would be created on the corner of Burnley and Doonside streets.
A River Boulevard precinct featuring new shops, offices and a childcare centre would link the east of Victoria Gardens to the Yarra River corridor.
Both precincts will have residential, with the highest tower 17-storeys, and the others between six and 12 levels, providing one, two and three-bedroom dwellings.
The redevelopment will offer nearly one ha of new open space and about 45,000 sqm of new retail and office space.
Salta managing director Sam Tarascio said it would be the coming of age of Victoria Gardens.
“From shopping centre to a thriving and sustainable urban village in the heart of Richmond, it will deliver new public realms and open spaces and evolve to become a place to not only work and shop – but live, connect, rest and play,” he said.
“Honouring our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the proposal includes net zero carbon emissions for residential common areas and back-of-house services, and incorporates the site’s rich history, including restoring the heritage pub – the 1891 Loyal Studley Hotel.”
The owners have been working with the state Planning Department and Yarra Council on the project.
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