How much will the new Convention Centre cost?

Construction of the new facility is estimated to cost $367 million. The ultimate cost to the State will depend on the outcome of the tender process, the scope of services to be provided by the private sector, and the proceeds attributable to the development of other sites within the precinct, which will be undertaken as part of the Convention Centre Redevelopment.

What sort of other buildings/development will be part of this? Hotels?Restaurants?

The Convention Centre will be the catalyst for around $800m in redevelopment of the surrounding precinct for uses such as a hotel, restaurants, retail outlets and residential development. A footbridge link to the Northbank and the realisation of alternative uses for the existing Convention Centre will also be part of the overall redevelopment. A master plan will be developed for the precinct in consultation with the private sector, the City of Melbourne and the Minister for Planning.

What will happen to the existing Convention Centre?

The existing Convention Centre will remain open at least until the new Centre commences operations in 2008. Subsequently, there are a number of options for use of the site, including the operation of a smaller complementary facility or alternative uses which are currently being explored with other stakeholders.

Please, please demolish this blight on the Yarra:


Is the Exhibition Centre to be expanded as part of the Redevelopment?

The Project approved by Government is Stage 1 of a masterplan. Stage 2 involves the potential extension of the Exhibition Centre. The site designated for this extension is to be quarantined from development and is proposed to be used for carparking (this can be seen in the schematics for Stage 1).

Timeline:

Late 2004: Expressions of interest
Mid 2005: Tender documentation released to short-listed bidders
Late 2005: Winning bid announced
Early 2006: construction commences
2008: construction completed

Will the new Convention Centre look like the design shown in the schematics?

No. The schematics illustrate a conceptual design for the new Convention Centre. The State will require that the design meets aesthetic requirements appropriate to the prominent position of the site.

Lucky it's only a schematic because it looks bloody awful, but you get the idea:

I hope DCM get the job so they can intergrate the design with Jeff's shed (which this design doesn't do very well)




A slightly different concept with three towers


Map of the area:

This is the DCM design for the proposed 18,000 square metre expansion of the Exhibition Centre that never went ahead:

They picked the super sized $1 billion version!

The news web sites are a bit slow today:

Wednesday, 22 February 2006

CONVENTION CENTRE CORNERSTONE OF YARRA REDEVELOPMENT

The Premier, Steve Bracks, today unveiled details of a major redevelopment of the lower Yarra’s southern banks, including a 5000-seat Convention Centre, a five-star hotel, an office and residential tower, a riverfront retail promenade and revitalised Maritime Museum.

Mr Bracks, who announced Multiplex/Plenary Consortium as the successful tenderer for the Convention Centre contract, said the State Government’s contribution to the project would be $370 million.

“The new Convention Centre will be an iconic building and major new landmark for Melbourne,” he said.

“The centre will secure Melbourne’s position as Australia’s business event capital generating millions of dollars each year for the business tourism and retail sectors and create thousands of new jobs for Victorians.

“The new centre is part of a public-private partnership project that will complete the urban renewal of the Yarra River’s edge linking Southbank to Docklands and creating a commercial and lifestyle district down the river’s spine to the bay’s edge and port districts.”

Mr Bracks said the consortia’s $1 billion proposal included:

• a 5,000 seat, six-star energy rated Convention Centre;
• a five star Hilton Hotel;
• an office and residential tower;
• a riverfront promenade of retails shops, including cafes, bookstores and wine merchants;
• a premium brand homemaker retail complex; and
• an investment in public spaces including a partnership with the National Trust for a revitalised Maritime Museum.

“The remaining developments will be financed privately as a public-private partnership under the Partnership Victoria model,” Mr Bracks said.

“The winning bid is a great example of how the Partnerships Victoria policy can bring innovation and benefits to the Victorian community.

“The Melbourne City Council will also invest $43 million to finance a bridge linking the southern and northern banks, other capital works and marketing of the new centre.”

