Palais Theatre and Luna Park precinct revitalisation

We've transformed the Palais Theatre and Luna Park precinct. The project is supported by the Victorian Government.

Location

Located between Acland Street, the St Kilda Foreshore and the Esplanade Market.

Cost

Milestones

Why are we doing this?

Luna Park and the Palais Theatre are among the most recognisable and beloved locations in our City. And we want to make sure the area is safe and comfortable for everyone who wants to come to the precinct. That’s why we created a safe, shared space that brings the community together around this iconic precinct.

The impact

Road Closures are over

Cavell Street and the Lower Esplanade were closed during construction.

The road closure process was undertaken in accordance with the Local Government Act 1989. The Act required the proposed road closure to be publicly advertised. Council approved permanent partial closure and change in road function of Lower Esplanade at its 8 December 2021 Ordinary Council meeting. The council report and minutes are available on the 2021 Meetings and Agendas page.

The new Cavell Street shared zone

Converting the section of Cavell Street between the Palais Theatre and Luna Park to a shared zone was managed in consultation with the Department of Transport (DoT). Approval from DoT was granted in May 2022. It supports the proposed changes to provide a safe and compliant outcome for pedestrians and vehicle traffic.

Objectives

The community-centred space includes:

  • seating
  • garden beds
  • new trees
  • high-quality pavement
  • new public lighting
  • a shared zone on Cavell Street to reduce vehicle speed and prioritise pedestrians.

Background to this project

An initial concept design for the precinct was developed in 2020. Following further examination of the scope, the project was paused because the original design cost more than expected.

Following the creation of a new design, we developed a flood model to see how stormwater might impact the area. This revealed some issues we needed to fix to ensure the area won't flood in the future. Thanks to this modelling we were able to catch this issue before starting construction. We took the necessary steps to address this, and created a safe, accessible and community-friendly area in this famous precinct.

Contact us

The Open Space Project Delivery team is here to help.

Send us a message on My Port Phillip.

Phone: 03 9209 6777