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A 5000-person live music venue has been proposed next door to one of Melbourne’s most recognisable theatres.
The City of Port Phillip Council has put forward the proposal for the venue, which would be part of the St Kilda Triangle Precinct.
Proposed as part of the 2016 St Kilda Triangle Masterplan, developing the precinct was put on hold when the Victorian government decided not to locate the NGV Contemporary gallery at the site.
MGS Architects have now created a design feasibility report for the site next to the Palais Theatre.
Other consultants on the project include Waters Consultancy, GLAS Landscape Architects, Movement & Place Consulting, HIP V. HYPE and WT Partnership.
The venue would be the main building of the precinct and would be next to the Palais.
This would allow a pedestrian link from Luna Park to the plaza on the foreshore side of Jacka Boulevard.
It would then continue on to connect to Acland and Fitzroy streets.
Heights for all buildings on the site have been considered to conserve existing balcony views from the Esplanade hotel and views of Luna Park and the Palais Theatre, according to the council.
No works would occur within the Palais Theatre site and integration of the development with the Palais was excluded from the feasibility study’s scope. It may be reintroduced as an option if deemed viable in future stages.
Public open space and carparking has also been a focus of the plan.
The main live music and performance venue would be over two levels.
The upper level would accommodate 1000 people with a multi-purpose space for 350 people that could be used independently plus an outdoor terrace with views of the Esplanade and Port Phillip Bay.
Loading and unloading facilities would be at the rear of the venue next to the existing back-of-house facilities for the Palais.
Cavell Street would be used as a service entrance so that main vehicular access would be provided off Jacka Boulevard.
There is also space set out for additional tenancies and 200 carparking spaces in a semi-basement level within the venue.
The site is now a carpark. In 1972 it was home to the Palais de Danse III, also known as the Palace Entertainment Centre, which was destroyed by fire in 2007.
In September 2022, the council commissioned the feasibility study for a live performance venue at the site—St Kilda was declared Victoria’s first live music precinct in July 2023.
The council has now opened the initial design idea to the community for comment and feedback until October 19.
A report will then be presented to the council in December when it will decide on the next steps.
St Kilda has long been a hub of live music venues including the recently listed Prince of Wales Hotel.