Mr Bracks said today’s announcement followed a rigorous tender process.

“The Multiplex/Plenary Consortium proposal delivered commercial, services, technical and design excellence and will elevate Melbourne’s business events profile internationally,” Mr Bracks said.

“Melbourne’s new convention centre will be a facility all Victorian will be proud to call their own.

“It will incorporate state of the art design features and achieve a six star green star rating.

“The timber-clad, 5,000-seat Plenary Hall will be fan-shaped achieving an unobstructed view of proceedings.

“I have also asked Victoria's newly-appointed Government Architect John Denton and his office to work with the successful bidder on the delivery of the proposed iconic design.”

The Convention Centre will also feature:
• a ball room;
• an 18-metre high glass wall façade fronting the Yarra;
• a gala seating system in the Plenary Hall to allow for flexible seating configurations;
• 32 meeting rooms; and
• a ground foyer for 11,000 guests.

Mr Bracks said the Convention Centre project was a great example of strategic infrastructure investment designed to grow the entire State.

“The new Convention Centre will generate 2,500 jobs plus 1,000 jobs during the construction period and increase economic activity by $197 million each year over 25 years.

“Interest in this magnificent new centre is set to soar now that we have a proposal that offers a world class ‘green’ facility for a full spectrum of international conferences and events.”

The Minister for Tourism, John Pandazopoulos, said Victoria had already secured five big international conventions for the new centre worth nearly $70 million and collectively bringing almost 12,500 delegates to the State.

“Business events already contribute $1.2 billion to the Victorian economy and employs more than 22,000 people,” Mr Pandazopoulos said.

“Business tourists spend twice as much as leisure tourists and business tourism is the fastest growing and highest yielding tourism sector.”

The Minister for Major Projects, John Lenders, said the new convention centre was part of the largest program of infrastructure spending by any Victorian Government.

“The Bracks Government is delivering the biggest infrastructure spend in Victoria's history - we are building roads, schools, hospitals and police stations and other vital projects in a financially responsible way for all Victorians,” Mr Lenders said.

“In the last five years we have spent $10 billion on infrastructure, or an average $2 billion each year, and will spend more than $10 billion or an average of $2.5 billion each year in the next four years.”

The Mulitplex/Plenary Consortium consists of the Plenary Group (consortium lead, equity investor and project management), Deutsche Bank (financial underwriter), AUSTEXX (commercial development partner), Multiplex Constructions (builder), Multiplex Facilities Management (service delivery over the 25 year concession period), Hilton International (hotel operator) and NH Architecture/Woods Bagot/Larry Oltmanns (architecture and urban design).

Construction is scheduled to start after the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games and the centre will be operational in 2009.

The Hilton Hotel will be 12 storeys high.

More info:

- The Precinct -

The Multiplex-Plenary Consortium was established by Plenary Group in 2004 to bid for Melbourne’s landmark Convention Centre.

! This is a $1 billion integrated mixed-use precinct investment that will create a contiguous Southbank river frontage – the last, and most crucial, urban renewal of
the Yarra’s edge, linking the south bank to Docklands.

! The total Precinct development delivers much more than just the base case convention centre and bridge. It will also deliver:

− a 319 room 5 star Hilton Hotel
− an 18,000m2 office and residential tower, and
− a 10,000m2 riverfront promenade of lifestyle retail, incorporating cafes bookstores and tourism retail
− a 50,000m2 premium brand homemaker retail complex that will be one of the largest single stage retail developments ever completed in the Melbourne CBD
− an investment in public spaces including a partnership with the National Trust for a revitalised Maritime Museum.


