Business and Industry

• G Line creates an active precinct that draws people in throughout the day and across the entire week, rather than only during major events.
  
  More residents, workers and visitors means greater foot traffic and longer dwell times, with stronger demand for local hospitality, retail and services. It connects Richmond, Cremorne and Melbourne’s sporting precinct, creating a much broader economic ecosystem while opening new opportunities for existing businesses.

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  Office space, retail and hospitality sit alongside art galleries and maker spaces.

  Office space, retail and hospitality sit alongside art galleries and maker spaces.

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  G Line extends economic activity across the precinct beyond event days. Adding office and retail space to the existing employment base, it supports demand that runs through the week.
  
  Richmond Circus carries much of it — retail and hospitality at ground level, office towers above, active in the hours before and after an event as well as during it. Cremorne, already one of Melbourne’s major employment areas, gains room to grow alongside it.

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  Commercial and community uses across the master plan, including office, retail, hospitality, education, health and the arts.

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  Commercial and community uses across the master plan, including office, retail, hospitality, education, health and the arts.

• New office space

  70900m²

  Retail spread

  48200m²

  Hotel and serviced apartments

  48100m²

  Education

  21200m²

  Health

  14700m²

  Hospitality

  8000m²

• Explore business and industry in the neighbourhoods

  • Jolimont Fields

    Tennis Australia’s own offices sit above the Community Courts, alongside everyday retail serving the precinct’s green gateway.

  • Olympic Plaza

    Visit Victoria’s state headquarters and a dedicated sports medicine hub anchor this neighbourhood’s civic and commercial identity.

  • Yarra Park Residences

    A smaller-scale commercial offer of local produce, dining and rooftop bars serves residents and visitors alike.

  • Richmond Circus

    Office towers, high-end retail and a 28-level hotel are layered above the interchange, forming the precinct’s commercial core.

  • The Village

    Richmond Market anchors a working, creative economy of maker studios, fabrication labs and character offices.

  • Cremorne Commons

    A quiet residential neighbourhood, its commercial life limited to everyday local retail and a grocer at street level.

  

• Common questions

  Who’s behind the business and industry strategy?

  The strategy to develop G Line has been created by a collaborative team who are deeply passionate about Melbourne and all the things that make it one of the best cities in the world. This team includes local architects, transport engineers, quantity surveyors, lawyers, financial modelling firms, town planners, urban designers, landscape architects, place-making experts, sustainability experts, engineers, property advisors, communications experts and sports administrators – many of whom have been trying to find a solution to the current problems with this rail corridor for years!

  The list of collaborators can be found as part of The Vision.

  Who’s paying for it?

  As a basic principle, the project generates revenue from long term leases for development air rights for buildings and facilities on the podium built over the railway corridor. This will generate the funds required to upgrade Richmond Station and deliver all the other transport, civic infrastructure, and public space improvements that would normally be funded by Commonwealth, State or Local governments.

  Is this a land grab by developers?

  Up to this point, the G Line proposal has not included developers, construction companies, nor the finance sector. No commercial arrangements have been entered into regarding the proposal.

  The Victorian Government has not opened expressions of interest to develop this site, nor issued invitations for market led proposals over this location. Earlier iterations of the G Line have been shared with relevant Government agencies as a concept for consideration.

  Who are the tenants, and how are they chosen?

  At this time, the buildings and spaces created in the Masterplan do not have designated tenants. The mix of activities and opportunities have been designed to enable 24/7 neighbourhoods that add value to experience of residents, commuters, workers and visitors to the sporting precinct. The design intent is to have use of public and private space in a way that is equitable, accessible and at the same time commercially viable to ensure the deliverability and vibrancy of the project. The tenancy opportunities will be finally determined during the construction phase.

  How will local businesses be impacted?

  It is acknowledged that a project of this scale, has the potential to affect the local amenity and viability of local businesses. For this proposal, the potential adverse impacts would be for businesses east of Punt Road and into Cremorne. The master plan and the structure plan proposal have addressed the alignment of street scape to ensure consistency with existing built form. The configuration of the podium and the embedded transport solutions will make pedestrian and other traffic move easier across and along Swan Street and facilitate greater north-south pedestrian travel. The commercial activity envisaged will generate more visitors and residents over longer periods in the neighbourhood. This may offset the negative aspects of competition that will be brought to hospitality businesses at the eastern end of the project.

  Why is there such a mix of functions beyond sport?

  The mix of activities and opportunities have been designed to enable 24/7 neighbourhoods that add value to experience of residents, commuters, workers and visitors to the sporting precincts. The design intent is to have use of public and private space in a way that is equitable, accessible and at the same time commercially viable to ensure the deliverability and vibrancy of the project.