Futuristic Melbourne
Futuristic Melbourne
Glen Waverley
Friday, 11 June 2010
Current Situation
The Glen Waverley activity area is today made up of distinct areas, listed in order of North to South:
1.Centro The Glen Shopping Centre
2.The Village Arcade
3.Glen Waverley Secondary College
4.Railway Parade North side-street shopping strip
5.Glen Waverley Railway Station
6.Kingsway side-street shopping strip
7.Springvale Rd facing shops
8.Century Walk complex with Novotel Hotel
9.Monash City Council area with Glen Waverley branch library
10.Centrelink & multi-storey carpark along Bogong Ave
11.Ibis Hotel complex
The above list helps to appreciate the subtle differences each area within the entire Glen Waverley central activity area.
Futuristic Retailing
The #1 difference that my futuristic version of Glen Waverley is that the 10 distinct areas are consolidated and interlinked.
Centro The Glen Shopping Centre, as the dominant shopping destination, fully contained with supporting car parking spaces would become the basis for my future version of Glen Waverley. Picture a doubling/tripling in size of the complex, stretching beyond the current Safeway and fresh food southern end, replacing the Village Arcade (2), the central car-park square and linking not just the Century Walk complex (8), but even further south to include the council and library facilities (9) and the Ibis Hotel complex (11).
This new complex would absorb the retailers from the existing side-street shopping strips - (4), (6) and (7). The existing multi-level car park structure would be extended further south, the current location of (7). While there would be maximum preservation of Century Walk, the council and hotel buildings, the library would likely be completely rebuilt and the Centrelink office complex and adjoining offices be housed in some sort of similar office complex constructed above the current central car-park square.
By consolidating all retailers into a single contained building, all current structures on the west side of Kingsway, from the Dan Murphy right down to the multi-storey car-park & current Centrelink property would be replaced with a single continuous multi-storey car-park structure. The height of this west car-park would be capped to the current height of 3 levels above ground. Kingsway as a North-South road would retained its alignment and be open-air.
A number of overpass bridges would be constructed across Kingsway to link not just the new multi-storey car-park, but also the Glen Waverley Secondary College, thus minimising pedestrian traffic along Kingsway.
Futuristic Public Transport Hub
The BIG BIG change for public transportation is the replacement of the current above ground railway station with an underground metro station located under the current central car-park square. The Railway station would also no longer be the final stop along the Glen Waverley line; instead the railway line would be extended underground to a future Gallaghers Metro Station (High Street Rd & Gallaghers Rd intersection) on route to Knox City/Ozone.
The central bus station area would similarly be relocated underground. In keeping with the ideal nature of my redevelopments, Springvale Rd would have dedicated bus lanes - a fourth lane would have been squeezed in for the dual carriageway - most likely at the expense of the existing side and median nature strips. The two traffic light intersections of Railway Parade North and Coleman Parade would be retained but the bus lanes would descend underground before reaching either of the intersections. Directly below the two intersections would be the new bus station. This bus station would extend westward and divide the underground levels of the Springvale Rd side car-park.
Floors & Levels
The ground floor is level with Springvale Rd. This is the only floor that extends the entire north-south length of the complex; the northern section constituting the current upper floor of Centro The Glen.
From the north-most section, starting at the current position of the Safeway/Woolworths Supermarket, and extending all the way south to the council and hotels would be an upper retail floor. A minor reconfiguration of the Century Walk complex is likely to accommodate the public retail floor and keeping it separate from the existing private/restricted cinema ticketed area. Entrances with covered walkway bridges shall link this floor to the west Kingsway-side car-park. The likely positioning of these bridges/entrances for the floor are:
➡Glen Waverley Secondary College - north of the O’Sullivan Rd intersection with Kingsway; covered with open stairwell into small entry area in corner of school.
➡Midway between O’Sullivan Rd and Railway Parade North
➡South of the Coleman Parade intersection with Kingsway.
➡The current entrance to Century Walk
➡North of the Bogong Avenue intersection (currently the roundabout intersection)
A dedicated level below the ground floor at the middle section between Railway Parade North and Coleman Parade shall provide access to the same floor adjacent bus station with escalators and lifts leading to the railway station immediately below. This floor shall split transport ticketed passengers from general public via metro ticket gantries and provide the railway ticket machines with service office facilities.
Road Realignments, Car-Parks
Myrtle St shall extend across the current railway station complex to a new roundabout that shall connect Glendale St with Railway Parade North and Euneva St. Glendale/Euneva St shall be extended further south to terminate at Bogong Ave. This street extension shall mark the west boundary/extent of all multi-level car-parks. Four multi-level car-park structures shall occupy the land adjacent to the retail complex:
➡Between O’Sullivan Rd and Railway Parade North
➡Between Railway Parade North and Coleman Parade
➡Between Coleman Parade and Bogong Avenue (Montclair Avenue becoming 2 entry/access points.
The remaining space west of Glendale/Euneva St shall be levelled and resurfaced as street-level car-park.
Both Coleman Parade and Railway Parade North shall remain as access routes between Springvale Rd and their existing alignments west of the new complex with the following changes:
Railway Parade North
➡Heading eastward, traffic shall intersect with Kingsway as a traffic light intersection (slight realignment of existing) and then descend under the retail complex. A left-turn lane shall lead to the north car-park blue level. Approaching the Springvale Rd intersection, ramps shall provide access to Springvale Road North. To access Springvale Rd South, single-lane traffic will merge with the dedicated bus lane exit ramp. A single lane shall connect with Glen Rd. One restriction shall prevent traffic from turning right into Kingsway (access from Coleman Parade) while access to Kingsway North/Snedden Drive shall remain unrestricted.
➡Approaching from Springvale Rd North the right-turn lane shall head westward across the northbound lanes and immediately descend down to the blue car-park level. Traffic shall split between continuing westward or entering the north car-park blue level. Traffic shall be prevented from turning left onto Kingsway South (access from Coleman Parade). A turn-right lane shall allow access to Kingsway North.
➡Approaching from Springvale Rd South the left-turn lane shall join the entry lane from Spingvale Rd North.
Coleman Parade
➡Heading eastward, traffic shall intersect with Kingsway as a traffic light intersection (slight realignment of existing) and then descend under the retail complex and shall lead only to the south car-park blue level. The traffic light intersection shall include a right-turn lane for access to Kingsway South. Traffic shall be restricted from turning left into Kingsway (access from Railway Parade North).
➡Approaching from Springvale Rd South the left-turn lane shall immediately descend down to the blue car-park level. Traffic shall split between continuing westward or entering the south car-park blue level. Traffic shall be prevented from turning right onto Kingsway North (access from the Railway Parade North left-turn entry lane) while access to Kingsway South shall remain unrestricted.
➡Approaching from Springvale Rd North the right-turn lane shall head westward across the northbound lanes and immediately descend down to the blue car-park level, joining the entry lane from Springvale Rd South.
Bogong Avenue
➡Heading eastward, traffic shall intersect with Kingsway as a roundabout intersection and then descend under the retail complex as an entrance to the south car-park blue level.
➡Traffic exiting the south car-park blue level shall connect to the roundabout and have unrestricted access to all traffic destination directions.
Kingsway
➡The former/current intersection with Montclair Ave shall be converted into a roundabout entry for both the multi-level car-park complex to the west and the south car-park blue level to the east.
➡The intersection with O’Sullivan Rd shall be converted into a roundabout intersection with entry to the extended north car-park blue level.
Realism vs My Future:
High Difference
Related Metro Stations:
Syndal, Gallaghers
Related Metro Lines:
Glen Waverley, Springvale*
Related Activity Areas:
Knox City/Ozone