The developers are planning to build an apartment building right next door to the current car park site. Providing an outlook over a green landscaped park, instead of over an aging off-street carpark, will deliver substantial improvement to the outlook of future residents of 20-22 Hope Street, Brunswick and will provide value uplift for the developers.

If the developers do deliver the new park and move the car park underground, there will not be a reduction in planning requirements for their development at 20-22 Hope Street. Their development will still need to comply with the Merri-bek Planning Scheme.

The De Fazio family are the developers and the owners of the land adjacent to the car park. They are long standing local business owners, employers, investors and residents in the Brunswick area since the mid 1970s.

They have a strong association with the Brunswick area and have proudly supported many community projects including Brunswick’s Counihan Gallery.

For this project they have teamed up with award winning architects Freadman White for the design of the adjacent mixed-use development.

They approached council with this proposal wanting to achieve a better urban outcome for the Hope & Breese Street area.

No. A decision has not been made on whether to proceed with this proposal. We are currently exploring the proposal's details to determine if it could work and to consider the benefits it might deliver to the community.

We want to hear what the community thinks about the proposal before we consider it any further.

Although this is a unique circumstance, there are many examples where Council use developments to deliver public benefit and improvements, including public parks, upgrades to streetscapes and roads.

We understand this proposal may have the opportunity to deliver public space in the area for residents and visitors, alongside providing an upgrade to the public car park which does not meet current Australian Standards. But it is important that Council is impartial in how it considers the proposal, and how it will assess the planning application.

Given the unique circumstance in which we have been approached, we have appointed an independent Probity Advisor. They will provide advice and oversight for Council and have already required measures to be implemented.

No. If we decide to proceed with the proposal, Council will retain ownership of the land at 1-9 Breese Street that will accommodate the proposed public carpark and park. Council will be responsible for the ongoing management of the asset.

Any improvements to the new carpark area should follow Australian Standards. With the underground changes, we expect to lose spaces to accommodate ramps and structural supports. We anticipate there will likely be a small loss (up to 5 approximately) of car parking from the existing 60 spaces that are provided on site.

Further work and design are required to determine exactly how many spaces might be provided in future.

Accessible spaces are a requirement of any development and will be provided as required by the Australian Standards. It is anticipated these spaces would be provided at grade, where they are easily accessible.

If the proposal proceeds paid parking may be considered as an option to assist with the ongoing management and maintenance costs of the underground carpark area. We know that access to convenient car parking benefits visitors to the precinct, businesses, traders and staff, which is why we are keen to hear your thoughts on the proposal.

If Council proceeds with the proposal, it is likely there will be a period where the 60 carparking spaces will be unavailable as the carpark is constructed. During this time, we will work with the local community and traders to look at opportunities to minimise the impacts of the works.

Council’s Open Space Strategy recognises the benefits of public open space in urban areas. This site is not an area identified as in need under the current ‘Park Close to Home’ strategy, and it is less than 100 metres from the recently completed Bulleke-Bek Park.

However, it is noted that the Anstey Village precinct has experienced significant development over the last decade and existing local open space is highly used. More open space in this area could represent a significant community benefit, particularly as this precinct's population is projected to increase in future.

If Council decides to proceed with the proposal, agreement with the developers will outline the maximum amount of time required to complete the construction of the carpark and park. This will be secured against financial guarantees, which would also allow Council to complete works in the circumstance the works have been commenced and but are not completed.

No.

Council is committed to ensuring there is a clear delineation of responsibility in considering the developers' proposal for the carpark at 1-9 Breese Street, and their formal planning assessment that will include the apartments at 20 Hope Street.

Our probity requirements ensures a clear separation of roles and no benefits to be provided through the decision-making process. The planning application must comply with the requirements of the Merri-bek planning scheme, including height, and the Planning and Environment Act 1987 requirements.