We want to hear your views on how Market Square, the new public open space in the Queen Victoria Market precinct, should be used.

A key project of the $250 million renewal of the Queen Victoria Market precinct is a new people’s park in the heart of the city. With car parking to be relocated nearby, the current customer car park will be transformed into a 1.5 hectare public open space. This commitment is also part of an agreement between the Victorian Government and City of Melbourne to support the revitalisation of the market precinct.

Following extensive public consultation to develop the Master Plan in 2015, which involved more than 7,500 people, we are now seeking to confirm how the community would like this important space to be used.

Recent population projections show that the number of residents in Melbourne CBD is expected to double from 52,000 to 109,000 by 2041. In addition to providing a vital public space for this growing population, Market Square will complement existing open spaces such as the nearby Flagstaff Gardens and the State Library forecourt which are already in high demand.

As well as being next to the market, Market Square will sit alongside existing and proposed buildings that will provide public amenities such as toilets and a range of hospitality offers.

The feedback we receive from you will assist in developing a charter for Market Square which will guide its future uses and activities. Following this initial round of consultation, we will be asking for the community’s input in the first half of 2020 on the design of this new public space.

Submissions close 1 November 2019.