By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Greater Dandenong Council has acquired Harmony Square and land next to the future Mason Street art gallery in a property swap with Development Victoria.
The state development authority gains the council’s 34-space car park at 2 Mason Street – which will be included as part of the Foster Street precinct currently offered to market in an expression-of-interest process.
The council gains ownership of the public open space Harmony Square at Dandenong Civic Centre as well as the Precinct Energy Plant (PEP) adjoining Settlers Square and the former Masonic Lodge.
As part of the exchange, the council will pay Development Victoria $125,000.
Cr Matthew Kirwan said the “important land swap” allowed the council to obtain the two sites while minimising the cost to $125,000.
The PEP was a key site in central Dandenong, he said.
“When you walk from Dandenong railway station through Settler’s Square you immediately have the former Precinct Energy Plant site in front of you.
“With conversion the building would be suitable for a variety of community uses and could be directly or indirectly joined with the Masonic Hall Art Gallery to provide further exhibition space or be used as a blackbox theatre.”
Cr Kirwan said the 2 Mason Street short-term car park would not be developed for “a number of years”. It would still be available as a car park in the interim.
“ In the medium term we will need to build more multi-level car parks (offering much more than 34 car spaces) and officers are currently looking at available sites.
“It makes sense for the Revitalising Central Dandenong project that we give Development Victoria the opportunity to consolidate this site with the neighbouring sites they originally acquired.”
