Melbourne’s beloved Campbell Arcade set to reopen

A call has gone out to potential tenants to fill Campbell Arcade’s quirky shopfronts, signifying that work on the much-loved Melbourne icon is almost complete.

Over the past three years, the Metro Tunnel Project has worked to breathe new life into 1950s-era arcade, which will form part of the passenger connection between the Degraves Street Subway, the new Town Hall Station and Flinders Street Station.

Works have included removing asbestos and redundant services, replacing the ceiling and upgrading lighting, and restoring the 1950s-era heritage features including pink-tiled shopfronts and display cases.

There are eight shopfronts available to lease within the arcade, which will be managed by Metro Trains. The Expression of Interest (EOI) process has now opened, and businesses interested in leasing a retail tenancy can visit metrotrains.com.au/corporate/campbell-arcade-tenancies.

Campbell Arcade was the first major public construction project in Melbourne after World War II and was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register in 2015, in a revision to the Flinders Street Station listing.

Completed in 1955 in time for the 1956 Melbourne Olympics, it features pink-tiled curved walls, granite columns and prominent display windows.

Plans for the arcade as part of the Metro Tunnel Project were developed in consultation with Heritage Victoria after public consultation.

The arcade’s previous tenants were supported in the lead-up to construction including relocating to new premises. They have been offered the opportunity to submit an expression of interest to take up a tenancy in the revamped arcade.

Work is progressing well on Town Hall Station, with crews continuing to fit out the concourse and platforms and dismantle the massive acoustic shed over Fed Square.

The state-of-the-art station will be a new gateway to some of Melbourne’s most popular destinations and landmarks including Fed Square, Birrarung Marr, Southbank, St Paul’s Cathedral and Melbourne Town Hall.

The Metro Tunnel will free up space in the City Loop by creating a new end-to-end rail line from Sunbury in the north-west to Cranbourne and Pakenham in the south-east – via a new tunnel under the city and five new stations.

The expressions of interest and leasing process for Campbell Arcade will be managed by Cushman & Wakefield on behalf of Metro Trains. Expressions of interest close Sunday, April 6, 2025. •