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SmithStreet.org « CAG « Proposed Development « How will the development affect you?

Four reasons why you should care about the development.

If you love Smith Street and the surrounding area, there are four major reasons why you should care about this development...

Culture and Diversity lost!
Writers, artists, musicians, poets and dancers flock to Smith Street as a hive of invention and innovation. Make no mistake: Beige developments take all the colour out of culture.

The 11 storey tower and multi-level shopping mall is foreign to Smith Street’s vibe and existing retail mix.
The many niche and specialty shops which thrive in this shopping strip may be driven away by a bland, upmarket mall environment.

The proposal does not add to the community’s vibrant culture:

• No public open spaces
• No green spaces
• No cultural spaces
• No street displays
No places for markets.

Smith Street Heritage Destroyed!
The development disrupts Smith Street’s significant heritage and cosmopolitan character and does not suit the historical streetscape. Smith Street is recognized as one of Victoria’s most important shopping strips of the 19th century. This proposal does not ensure the protection of:

• The early Foy & Gibson shop, the retail front for the largest woolen and clothing mills in the Southern Hemisphere
• A unique and historically significant Tunnel which linked the Foy & Gibson shops of 132 and 145-163 Smith Streets
• The façade of the very first Coles Variety Store in Australia (1914) – an Australian retail institution.

The proposed development does not respect the heritage of Smith and Little Oxford Streets:

• It is aggressive, conspicuous and dwarfs its surrounding architecture
• It is inconsistent with heritage values, given the area’s Heritage Overlay
• Its size, scale and design are intrusive and destroy the integrity of the streetscape.

Traffic and Transport nightmares loom …
Problems could multiply, turning people away from the area and creating Xx for local residents and businesses:

• It is predicted that a development of this scale could increase traffic10 fold


• The 24 hour retail operations, 250 apartments and 400 car parks will increase traffic congestion on Smith and surrounding streets


• Truck deliveries will occur around the clock on high density narrow residential streets


• Parking on Smith and adjacent streets may be lost to free up roadways


• Public transport on Smith Street is limited to one tram line – no plans have emerged to upgrade public transport.

Worried about the environment?

• Massive overshadowing will create a dark and uninviting Smith Street


• Increased air pollution will result from high volume car and truck movements


• Immense strain will be placed on waste management services


• Noise pollution will increase with the explosion of residents living on the Street … and we know what happens when high-density residential dwellings are cheek by jowl with late-night music venues!

Read summary of rounds for objecting.