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| Melbourne Haggles Over the Future of Its Most Popular Market | Melbourne Haggles Over the Future of Its Most Popular Market |
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| MELBOURNE, Australia — Shoppers pushed past one another, hunting for the best deals. A burly man in a butcher’s apron bellowed in a deep baritone about the unbeatable price of his pork chops. At another stall, the Seafood and Oyster Spot, Yianni Yiannatzis implored passers-by to taste his fresh raw oysters. | MELBOURNE, Australia — Shoppers pushed past one another, hunting for the best deals. A burly man in a butcher’s apron bellowed in a deep baritone about the unbeatable price of his pork chops. At another stall, the Seafood and Oyster Spot, Yianni Yiannatzis implored passers-by to taste his fresh raw oysters. |
| And standing here in the eye of the storm — a 19th-century emporium otherwise known as the Queen Victoria Market — its chief executive, Malcolm McCullough, looked around and declared, “What we have here is a very traditional market.” | And standing here in the eye of the storm — a 19th-century emporium otherwise known as the Queen Victoria Market — its chief executive, Malcolm McCullough, looked around and declared, “What we have here is a very traditional market.” |
| But tradition, he added, is not enough in 2017. “How do we maintain that traditional market,” he said, “but also make sure we’re modernizing enough to keep the markets alive?” | But tradition, he added, is not enough in 2017. “How do we maintain that traditional market,” he said, “but also make sure we’re modernizing enough to keep the markets alive?” |
| It’s a question at the center of a fierce debate over the future of one of Melbourne’s most precious assets and a proposed overhaul estimated at 620 million Australian dollars (about $470 million). At stake are issues of preservation, modernization and the tricky balancing act that cities face when their most valuable historic real estate is still in use. | It’s a question at the center of a fierce debate over the future of one of Melbourne’s most precious assets and a proposed overhaul estimated at 620 million Australian dollars (about $470 million). At stake are issues of preservation, modernization and the tricky balancing act that cities face when their most valuable historic real estate is still in use. |
| The publicly owned 17-acre Queen Victoria is one of the largest markets in the world, and it sits at the edge of the city’s Central Business District. It is the most popular attraction in the state of Victoria, drawing about 10 million visitors each year. Many of them are tourists, and more than half the market is dedicated to cheap clothing and souvenirs. | |
| Yet its heart is its food. While some Melburnians feel that the market has become a tourist trap, many consider it the soul of the city, representing its love of eating, its history and its diverse immigrant roots. | Yet its heart is its food. While some Melburnians feel that the market has become a tourist trap, many consider it the soul of the city, representing its love of eating, its history and its diverse immigrant roots. |
| In the indoor deli hall, vintage booths built from brass, marble and glass sell French pastry, German bratwurst, Greek yogurt, Turkish borek and Polish sausage. In the outdoor section, which is filled with vegetable sheds, vendors shout their prices in a multitude of accents. | In the indoor deli hall, vintage booths built from brass, marble and glass sell French pastry, German bratwurst, Greek yogurt, Turkish borek and Polish sausage. In the outdoor section, which is filled with vegetable sheds, vendors shout their prices in a multitude of accents. |
| Some of those sheds are more than a century old and in dire need of repair, say the market’s management and the city’s lord mayor, Robert Doyle. Outdoor vendors have nowhere to store goods, which need to be carted in and out every day. The resulting traffic of forklifts and trucks clogs areas that are also full of shoppers. These infrastructure issues — as well as tradition and the fact that most vendors are small family businesses — are why the market operates only five days a week. | Some of those sheds are more than a century old and in dire need of repair, say the market’s management and the city’s lord mayor, Robert Doyle. Outdoor vendors have nowhere to store goods, which need to be carted in and out every day. The resulting traffic of forklifts and trucks clogs areas that are also full of shoppers. These infrastructure issues — as well as tradition and the fact that most vendors are small family businesses — are why the market operates only five days a week. |
| “This is our city’s greatest asset, its greatest tourist attraction,” Mr. Doyle said in his City Hall office. “It’s ridiculous to have it sitting empty. It must be open seven days a week.” | “This is our city’s greatest asset, its greatest tourist attraction,” Mr. Doyle said in his City Hall office. “It’s ridiculous to have it sitting empty. It must be open seven days a week.” |
| Mr. Doyle said that the Queen Victoria had lost 5 to 10 percent of its vendors in the past decade, and that doing nothing would lead to “a market in permanent decline.” | Mr. Doyle said that the Queen Victoria had lost 5 to 10 percent of its vendors in the past decade, and that doing nothing would lead to “a market in permanent decline.” |
| But the plan he and Mr. McCullough are pushing has drawn a host of dissenters who fear it will destroy the market’s character. | But the plan he and Mr. McCullough are pushing has drawn a host of dissenters who fear it will destroy the market’s character. |
| “I like it the way it is,” said Russell Wyss, a resident of Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne. | “I like it the way it is,” said Russell Wyss, a resident of Fitzroy, a suburb of Melbourne. |
