Planning Properly for OUR Federation Square

Planning properly for OUR Federation Square John Henshall MPIA (Life Fellow) When I first arrived in Melbourne from provincial Victoria in the ? mid-1960s as a young student and lived in Carlton, an initial after work. A place where visitors can relax while becoming impression was the grid-pattern of the CBD streets (obviously, acquainted with our wonderful city and its people. I didn’t venture too far from my new ‘home’ at that time). I This place, ‘Our Fed Square’, is now under threat. We are was overcome by the length of the streets, like Swanston likely to lose this treasure that is a standout asset among Street (north-south) and Bourke Street (east-west). It could locals and visitors alike. Already, our central square is named take days for me, a county-born lad, to actually traverse “Apple Federation Square” by Apple Corporation, as is this city centre! And no wonder Melbourne’s celebration of evident from the mega-corporation’s media release dated 20 festivals and events were held in long ‘trains’ of floats and December 2017. open-topped sports cars as everyone, from football heroes to Moomba Queens and pop stars, travelled these long central- Well may one ask: city streets, with the Myer Department Store, Flinders Street what on earth has happened?! Station and the Gas and Fuel Buildings standing proud in the Simple: our State Government, together with Apple Corpor- background of all of the newspapers’ photo opportunities. ation, has effectively taken our square in the interests of As those early years passed by, I came to acknowledge corporate magnification (that’s Apple) and a quest for dollar how these streets were, indeed, the gathering place for revenues (the State Government) that can fill the coffers and Melburnians out to celebrate, or protest some event or help pay for the Square. A number of questions arise: occasion, or whatever. From the first moon landing, standing • Why was Fed Square not profitable in any case, and why was in Swanston Street watching it all unfold on the TV screens in it not supported (as we are told) by the State Government the Myer store windows, to the Anti-Vietnam protest marches (just as the State Library and other public institutions are that engulfed Bourke and Swanston Streets, and the VFL’s supported)? Grand Final Football parade and whatever else… • Why has this situation come to light only now, when we But it soon became evident that we had no central gathering learn from the media headline that “Apple plans (were) place, no ‘city square’, as such. Eventually, we citizens were backed two years ago” (The Age, 13 February 2018)? bestowed with our own ‘City Square’, right there in the • What has been the ‘planning process’ that has allowed city centre, with frontage to Swanston Street and flanked this particular process to proceed? Again, as reported by Collins Street and Flinders Lane, and situated in close in the media, Apple’s Senior Vice-President, Retail, Ms proximity to icons that included the Town Hall and St Paul’s Angela Ahrendts says “we’re thrilled to move forward in the Cathedral. planning process for our new home” (my emphasis). • Why hasn’t the Melbourne City Council been involved from Sadly, construction of the actual City Square did not live up to the start? the expectations: we were saddled with a small field of dreams • What does one’s interpretation of the Federation Square that effectively served as the forecourt to the international Charter have to contribute to the discussion? Does the Westin Hotel – a multi-storey building, with its weird Charter foresee, or allow, commercialisation of the public architectural style (including a “French Mansard” roof) that space by a global entity? stood so out-of-whack with the surrounding Victorian heritage • Why cannot Apple (or any commercial conglomerate) find buildings and more recent structures, such as the Nicholas their own spot in the sun for a new flagship that does not Building, that were, in their own way, architectural icons. intrude onto community space? For a long time, we Melburnians have had to acknowledge that • What is the new design for the Apple store? We’re told the Melbourne really didn’t have a central place to come together design shown in the media (likened to a beach house or and celebrate our achievements, our losses, our good fortunes, even a pineapple according to reports) is simply a ‘holding from politics and pop stars to football teams and true cultural design’ or an artist’s impression for the eventual building events that celebrate our country and heritage, our modern design. history, our ethnic connections, and our achievements. • As a project that most would deem to be of ‘State Then, along comes Federation Square, literally rising from the significance’, what really has happened to the central role dust of the Gas and Fuel Buildings (award-winning, they were, and place of Federation Square? at the time, too), located immediately across from Flinders • What are the anticipated economic benefits? The Street Station and St Paul’s, and with direct access to the Yarra investment and the construction jobs (250 jobs) and the River and close by to our Arts Precinct at Southbank. Wow! ongoing employment (200 jobs) would be the same or similar for an Apple mega-store on an alternative site. We would eventually come to terms with ‘Our Fed Square’ • And, at the same time, what initiatives can be identified and its unique architecture, and now the place is indelibly to ensure Federation Square can accommodate uses that burned into our experiences of wonderful times we spend – truly reflect and build on the cultural and community goals whether a beer after a Christmas lunch or following a sporting that underpin the presence of Federation Square, and that event on the Big Screen, or a cultural celebration, a political continue to attract locals and visitors alike? protest, or whatever else. And the tenants are cultural and community-based: from the Koori Heritage Trust and ACMI, to Pressures for change, but… the Ian Potter Centre/NGV and the Visitor Information Centre, We need to remain positive about the future of Our Fed all supported by a range of cafes and restaurants where we Square as, no doubt, the pressures for change will eventuate can share time with family and friends, and with colleagues at some stage, just as the beloved Queen Victoria Market is 14 Planning News Volume 44 No.2 March 2018 planned to undergo change (while hopefully retaining the each year at the local supermarket on milk, cereals, BBQ heritage values). In contrast, Fed Square is not even 20 years meat, detergents and the like. In any event, a $10 million level old and we see significant external commercial pressures for of State Government support is equivalent to just $2 a year significant change to the design and tenancy pattern. While for each Melbourne resident. we appreciate the opportunity to attract more locals and In a positive way, let’s encourage our State Government visitors to our City centre, why implant something foreign (as to return to a proper and transparent planning process, in a use that is not intricately related to the site) in the centre complete with consultation with the community and with of Fed Square? Surely an alternative approach (or site) can the City Council; consider alternative sites if that’s an be found. opportunity; identify a more effective income stream for the At the recent Open House Melbourne/AIA/AILA/PIA debate Federation Square Management and, at the end of the day, on Apple at Federation Square, the Affirmative Case argued encourage our elected representatives and the bureaucracy that Fed Square is experiencing competition from all quarters, to engage in appropriate and effective project planning and from new cafes in Flinders Lane, to Sydney’s Darling Harbour. management. If the State Government can turn back time It may come as a surprise to Federation Square Management, to review mistakes of the past, (such on Fishermans Bend, but most businesses experience competition every day they The Age, 22 February 2018), why not positively re-visit the open their doors – so, an organisation (Fed Square in this Federation Square issues? instance) experiencing competitive stress shouldn’t just allow a major commercial conglomerate to acquire public space in To conclude, Melbourne has come a long way over the years order to prop-up revenues for the Square’s management. and has become the world’s most liveable city. Although we ‘lost’ our City Square to an international hotel, let’s not And, yes, the promised bells and whistles associated with repeat the mistake with Federation Square and an Apple hi-tech can still be presented, promoted and enjoyed, but Corp shop. What is currently proposed – with its high profile this does not entail the right for a high-profile international commercial component and unknown architectural design – commercial entity to co-opt public space. is, indeed, an ‘out-of-centre’ development as many planners A further comment is that Fed Square apparently only requires would agree. around $10 million a year if the State Government was to provide financial assistance – that’s peanuts; it’s equivalent John Henshall can be contacted at to just 25% of the $40 million a local neighbourhood spends [email protected] Greens fail to block Apple’s Fed Square store The Age reports that an attempt to block the Andrews government’s deal with Apple to build a store in Federation Square has failed in parliament, clearing the way for the contentious retail development.

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