Richmond's Victoria Shopping Centre redevelopment to create new urban village with over 1,600 new apartments

Richmond's Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre is set to become a new urban village, as co-owners Vicinity Centres and Salta Properties plot a $900 million redevelopment of the landmark site.

The precinct will be a mix of residential, commercial, retail, lifestyle and entertainment offerings on the corner of Burnley and Doonside Street, which has been home to the Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre for almost 19 years.

The corner precinct will essentially be split in two. The Doonside Precinct, designed by Cox Architecture and NH Architecture, will connect with Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre to the north and will have six new residential buildings with shared amenity, comprising 839 new apartments. There will be over 12,000 of new retail and commercial floorspace with a new fresh food Market Hall, 3,500 sqm of new public open space, 844 new bike spaces, and 518 car spaces.

The River Boulevard Precinct will connect to Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre from the east and will have more residential buildings with 840 new dwellings, more than 6,200 sqm of publicly accessible open space, 6,700 sqm of new retail space, 26,600 sqm of commercial office space, and a new 110 place childcare centre. There will also be 1,323 car spaces.

Vicinity’s Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Peter Huddle, said the proposal reflects the long-term strategy to transform the site to a sustainable mixed-use, urban village, while also responding to the change in consumer preferences to live, work and play close to home.

“The development will seamlessly connect Victoria Gardens to the surrounding community and deliver a vibrant fresh food Market Hall for Richmond’s growing population," Huddle says.

"It will also offer more diverse housing options in an amenity-rich, urban environment to improve wellness, productivity, and social connection.”

Key to realising the value of Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre in a popular pocket of Melbourne’s inner east, well connected by public transport, will be the proposal’s creation of 1,679 new homes, with a mix of one, two and three-bedroom residences.

Salta’s Managing Director, Sam Tarascio said the vision for the evolution of Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre was the creation between Vicinity, Salta and one of Australia’s best architects – Cox and NH.

“The proposal is the coming of age of Victoria Gardens – from shopping centre to a thriving and sustainable urban village in the heart of Richmond," Tarascio says.

"It will deliver new public realms and open spaces and evolve to become a place to not only work and shop – but live, connect, rest and play.

“Honouring our ongoing commitment to sustainability, the proposal includes net zero carbon emissions for residential common areas and back-of-house services, and incorporates the site’s rich history, including restoring the heritage pub – The Loyal Studley Hotel, built in 1891.”

With a total construction cost of $900 million, the expansion and redevelopment of Vic Gardens is projected to create 680 jobs each year during construction and support more than 3,300 ongoing jobs across the precinct upon completion.

Vicinity and Salta are seeking the necessary planning approvals for the proposed redevelopment through the Victorian Government’s Development Facilitation Program, committing to client and community engagement throughout the process, while working closely with the Department of Transport and Planning and City of Yarra to begin the evolution of Victoria Gardens.

Victoria Gardens Shopping Centre Fast Facts

The masterplan for Vic Gardens consists of two new main components, which will transform the popular shopping destination, creating a precinct of open spaces, new homes, office spaces, and an extended retail, lifestyle and entertainment offerings.

Doonside Precinct

• A new mixed-use precinct at the corner of Burnley and Doonside Streets, seamlessly connected with
Victoria Gardens to the north.
• Designed by renowned architects Cox and NH.
• 12,070 square metres of new retail and commercial floorspace, with a new fresh food Market Hall.
• Six new residential buildings with shared amenities, providing 839 new homes.
• 3,500 square metres of new publicly accessible open space.
• 844 new bike spaces.
• 518 car spaces

River Boulevard Precinct

Connecting the east of Vic Gardens to the Yarra River corridor through a series of publicly accessible, open and sunlit spaces and thoroughfares.
• More than 6,200 square metres of publicly accessible open space.
• 840 new dwellings across a cluster of new residential buildings.
• 6,700 square metres of new retail space.
• 26,600 square metres of commercial office space and a new 110 place childcare centre.
• 1,323 car spaces