The last piece of the design jigsaw for the Civic Precinct and Community Hub project has now been delivered with the release of landscape plans for the new community park.

In line with what we heard from the community, shade, seating, a focus on soft surfaces, and cultural and indigenous history are all reflected.

The new park, to be constructed where the civic offices are currently, will feature a large open lawn area for gatherings, picnics and community events and smaller lawn for more intimate get-togethers for smaller groups.

A terraced rock boulder garden, incorporating a gathering circle, will celebrate country along with the use of indigenous plantings in the garden area.

Additional elements of the design include Green Star initiatives, heritage considerations and utilities requirements. The space will also include accessible paths, ramps, stairs and feature walls for artwork.

The community park, new civic administration building, and renovated heritage Town Hall building, are being delivered as part of the Civic Precinct and Community Hub Project that will deliver a modern, environmentally friendly space for use by the community alongside a sustainable workplace.

Outline Landscape has worked closely with the lead Architects, DesignInc, an Australia-wide architecture and design practice focused on creating healthy buildings and people-centric environments on the park plans, which also include water capture from the new civic building for reuse in irrigation.

Fencing was erected in January ahead of the start of physical on-the-ground works which will take up to two years to complete.

The contract for the works was awarded to Melbourne-based award-winning commercial construction company, Ireland Brown Constructions Pty Ltd, in September at the last council meeting to be held at the Town Hall until works are complete sometime towards the end of 2024.

The multi-million dollar build is being part funded by a $10 million dollar loan from the State Government’s Community Infrastructure Loans Scheme and through Council’s major project reserves.

You can find more information on progress with the project delivery at: http://maribyrnong.vic.gov.au/Civic-and-Community-Precinct

The Precinct designs, endorsed by Council in June 2021, showcase plans to return the historic part of the Town Hall to its former glory for use by the community with a modern and sustainable operational workplace addition.

They incorporate many of the elements the community has asked for - creating a warm and inviting space with a second entrance off Napier Street into the Town Hall building - and the use of environmentally friendly materials and sustainable design elements to support green star accreditation. Council is aiming for six stars.

Other key items outlined in the final designs include future-proofing the administration building with the opportunity for a future third floor, and a flexible office layout. The Council Chambers will remain central to the existing building.

Council believes the final designs strike the right balance between maintaining historical aspects and creating modern assets for future users.

Green Star is an internationally recognised sustainability rating system that supports buildings to:

• Lower operating costs and increase asset value
• Use less electricity and potable water
• Boost productivity
• Produce fewer greenhouse gas emissions
• Improve the health and wellbeing of occupants

Six Star Green Star accreditation is the best you can get. It represents ‘World Leadership’ in environmentally sustainable building practices and is what we will be aiming for in the new office administration building.

Few buildings have managed to achieve this status.

Click on the icons to learn more about the key focus areas.

Don't forget to also dig out any stories you may have about your experiences with this iconic building that we can collate into a memory book to celebrate the legacy of this historic building while also sharing insights into the changing face of our City from early pre-war Footscray to our post-Millenium diverse modern community. Share your stories below.

Photo courtesy of Melbourne Museum