| Mr. Wyss has been going to the market for 75 years, since he was a small child. Like many Melburnians, he and his wife have a ritual of shopping there every week, returning to trusted vendors they’ve known for decades. “We love it,” he said. “It’s open and windy and cold and honest and down to earth. A little bit grubby. I don’t want to see it lose its grungy glamour.” | Mr. Wyss has been going to the market for 75 years, since he was a small child. Like many Melburnians, he and his wife have a ritual of shopping there every week, returning to trusted vendors they’ve known for decades. “We love it,” he said. “It’s open and windy and cold and honest and down to earth. A little bit grubby. I don’t want to see it lose its grungy glamour.” |
| The city planner, Rob Adams, one of the main architects of the new plan, said such worries were understandable. “Nostalgia is important,” he said. “You need to get a balance between continuity and change. That is a fine, delicate balance. The knowledge of how we could fail by sanitizing it is really genuine.” | The city planner, Rob Adams, one of the main architects of the new plan, said such worries were understandable. “Nostalgia is important,” he said. “You need to get a balance between continuity and change. That is a fine, delicate balance. The knowledge of how we could fail by sanitizing it is really genuine.” |
| The proposal includes removing the outdoor sheds for repairs and excavating the site to build a huge underground parking garage, along with amenities for vendors, like showers and refrigerated storage. Areas now used for parking and thoroughfares would become public plazas, and buildings on the periphery would be developed for shops and restaurants. The project is currently awaiting approval from the state planning minister, Richard Wynne. | The proposal includes removing the outdoor sheds for repairs and excavating the site to build a huge underground parking garage, along with amenities for vendors, like showers and refrigerated storage. Areas now used for parking and thoroughfares would become public plazas, and buildings on the periphery would be developed for shops and restaurants. The project is currently awaiting approval from the state planning minister, Richard Wynne. |
| Aging markets around the world have faced similar battles, and getting the updates wrong can come at a great cost. The 1971 razing of Les Halles in Paris is still regarded by many as a tragedy. In Los Angeles, the continuing revival of the downtown Grand Central Market is generally considered a success, but the oyster bars and almond-milk-latte stalls installed there in recent years make clear that the market has become a food hall rather than the workaday grocery it once was. | Aging markets around the world have faced similar battles, and getting the updates wrong can come at a great cost. The 1971 razing of Les Halles in Paris is still regarded by many as a tragedy. In Los Angeles, the continuing revival of the downtown Grand Central Market is generally considered a success, but the oyster bars and almond-milk-latte stalls installed there in recent years make clear that the market has become a food hall rather than the workaday grocery it once was. |
| David K. O’Neil, a markets expert in Philadelphia who consulted on the Queen Victoria plan, said that many cities struggled to find the investment to keep their historic marketplaces alive, and that the success or failure of the Melbourne project would be held up as an international example. | David K. O’Neil, a markets expert in Philadelphia who consulted on the Queen Victoria plan, said that many cities struggled to find the investment to keep their historic marketplaces alive, and that the success or failure of the Melbourne project would be held up as an international example. |
| “For so many different people, and for so many different reasons, it’s just very important, for the whole world, that Melbourne get it right,” Mr. O’Neil said. | “For so many different people, and for so many different reasons, it’s just very important, for the whole world, that Melbourne get it right,” Mr. O’Neil said. |
| The city has long been defined by its marketplaces. In the 19th century, its center was home to several, and the City Council was established in 1842 primarily to manage them. But over the years, all except for the Queen Victoria Market closed or were demolished to make way for development. | The city has long been defined by its marketplaces. In the 19th century, its center was home to several, and the City Council was established in 1842 primarily to manage them. But over the years, all except for the Queen Victoria Market closed or were demolished to make way for development. |
| Outside the city center, the South Melbourne and Prahran markets still operate, with fewer vendors that appeal to tourists, making them all the more attractive to some local shoppers. But neither is as big, as old or as popular as the Queen Victoria. | Outside the city center, the South Melbourne and Prahran markets still operate, with fewer vendors that appeal to tourists, making them all the more attractive to some local shoppers. But neither is as big, as old or as popular as the Queen Victoria. |
| The market, built in stages from the 1850s to the 1930s, came under threat in the 1970s, when city officials proposed razing the sheds and buildings for a hotel and office complex. The powerful Builders Labourers Federation union, casting the site as a symbol of Melbourne’s working-class roots, called a strike, barring members from working on the project, and eventually the plan was scrapped. | The market, built in stages from the 1850s to the 1930s, came under threat in the 1970s, when city officials proposed razing the sheds and buildings for a hotel and office complex. The powerful Builders Labourers Federation union, casting the site as a symbol of Melbourne’s working-class roots, called a strike, barring members from working on the project, and eventually the plan was scrapped. |
| According to the new proposal, the market would continue to operate during the five-year overhaul. Vendors whose sheds would be torn down and rebuilt would be moved to a new structure. | According to the new proposal, the market would continue to operate during the five-year overhaul. Vendors whose sheds would be torn down and rebuilt would be moved to a new structure. |
