Night moves for market

By Shaun Inguanzo
THE new Dandenong Market has the potential for night time entertainment and specialty stalls.
That was one idea floated by council officers last week as they discussed the most critical stage of the market’s $20 million transformation with journalists.
Greater Dandenong’s city improvement manager Bruce Rendall said the council had met with market stallholders on Tuesday 8 July to discuss the redevelopments.
General merchandise stalls, which include clothing stands, will be slashed from 221 to 130 sites to pave the way for a new, expansive fresh meat and fish section.
And a new general merchandise hall, to be located at the existing multi level carpark, could be used for entertainment, he said, although nothing had been confirmed.
“It could have niche use,” Mr Rendall said.
He said concerts, an outdoor cinema, a night time arts and crafts market and food festivals were all potential uses for the new hall.
General merchandise stallholders will vie for the 130 spots by applying and being graded on a criterion that measures their contributions to the market.
Mr Rendall said market manager Savills would call upon non-market staff to assess the applications.
There will be no legal recourse given that stallholders are currently on month-by-month leases, Mr Rendall said.
Works will begin in October with stallholders being moved to temporary trading locations during that month and also January 2009.
The council is hoping to find a tender for the works by September, and to have works completed by December 2009.
Tenancy fit outs are planned to be finished by March 2010.