Works begin on theatre forecourt

The City of Melbourne began work on a $1 million expansion of the Princess Theatre forecourt on Spring St. 

The council is adding 240 sqm of additional public space to the forecourt area, which will see new street furniture, garden beds, bluestone paving and protective bollards installed, as well as a new raised asphalt pedestrian crossing at the Little Bourke and Spring streets intersection. 

The project is being delivered as part of the $100 million Melbourne City Recovery Fund – a collaboration between the City of Melbourne and the Victorian Government. 

Lord Mayor Sally Capp said the expanded forecourt would better accommodate both pedestrians and theatre patrons as the city continued its recovery from COVID. 

“We’ve seen theatre goers return in droves recently, thanks to the popularity of shows like Harry Potter and the Cursed Child,” Cr Capp said. 

“The new forecourt will create a more inviting space for those visiting the Princess Theatre, encouraging them to dwell and support local businesses.”

Temporary work to expand the forecourt was undertaken in 2018 to manage the large audiences drawn in by theatre shows, which included closing a section of the Spring St service lane. The temporary work and service lane closure will be made permanent as part of the expansion •