St Kilda Triangle

The St Kilda Triangle, located next to the Palais Theatre in St Kilda, is a unique opportunity as one of Melbourne’s last bayside renewal sites. It is currently an aging car park.

For more than a century, the St Kilda Triangle site has a history of live music and performance venues. Paired alongside the iconic 1927 Palais Theatre, the Palais de Danse / Palace venue operated on the site from 1919 until 2007 when it was destroyed by fire. It is since this time that the site has operated as a car park with part of the site occasionally used for various temporary events.

Two significant attempts have been made since 2010 to develop and deliver a vision for the site but for various reasons these did not prevail. Refer below for more information about the history of the site.

The Importance of Live Music in St Kilda

In 2021, Council endorsed the Live Music Action Plan to help ensure live music continues to thrive in our city for generations to come. The plan recommended the development of a live music precinct. As a celebrated home of live music, St Kilda was selected as the prime location for a precinct.

In consultation with the community Council developed a St Kilda Live Music Precinct Policy, which outlined how the St Kilda Live Music Precinct would support residents, musicians, venues and visitors, while boosting the local music scene. Community feedback about the establishment of a precinct in St Kilda was overwhelmingly positive.

The draft policy was officially presented to Council and endorsed on Wednesday 21 June 2023.

At 11 am Friday 23 June 2023, St Kilda was officially declared Victoria’s First Live Music Precinct - a fitting title for a destination known for its contribution to the arts and culture both nationally and internationally. This declaration is intended to support the development and sustainability of St Kilda as a home for live music into the future.

More information about the Live Music Precinct can be found on our Live n Local website.

The St Kilda Triangle Project 2022 – 2023 was envisioned, underpinned by a set of Project Objectives (defined below), to deliver a feasibility study that investigates a live music and performance venue development on the site. The intent is to transform what is currently an ageing carpark on a prominent foreshore site to a cultural hub that provides benefits for the local and state-wide community.

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At a public meeting on 17 July 24, Council considered the outcomes of a recent targeted live music market engagement program and the three options presented for the next steps in the project, as set out below, and decided to continue some work on the St Kilda Triangle project to further investigate the viability of a live music venue on the site.

• Option 1 (Recommended & Endorsed): Undertake Advocacy to State Government while other project works pause.
• Option 2: Begin preparation for a Competitive Market Process whilst continuing to advocate to State Government.
• Option 3: Pause All St Kilda Triangle Live Music Venue Work and review next steps with the newly elected Council.

Council decided to progress Option 1. The advocacy work seeking State Government support and funding for a business case is programmed to occur is over the next 6-8 months, with the outcomes to be reported to the new Council in the first half of 2025. The outcomes will then inform the next set of options for Council to confirm the way forward in 2025.
 
The public report which provides the background leading to the current phase of works and summarises the outcomes of recent market engagement is available on Council’s Meetings and Agendas webpage. The minutes detailing the discussions and confirming Council’s decision are also available via this link.

Here are some key messages and frequently asked questions (FAQs) to assist your understanding of the project.

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St Kilda Triangle Project 2022 to 2023 – Stage 1 - Feasibility Study

In parallel with the work on the Live Music Precinct, Council considered the possibility of accommodating a live music and performance venue on the Triangle site and, at a public meeting in September 2022, Council elected to proceed with feasibility work for the St Kilda Triangle to assess the viability of a live music led / performance venue development on the site. Read the public report.

Since then a multi-disciplinary team of Council officers and specialist consultants have been progressed work on two key deliverables - a market sounding report providing the outcomes of a process designed to assess the demand for such a venue in the State and in St Kilda, and a design feasibility report (The St Kilda Triangle Live Music and Performance Venue Feasibility) that delivers an indicative site layout demonstrating how a venue plus other uses such as parking, public realm and complementary uses can fit onto the site.

The purpose of the design work was to test the physical feasibility of locating a live music and performance venue that responds to market demand on the Triangle site. Several design options were developed that helped to test ideas and trade-offs with other uses to determine a ‘proof of concept’ that accommodates a venue of the size required by the market (as per the market sounding outcomes), allows for a significant, but not matching, level of carparking, ancillary uses and some public realm. It also addresses key priorities identified in the 2016 Masterplan and other design principles such as the creation of a cultural precinct, respecting key views, connections to the foreshore, concentrating built form near the Palais and integrating effectively in the wider precinct.

At the public meeting on 6 September 2023, Council considered two key deliverables from the St Kilda Triangle feasibility work undertaken to assess the viability of a live music led and performance venue development on the site.

These deliverables include: 

• A Market Sounding Report providing the outcomes of the demand assessment for the venue
• A Design Feasibility Report which includes an indicative site plan to test how a live music and performance venue and uses such as parking and public open space could fit on the site

At this meeting, Council endorsed the commencement of a community and stakeholder consultation program to seek feedback on the proposal for the site. The public report is available on Council’s website in the reports section.

Consultation officially commenced on Thursday, 7 September and concluded 6 weeks later on 19 October, with significant community interest.

The community and other key stakeholders were able to review our proposal for a 5000-person standing capacity venue, with opportunities for 240 carparks, complementary uses and outdoor event and green spaces.

Council continued to investigate the feasibility of our proposal, including further commercial analysis and an additional phase of market sounding, as well as planning for what next the steps could look like. An engagement report has also been compiled, summarising the feedback from the community and key stakeholders.

The result of this work was presented at the Council Meeting on 6 December 2023 when Council confirmed the next steps for the St Kilda Triangle Project as follows:

• Advocate to the Victorian Government for investment in a business case for a new live music and performance venue on the St Kilda Triangle, with a possible contribution from Council to the business case to be confirmed.
• Council approved a project budget of $110k for Officers to engage with the market to further clarify the level of interest in investing in a new live music and performance venue on the St Kilda Triangle, and understand the level of funding contribution that is possible. This could include discussions with any interested parties that were involved in the market sounding, parties that have already expressed interest in the project and an invitation to other interested parties who haven’t yet made contact with Council.