| There’s an obvious anxiety among those vendors about disruption to their businesses, and to an ecosystem of positioning and competition that has developed over generations. Even vendors who wouldn’t be moved fear the impact. | There’s an obvious anxiety among those vendors about disruption to their businesses, and to an ecosystem of positioning and competition that has developed over generations. Even vendors who wouldn’t be moved fear the impact. |
| “I think they’re overdoing it,” said Paris Protopapas, who with his wife, Lianna, runs Dianne’s Delights in the deli section, selling cheeses, dips and antipasti. | |
| The deli hall wouldn’t get more than slight cosmetic upgrades, in part because of the building’s landmark protections, but “it’s crazy to think it won’t disrupt us,” Mr. Protopapas said. “All that construction? It’ll push regular customers away from the markets.” | The deli hall wouldn’t get more than slight cosmetic upgrades, in part because of the building’s landmark protections, but “it’s crazy to think it won’t disrupt us,” Mr. Protopapas said. “All that construction? It’ll push regular customers away from the markets.” |
| He also suspects that the project is an attempt to gentrify the market and turn it into more of a food hall and tourist destination than a functional place to shop. “The tourists help, but only a little,” he said. “I need 50 tourists for every regular customer who actually does their shopping here.” | He also suspects that the project is an attempt to gentrify the market and turn it into more of a food hall and tourist destination than a functional place to shop. “The tourists help, but only a little,” he said. “I need 50 tourists for every regular customer who actually does their shopping here.” |
| That dichotomy — of regular shoppers and small vendors facing off against fancy chefs and trend-driven money makers — has only been widened by the proposed funding method for the project: the private development of two sites adjacent to the market. | That dichotomy — of regular shoppers and small vendors facing off against fancy chefs and trend-driven money makers — has only been widened by the proposed funding method for the project: the private development of two sites adjacent to the market. |
| The first, known as the Munro site, has already been sold to the developer PDG, which plans to build a 643-foot-tall hotel and apartment tower there. That’s almost double the height allowed under current zoning rules. Similar plans are expected for another site on the south end of the market that has yet to be sold. | The first, known as the Munro site, has already been sold to the developer PDG, which plans to build a 643-foot-tall hotel and apartment tower there. That’s almost double the height allowed under current zoning rules. Similar plans are expected for another site on the south end of the market that has yet to be sold. |
| The Melbourne City Council bought the Munro site for 73 million Australian dollars in 2014, and sold it this year to PDG for 33 million dollars. As part of the sale, the company agreed to build 83 million dollars’ worth of community amenities, including a child-care center and an underground garage for 720 cars. The Council agreed to pay PDG 50 million dollars if its tower was not approved by the planning minister, Mr. Wynne, who has the final say over exemptions from height restrictions. | The Melbourne City Council bought the Munro site for 73 million Australian dollars in 2014, and sold it this year to PDG for 33 million dollars. As part of the sale, the company agreed to build 83 million dollars’ worth of community amenities, including a child-care center and an underground garage for 720 cars. The Council agreed to pay PDG 50 million dollars if its tower was not approved by the planning minister, Mr. Wynne, who has the final say over exemptions from height restrictions. |
| Representatives for the city contend that a shorter building would be wide and squat and look like a “behemoth,” while a tower would be more elegant. But statements from the planning minister have been mostly negative, leading some to believe that he is unlikely to approve the tower. A representative from his office said a decision was likely in late June. | Representatives for the city contend that a shorter building would be wide and squat and look like a “behemoth,” while a tower would be more elegant. But statements from the planning minister have been mostly negative, leading some to believe that he is unlikely to approve the tower. A representative from his office said a decision was likely in late June. |
| “This is a land grab,” said Phil Cleary, who lost to Mr. Doyle in the 2016 mayoral election and is now the spokesman for a group called Save Queen Vic Market. “The Victoria Market sits on prime real estate; I think City Hall is trying to maximize the use of that prime real estate. It starts with the tower, and then it moves to new kinds of businesses around the market. Those businesses will run counter to the operation of a traditional open-air market.” | “This is a land grab,” said Phil Cleary, who lost to Mr. Doyle in the 2016 mayoral election and is now the spokesman for a group called Save Queen Vic Market. “The Victoria Market sits on prime real estate; I think City Hall is trying to maximize the use of that prime real estate. It starts with the tower, and then it moves to new kinds of businesses around the market. Those businesses will run counter to the operation of a traditional open-air market.” |
| Mr. Cleary foresees the current plan falling apart when the planning minister declines to approve the tower. At that point, Mr. Cleary hopes the city will propose something less drastic for the market. | Mr. Cleary foresees the current plan falling apart when the planning minister declines to approve the tower. At that point, Mr. Cleary hopes the city will propose something less drastic for the market. |
| “You’re telling me they’re going to come in here, rip out these century-old sheds, dig up all the land under them, put in a car park, then bang it all back on top and surround it with high-rises and think it’s going to be the same market?” he said. “No. There is a better way.” | “You’re telling me they’re going to come in here, rip out these century-old sheds, dig up all the land under them, put in a car park, then bang it all back on top and surround it with high-rises and think it’s going to be the same market?” he said. “No. There is a better way.” |