(former) Victoria Car Park
103-107 Russell St & 181-191 Little Collins St,
Melbourne, Victoria
(Marcus Barlow, 1938)
Scots Church Properties Trust is attempting to have this building demolishged (despite Hreitage listing in 2002) to enable the construction of a new 10-storey building. Two panel hearings were recently convened by Heritage Victoria and the Department of Sustainability & Environment, and the case against against demolition of the Car Park building was argued strongly by ourselves, the National trust and residents from adjoining buildings. The matter has been 'called in' by the Minister for Planning, who will now decide whether to issue a permit for demolition of this listed building. Many Societies and individuals from around the world sent letter to the Minister expressing their opposition to demolition and we thank them for their help.
Winter
2006 - Preservation News
Melbourne's first commercial car park, designed by Marcus Barlow and constructed in 1938, was added to the Victoria Heritage Register in 2002
after a lengthy battle with its owners, the Scots Church Properties Trust.
In February, the owners applied for a permit to demolish the building. Their application was rejected by Heritage Victoria and the owners have lodged an appeal against the decision, to be heard in August.
ADS and the National Trust will strenuously oppose the arguments for demolition put forward by the owners. The site is an important commercial building designed by one of our best architects. It also represents a link to the motoring heritage of Australia
and is a rare building of its type remaining in Australia from the interwar era. It must be preserved.
Spring 2007
The extended and complicated battle to save the Car Park building is now over. The owner's of the building, the Scots Church, sought approval from the Minister of Planning to demolish the building (which is included in the Victorian Heritage Register) and construct a ten-storey office tower. The Minister has approved a modified design for a tower which will see the Russell St frontage
demolished and the Little Collins St section retained and included in the new building.
