IMAGINE THE UPFIELD ONION
Or, something else! Regardless, the big carpark near Coburg Station, currently home of Schoolhouse Studios, is not going to be untouched for long. So, before any solid plans have been locked in by the Merri-bek Council, why not imagine something you want to see. Maybe it's a bigger, purpose-built library, maybe it's an arcade, maybe it's a nightclub. Whatever it is, the community needs to talk about this.
What we know so far
The Merri-bek Council owns the land and building where Schoolhouse Studios currently is. The building is leased by the Council to three companies in a 'tri-partied sub-licence'; John Holland Group, Coles and LXRP.
Coles' part of the lease expires last, on 27 August 2026. Until mid-2021, Coles operated from this site (the famous 'second Coles'). Instead of breaking its 10 year lease with the Council, which presumably would have cost them a lot of money, Coles agreed to sublet the space to Schoolhouse Studios for 5 years (when their lease expires).
Merri-bek Council Plans
This part of Coburg (including Victoria St Mall) is considered Coburg's 'activity centre'. This means it has been identified as an area of key activity and development by the State and Merri-Bek Council.
There have been numerous, long-standing council plans to develop the area. The most recent plan, the Coburg 2020 Structure Plan , was presumably abandonned due to COVID-19 and the difficulty in getting investors. However, we can assume that a newer iteration of the plan is on foot, given investment is looking more possible post-lockdowns.
Merri-bek Council's plans could be great. Or, they could be terrible. This is why early community engagement and participation in how our streets will look is so important!
Where you come in
There are lots of ways to let the Merri-bek council know what you think!
Contacting Merri-bek council
You can send an email to Merri-bek council asking questions and expressing your opinion. If and when consultation opens for this project, we will include this information here.
Supporting the Upfield Onion
If you like our idea for the Upfield Onion (see more below) and just want to vote 'yes' for our concept, click through to this anonymous form. You can also join our facebook group.
The Upfield Onion
As a placeholder concept for what the community could agree to, we've developed 'the Upfield Onion'. We plan to present the Upfield Onion to the Merri-bek Council when consultation begins for the site.
Picture this: as you look towards Coburg Station, from Victoria Mall, you see a multipurpose performance space, running Some Like it Hot on Wednesday evenings. The monthly rooftop table-tennis tournament is in full swing, above the unknowing heads of cinema-goers inside. Community gardens run all the way up to the doors, which are rarely shut. On the walk over, you pass a number of small tables with chess, backgammon and crokinole being played by young and old. Cars enter an underground car park, in safe distance from the people practising yo-yo moves.
Thank god, you think, as you narrowly avoid the public art performers, for the Upfield Onion.
Concept art for the Upfield Onion
- Upfield Onion, in colour
- AI generated Upfield Onion
- My, oh my, is that a big onion
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