Market Square Approved: Melbourne’s First New CBD Park in 45 Years
The Queen Victoria Market precinct will soon be home to Melbourne’s first new public park in the CBD in 45 years, following Federal Government heritage approval for Gurrowa Place and the transformative Market Square, which is set to replace the existing open-air Market car park.
Construction of Gurrowa Place is likely to commence in 2026, with the conversion of the open-air car park not expected until around 2028.
Market Square will span 1.8 hectares as part of the Gurrowa Place development, making it the largest addition of green space to Melbourne’s central city in decades and the first new CBD park since City Square was created in 1980.
The project creates much-needed public space while ensuring this Melbourne icon continues to thrive for generations to come.
The $1.7 billion Gurrowa Place development is part of the largest investment in Queen Victoria Market’s 150-year history, delivering new housing, restored heritage buildings, and Melbourne’s most significant public space addition since the 1980s.
Parking access guaranteed throughout transition
The Gurrowa Place development includes convenient underground parking with weather protection and easy access to Market sheds, ensuring customers maintain convenient Market access throughout the transformation.
The open-air car park will not close until the new parking is available, ensuring that throughout construction works there will always continue to be a minimum 720 car parking spaces available – the same number as before the Market Precinct Renewal Program commenced.
Development parking details:
- 220 dedicated spaces in new underground Gurrowa Place facility with convenient Market access
- 500 existing spaces in the Munro car park on Queen Street
- 720 total spaces – the same capacity as before Renewal works commenced
More information about Gurrowa Place is available on the City of Melbourne website and at https://www.gurrowapl.com.au/