The public report and the attachments are available on Council’s Meetings and Agendas webpage.  

Many thanks to our community for your valuable contribution to this proposal. As outlined in the Council Report, the stage 1 feasibility works investigating the viability of a live music and performance venue has demonstrated:

• There is demand for a flexible 5000 standing capacity live music and performance venue.
• The ‘proof of concept’ layout shows that a venue can be effectively accommodated on the St Kilda Triangle with carparking, public realm and other uses.
• There is strong industry support for a new venue to be located in St Kilda.
• There is majority support for a live music and performance venue, including strong support by representatives of the Traders Associations for Acland Street and Fitzroy Street.

There are also other key considerations and issues to work through at a future point in the project (some as part of the endorsed way forward):

• There is some local opposition to and/or concern about the idea, which in most part can be attributed to issues noted below.
• There was concern expressed by destination venues immediately adjacent about a reduction in parking leading to loss of business.
• Carparking and traffic movement, the scale of the building and ongoing activation of or need for the venue were raised as concerns by those who did not support the concept and there were mixed views regarding parking.
• The likely cost of the ‘proof of concept’ idea that has been explored for a new live music and performance venue is estimated as a range between $113m-$139m, including the venue, basement carparking and public realm. The cost estimate that has been developed is useful for understanding the type of cost for a development such as this but would need to be reassessed to reflect any key changes that have been incorporated to the final design and cost of construction at the time.
• Given the regional significance and civic nature of the project, it is likely that significant public funding or other subsidy will be required to support private investment in the development to achieve an outcome that will realise the full benefits possible for the site.

Next Steps

Following Council’s direction at the 17 July 24 public meeting, advocacy work seeking State Government support and funding for a business case is programmed to occur is over the next 6-8 months, with the outcomes to be reported to the new Council in the first half of 2025. The outcomes will then inform the next set of options for Council to confirm the way forward in 2025.

Live and Performance Venue Feasibility Project

1. Investigate how a new live music and/or flexible performance venue could be delivered within the spirit and intent of the masterplan, considering the specific requirements of a such a venue, probable costs and delivery models by:

• Undertaking a robust creative industries (live music, performance and events) market testing exercise using commercial and specialist creative industry expertise to assess demand, complementary uses and operational requirements
• Using the research from the market sounding to inform a design process that produces options for a performance venue and complementary uses that are iteratively assessed for commercial viability in terms of attractiveness to and capacity of the market, development costs, government funding opportunities and various financial models
• Defining the area and scale of development including building footprint, heights, open space and public realm elements; and area and extent of carparking
• Testing temporary music led or alternative opportunities/venues in addition to permanent options

2. Present deliverable and feasible options for the site by:

• Engaging design & planning, commercial advisory and music/creative industry specialists to support the investigations and the iterative determination of options and associated detailed analyses
• Determining the most suitable planning pathway to enable the desired outcome and give Council and the market certainty
• Undertaking early detailed planning to understand the path/s for realistic outcomes by producing a development and contracting strategy that outlines how the outcomes of the design process may be realised and continue to be sustainable, supported by a preliminary procurement plan.

3.Implement a process for the initial stage of the project (Stage 1) with an effective level of governance and foresight that considers the success of possible future stages and instils confidence in decision-makers and the community by:

• Partnering with government agencies and aligning with Victorian Government objectives for the creative industries to obtain support to progress a development that offers local and state-wide benefits
• Developing a tailored approach to project governance and probity that supports Council’s needs to communicate while maintaining ethical practice and values of fairness and transparency
• Informing the community as the key project steps progress and outcomes are achieved
• Considering engagement approaches that offers genuine opportunities for community feedback as part of possible future stages.
• Presenting options for the development of the site supported with detailed rationale, evidence from the research and recommendations for endorsement by Council in their consideration of subsequent project stages.

2016 Masterplan Objectives

The 2016 St Kilda Triangle Masterplan (PDF 14.3 MB) outlines the Council and the community's agreed future aspiration for the development of the Triangle site.

The Masterplan establishes a vision for the Triangle site, and a framework that outlines where built structures should be located on the site, details of the structures including size, the character of the public realm and the connections to the broader precinct.

The Masterplan also sets out how the Triangle site could be funded and delivered to provide the highest quality outcomes for the local community and the people of Victoria.

Key elements of the Masterplan

1. Slopes extended to create a new public space connecting the foreshore across Jacka Boulevard.
2. Lawn extended along The Esplanade above the cultural facility, creating a new landscape experience and views of the foreshore and bay.
3. Cultural facility created with a new garden roof and terraces accessed directly from The Esplanade footpath.
4. Palais forecourt created to connect the Palais, Luna Park and the new cultural facility entry.
5. Garden slopes created to provide the opportunity to adopt a contemporary planting scheme and provide all abilities access from The Esplanade across The Lawn to Jacka Boulevard.
6. Building development at the rear of the Palais Theatre, with hotel accommodation wrapping around a cultural facility or performance space.
7. Car parking with 350 spaces created on-site below ground. Entry to the car park is from Cavell Street.

The St Kilda Triangle Masterplan is not a final building or landscape design. The depicted plan is indicative only of the potential size and location of buildings, trees and spaces. These depictions do not necessarily represent how the Triangle site will look when constructed.

Further design of buildings and landscape will be part of future project development.

The Masterplan does not change the status of current planning scheme controls. A planning scheme amendment is required to implement the St Kilda Triangle Masterplan.