Hume Central: Exploring the next steps towards the vision
- Project statusIn progress
We have been working on a project to transform the land around the Broadmeadows Town Hall, Global Learning Centre, Council Offices, and Centrelink into a vibrant and active town centre for people to visit, work, learn and connect.
This project, called Hume Central, commenced in 2014 with the adoption of a Vision document. And a lot has been achieved so far!
To get a quick overview of the Hume Central project, watch this video:
What we've done so far
- A $25 million redevelopment of Town Hall Broadmeadows with new spaces for offices and the Start North co-working space, an art gallery for exhibitions, and multiple high-quality large event spaces.
- Development of Civic Way and upgrade of Civic Plaza outside the Hume Global Learning Centre - Broadmeadows and Council offices.
- Important upgrades and improvements to underground services like telecommunications, sewage, water to lay the foundations for future projects.
- Purchasing the land on the corner of Pascoe Vale Road and Camp Road (behind the Police Station and petrol station) to build a multi-level car parking facility with hundreds of additional spaces.
- Securing Orange Door domestic violence referral services within the HGLC - Broadmeadows.
- Activating the precinct with community events such as the award-winning 2022 Hume Winter Lights Festival.
Possible next steps and ideas
New multistorey car parking facility
To achieve the vision for Hume Central and free up land to revitalise the space we are planning to gradually move the car parking from the town centre to a new multistorey facility (with hundreds of additional spaces) on the corner of Pascoe Vale and Camp Roads.
Expanding the GLC and building a new bigger library and town square
We are also exploring the idea of building a bigger Broadmeadows Library with community meeting spaces and café in a second GLC building opposite the Town Hall, opening out onto a new Town Square. This would free up space in the original GLC building for things like community spaces for art and education as well as a possible dedicated Council Chamber.
Hotel with accommodation
As land becomes available over time, we are looking to possibly include a hotel in Hume Central which would include things like accommodation, meeting rooms, restaurant etc. This would be great for visiting family and relatives, a good training opportunity for Kangan Batman students, help create jobs and contribute to the local economy.
Longer term ideas
In the long term (10-20 years) there may be other opportunities in the centre for businesses to set up in new office accommodation.
Delivering a large project like Hume Central
Large projects like Hume Central are complex and involve many stages. They can also take a long time to deliver. We are at the start of exploring these new ideas for Hume Central.
Possible projects for Hume Central would not all happen at the same time. They would be mapped out over the short, medium and long term (4-20 plus years).
Council is also exploring a range of options to fund the potential projects for Hume Central. These could include:
- partnering with organisations
- undertaking EOI processes
- seeking external funding
- attracting investors
- budgeting for projects as part of Council’s capital works program.
All of these options will be assessed by Councillors before any decisions are made regarding next steps.
Long term planning documents for Hume Central
Our work and possible future ideas for Hume Central are guided by a range of strategic documents including:
These documents define Broadmeadows Town Centre as being a vibrant ‘heart’, and a place for people to visit, enjoy, connect, work and play.
Hume Central project area
Frequently asked questions
Why is Council exploring ways to revitalise Hume Central?
The Hume Central Project is all about taking a great central location and transforming it into a vibrant and attractive destination for people. A place that people want to come to – to visit, work, learn, and connect.
Hume Central provides the perfect location for this. It is easily accessible, close to public transport and many people already visit the area to access the services, shops and facilities located within and around the precinct.
Hume Central is also ideally positioned to attract people into the area because it is close to the Melbourne CBD, Melbourne Airport and major transport routes.
By revitalising and improving Hume Central, we can create a great place in Broadmeadows to visit, work and even invest in. This creates opportunities for our local economy, as well as benefits for residents and workers.
Why is Council considering a Hotel for Hume Central?
Research and economic analysis have indicated that a hotel would work well in Hume Central.
There is currently a shortage of accommodation options in the area so a hotel would be great for visiting family and relatives or people coming to the area for work, conferences and training.
A hotel, with accommodation, meeting spaces and a restaurant would also create jobs in the area as well as potentially providing training opportunities for Kangan Batman hospitality students.
How does an EOI process work?
An EOI process is the first step in moving forward a large development project like a hotel with accommodation. It is a great way to test the market and explore options, without being committed to a binding or formal proposal.
Council will advertise the EOI and invite companies or developers to put forward their interest in the project. Interested companies would submit their qualifications, experience, and capabilities to complete a development of this nature.
If Council is interested in any of the responses from the EOI process, it could then move to the next stage in the process which would be a Request for Proposal, where companies would be invited to submit more information and a detailed proposal
When would the new multi-storey car park be developed?
There are many stages and processes involved in developing a facility like a multi-storey car park. If all of these stages and processes are undertaken successfully, and Councillors decide to move forward with this project, the first stage of the car parking facility would be developed in about 3-4 years.
Would car parks remain in Hume Central while the new multi-storey parking facility and other projects are developed?
Yes. The aim would be to ensure there is adequate parking to service the area as different projects moved forward.
Would the new car parking facility provide more spaces than currently available in Hume Central?
The new car parking facility, when fully completed, would provide over 800 more spaces than currently available in Hume Central.
Why is Council exploring the idea of building a bigger library?
The current library, which is now 20 years old has outgrown the area in the Global Learning Centre (GLC) and needs additional space to meet future demand.
Council always had future plans to expand the library by adding storeys to the current GLC, but due to updated building regulations this can no longer happen. So instead of expanding up, we are proposing to expand outwards.
This idea for Hume Central involves building a bigger Broadmeadows Library with community meeting spaces and café in a second GLC building opposite the Town Hall, opening out onto a new Town Square.
If the library moves out of the GLC building what would take its place?
The library potentially moving out the current GLC building would free up space for things like community meeting rooms, spaces for art and education as well as a dedicated Council Chamber for community gathering and decision making. As we explore this idea we will get input and feedback from community an community groups on how to utilise space in GLC.
Will the Orange Door service stay where it is?
Yes. Orange Door would not be impacted by any of the Hume Central proposed projects.
Will community get to have input on these potential projects for Hume Central?
If projects progress for Hume Central, there will be lots of future opportunities for community input and feedback, including statutory processes that involve consultation.