Restaurateur of central Dandenong’s Sinbad, John Camillo, wants traders, the council and VicUrban to embrace and expand on an idea to turn Lonsdale Street into a traffic-free By Shaun Inguanzo
THE State Government’s urban planning body will not support calls to convert central Dandenong into a massive undercover marketplace the size of Chadstone shopping centre.
Owner of central Dandenong’s Sinbad restaurant John Camillo this week urged traders to support a call by former City of Berwick mayor Syd Pargeter to remove traffic from Lonsdale Street.
But VicUrban has now said Dandenong would move beyond the idea of an undercover marketplace to ‘open up’ the city.
Mr Camillo showed Star a letter he said he wrote seven years ago, expressing concern about the impact a large volume of traffic was having on the liveability of central Dandenong.
The letter says that by removing traffic and converting Lonsdale Street into a big marketplace, trade would most likely increase.
“Without through traffic, Lonsdale Street could become the city’s most productive retail, entertainment and leisure space, a space bigger than Chadstone, but not like any other,” Mr Camillo wrote.
He this week said Dandenong’s strength as a market town should be realised in the revitalisation of central Dandenong.
“We should reinforce this tradition by establishing a market concept that will bring people by the busloads,” he said.
“Let’s think world-class market zone, let’s think 24/7 activity with exhibitions, all kinds of public auctions and traditional markets.”
Earlier this month Mr Pargeter told Star he had 12 years ago envisioned a revitalisation for central Dandenong, and believed a large undercover shopping and entertainment complex was the way to go.
Greater Dandenong CEO Carl Wulff responded, saying the idea was horrendous and “just fantasy stuff”.
VicUrban Dandenong general manager Dominic Arcaro this week said the undercover market would cost too much and become a larger version of Dandenong Plaza, not an open design.
“The idea of closing 600 metres-plus of Lonsdale Street and sticking a roof over it is certainly not one that would be in tune with today’s urban design principals,” he said.
Mr Arcaro said VicUrban instead believed calming traffic, which would largely happen once EastLink opened, would allow for Lonsdale Street to be reworked into a pedestrian-friendly area.