- Convention Centre -

! The project will commence after the Commonwealth Games in 2006 with a construction completion to allow it to be operational in 2009.
! Floor area of Convention Centre 66,000m2.
! Height of building 25m.
! Triangular roof area 20,000m, the sides of triangle approximately 200m long each.
! The building basement provides truck unloading facilities below ground directly into the Plenary Hall. The majority of plant rooms and back of house facilities (main kitchen) are housed out of sight in this location.
! The Plenary Hall has a maximum capacity of 5,000 persons and is sub dividable into 3 smaller plenary configurations of 2500, 1500 and 1000 persons respectively; made possible by the extension of sound proof walls.
! The ground floor foyer is able to host as many as 11,000 guests at a cocktail type function.
! The meeting room provision is 32 rooms of varying size.
! The vertical transport system allows for trucks to be lifted to all levels for exhibition and displays.
! 18 meter high glass wall façade to riverfront and maritime village which maximises views back up the river with the city skyline as a backdrop.
! General Material Quantities:
− Concrete – 19,985 cubic metres
− Reinforcing Steel – 1830 tonne
− Bulk excavation – 101,813 m3
− Structural Steel – 5200 tonne
− Ceilings – 61,034 m2
− Roof sheeting – 14,643 m2
− Lifts - 15 lifts
− Escalators - 16 Escalators


- Design Elements -

! Located on the southern bank of the Yarra River adjacent to the existing Melbourne Exhibition site. The area will be linked by a new pedestrian bridge also to the northern
side of the river. The development will create a contiguous Southbank river frontage – the last, and most crucial, urban renewal of the Yarra’s edge, linking the South Bank
to Docklands.

! The new Convention Centre will deliver the world’s first six green star rated convention centre, underpinned by an above-brief investment in black water treatment and water conservation.

! It will be an elegant and iconic triangular building – a major architectural statement for Melbourne, enhancing its reputation for built form design excellence.

! Three entry points lead delegates into the building itself, foyers are visually linked to the outdoor public spaces and wrap around the circumference of the 5000-seat auditorium without interrupting operational efficiency. Expansive glass facades provide for visual connection to the CBD.
! Double height circulation voids adjacent to the north façade also create visual connectivity between floors - a sense of space and volume.
! All services, including arrival and handling of goods occur out-of-sight at basement level.
! The interior finish of timber clad wall components and the inclusion of a feature ceiling create an ambience of the highest international standing.
! The Plenary Hall’s fanned-shape design and seating rakes result in 100% of delegates achieving an unobstructed view of proceedings, no matter what the convention mode. This will be the world’s first 5000 seat facility to achieve this.
! The Gala seating system is without question the world’s leading-edge technology in achieving limitless flexibility in seating configurations providing the greatest speed and operational efficiency in event change over.
! Active pedestrian promenades and a number of public forecourts link the convention centre’s three major entry points to the broader retail, hotel and restaurant facilities.

The deign matches the exhibition centre nicely. Remember that the glass wall facing the Yarra is 18 metres high and the roof is 25 metres high, so from ground level it will look pretty awesome.

Also the big car cark park out the back is where the extension of the Exhibition Centre will go so it won't be a crappy car park for that long.

The best thing I heard on the news was the guy from the Multiplex-Plenary Consortium saying that they are commited to building the whole lot in a single stage of construction, unlike Southern Cross Station where we could be waiting years fro the commercial, hotel and residential towers.

Here is how the site used to look:

This will easily be the largest and the best convention centre in Australia and will be fully intergrated with the largest and the best exhibition centre in Austrlia.

It is not supposed to be an iconic building for the arts, it is a money making machine for Melbourne and will look better than every other convention centre/exhibition centre in Australia.

If you want to see iconic architecture all you will have to do it take a short walk across to southabnk and you will come across this:



and this:

Yes it does, there are only 40 apartments, so they should easily be able to sell that many apartments in such a fantastic location.

A journalist at the launch asked if it would end up like Southern Cross with the design watered down and the residential and commerical components built years later and the guy from Plenary Group basically siad there is no way that will happen.

Bluestar said:

Question: the word was earlier that the entire development was going to go up at about the same time; surely this does not include the residential towers?

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