• Article by Online Editor

Plans for the St Kilda Triangle development have been scrapped by Port Phillip Council, at a cost of $5 million.

Mayor Frank O’Connor announced that the development proposal had been scrapped, with the council agreeing to pay developers Citta Property Group $5 million over three years in settlement.

Melbourne architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall had been leading the design team working on the scheme, working alongside developers Citta Property Group, financed by Babcock & Brown.

Since winning the tender in May 2007, the developers claim they have spent $12 million on the scheme – and therefore stand to lose $7 million from the project.

The scheme has been marked by problems since planning work began almost ten years ago. The proposal from Citta, which was approved by the council in August 2008, included a $20 million refurbishment of heritage listed Palais Theatre, new entertainment facilities and shopping complex as well as cultural facilities and a new urban square.

However, the project faced a fierce backlash from the community. Protest group, UnChain St Kilda, claimed the plans were “effectively privatising Crown Land”, adding that the project was outdated and lacked necessary sustainability measures.

“It is a car dependent shopping complex, an alcohol dependent entertainment precinct, a huge development oblivious to climate change and its implications,” they claimed.

[“UnChain St Kilda”:http://unchainstkilda.org/]