Major plans to redevelop the prominent Southgate complex on Melbourne's Yarra River have been announced by ARA Asset Management (ARA Australia), owners and managers of the iconic office and retail precinct.

The city-shaping project will reimagine and rebuild the two-hectare Southgate site, which is strategically located on the edge of the CBD, directly opposite Flinders Street Station and adjacent Melbourne’s famous Arts Precinct – itself proposing to undertake a major redevelopment.

OCULUS collaborated with architects Fender Katsalidis on the landscape and public realm vision which would see 4,000 square metres of new and reinvigorated open space.

The new Southgate promises to elevate and extend the precinct’s restaurant offer and revitalise its boutique retail mix. It will also introduce significant new open space in the form of Melbourne’s newest elevated parkland, which has been incorporated into the contemporary design.

This north-facing public space will span some 2,000 square metres and will be directly accessible from the river promenade, St Kilda Road and the Arts Precinct, improving pedestrian movement and permeability throughout the site.

New bars and restaurants would activate the precinct, while a seamless connection with the adjoining Arts Precinct would help improve the overall visitor experience of Southbank.

According to research completed by Urbis, the project has the potential to make a significant contribution to the Melbourne and wider Victorian economies, a particularly important outcome given the state’s focus on post-pandemic economic recovery.