City of Melbourne Council is moving ahead with plans for a new community centre in North Melbourne, which it says will bring together a range of vital services to better cater for the neighbourhood and its fast-growing population.
At Tuesday’s Future Melbourne Committee meeting, Councillors will consider a consultation process for the community to have a say on what they’d like to see in the new space.
“Our vibrant and diverse North Melbourne community is gearing up for unprecedented growth in the coming years, with the Macaulay precinct set to be home to 10,000 residents and even more workers by 2051,” said Lord Mayor, Sally Capp.
“Our new community centre will be twice the size of the existing North Melbourne Community Centre (pictured below) – providing new and expanded youth, family and ageing services, as well as other services and spaces to be informed by community engagement.
“We’re encouraging North Melbourne residents, workers, students and visitors to tell us what they want to see in this modern multi-use space, so we can ensure it can better meet the needs and aspirations of our community,” she said.
The multi-use centre will be built on Melrose Street on the current site of the Jean McKendry Neighbourhood Centre and Hotham Hub. The location is central to the Macaulay precinct, which is expected to be home to 10,000 residents by 2051 – triple the current population.
It will provide a range of new and expanded community services across a modern 3,000m2 space, including:
- Maternal child health and family services
- Youth services, in partnership with Drummond Street
- Ageing and inclusion services
- Large community function spaces
- Meeting rooms
- A commercial kitchen
- Other services and spaces to be determined through community engagement.
Activities and programs currently run at the Jean McKendry Neighbourhood Centre and Hotham Hub will be relocated to nearby facilities during construction, and replaced in the new community centre.
“Our North Melbourne community has told us they want larger and improved facilities to support more services that make a positive difference to the lives of those living and working in the area,” said Health, Wellbeing and Belonging portfolio lead, Councillor Olivia Ball.
“This new centre will help us meet the neighbourhood’s current and future needs – ensuring community members have easy access to a range of vital services and programs, closer to home.”
Council is also investigating options for open space and recreation facilities on the Melrose Street site and on other Council-owned sites in the neighbourhood, as well as the future redevelopment of recreation facilities in North Melbourne.
If endorsed, community consultation will run from Wednesday 16 August to Friday 22 September. Council will host a range of engagement activities, including stakeholder and community workshops, and pop-up sessions. For more information, visit Participate Melbourne.
Construction is expected to commence in the next 18 to 24 months – subject to relevant approvals.
