Residents call for derelict Chinatown site to be converted into open space

Nestled in the heart of Chinatown at 132 Little Bourke St is a vacant site that has remained dormant for years, prompting residents to call on the council to develop a better strategy for activating derelict sites.

Over the past four years, the council has worked with numerous prospective owners and lessees to navigate planning permit requirements aimed at activating the site with a variety of proposed uses.

The most recent approval for the site was issued in August 2023 for the temporary installation of an electric motor vehicle retail premises. However, this has not progressed, and the site remains vacant.

To prevent this from continuing, the president of Eastenders, Dr Stan Capp, believes the council needs to find interim uses for such sites while developers delay construction.

“I really think we need a more proactive strategy to activate derelict sites,” he said. “They diminish our city and make it far less attractive to residents and visitors alike.”

Dr Capp said the site on Little Bourke St had the potential to be converted into open space.

However, the council has chosen not to pursue an acquisition or commercial lease arrangement to achieve this, due to the site’s proximity to Cohen Place Plaza, which features several trees, sculptures and seating.

The council’s Open Space Strategy guides its decisions on securing additional open space, aiming to ensure every resident and worker has good access to it across the municipality.

The strategy identifies key gaps in the open space network where the community has limited access, helping the council prioritise areas of highest need.

A “Light Touch Review” (LTR) of the Open Space Strategy was completed in 2024 and reaffirmed the council’s priority areas for securing new open space.

The review noted that Cohen Place Plaza currently provides access to open space in this part of the city but also identified a need to improve greening within the plaza. •