The conversation

The City of Melbourne is considering the future use of the Pavilion building in Fitzroy Gardens, and we sought community feedback as part of this process.

Guided by the Fitzroy Gardens Master Plan (1996) and its review in 2010, three options were proposed:

  • Return the Pavilion to open space/parklands.
  • Retain the Pavilion for commercial use.
  • Retain the building for a not-for-profit use.
Within each proposal, the community had the opportunity to provide feedback on a variety of potential uses and ideas.

Gathering insights

Between 24 February and 24 March 2021, we sought feedback on the future use of the Pavilion via:

  • an online survey on Participate Melbourne
  • three in-person information sessions held at the Pavilion
  • direct contact with the project team.
This was supported by communications, social media posts, and printed leaflets and signage in and around the local area.

Who we heard from

Overall, 511 individuals contributed to the engagement from:

467

online survey responses

10

email submissions

34

participants across three pop-up sessions

What we heard

There was strong support for retaining the iconic building, as the building and location offer a valuable opportunity to provide a space for the community and visitors to enjoy.

Data showed that a not-for-profit use was the most popular option, selected by 51 percent of survey respondents, followed by commercial use with 40 percent, and 9 percent preferring to return the area to parklands or open space.

The breakdown of options within each proposed use can be seen in this table:

We heard:

  • The Pavilion has vast potential and value as a place for community activity and connection. The space should be activated and energised for the enjoyment of all.
  • You told us it should be a dynamic space used for a variety of purposes. Multiple uses that complement each other and offer wide appeal were suggested. Ideas included the space being used for arts and performance, education, events, and a food and beverage offering.
  • The iconic building is deeply valued for its beauty and heritage, as well as its location in the heart of the Fitzroy Gardens. The use should reflect and make the most of the Pavilion’s tranquil garden surrounds.

Full details of the consultation are available in the Fitzroy Gardens Pavilion Engagement Analysis Report below.

Impact

Your views were compiled by independent data analysts and presented back in the Engagement Analysis.

We have now considered your feedback on the proposed Pavilion uses and what we heard helped inform the next stages of the project.

Next steps

Based on the consultation findings, we will undertake an expression of interest (EOI) process to find an operator to provide a multi-use space that may include both commercial and not-for-profit usages at the Pavilion. This process will commence in late 2021. We will post an update to the project page when the EOI is available. To receive this update please follow the project page.

In the interim, the Pavilion will continue to be activated by the Creative Spaces program, providing opportunities to artists to help reactive and reinvigorate Melbourne in line with the goals of City of Melbourne’s COVID-19 Reactivation and Recovery Plan.

The Pavilion Fitzroy Gardens