Article: Jewell first rail site for makeover

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From the Melbourne Age click here!

Jewell first rail site for makeover

Jewell first rail site for makeover
Adam Carey
June 27, 2012

VICTORIA'S railways landowner has plans to sell or lease many of its more rundown parcels of land.

VicTrack is one of the state's biggest landowners, with more than 1600 leases on its books and a portfolio of assets valued at about $17 billion. A recent review of the land it owns along rail corridors has identified several sites it considers ripe for redevelopment.

Yesterday it announced its intention to develop Jewell station in Brunswick, with a mix of apartments and small businesses, and is hoping to win over locals to its plans.

Jewell station has a heritage-listed building on the city-bound platform, but also has derelict industrial buildings on its eastern periphery. The station's entrance ramp is too steep to meet disability access standards.

VicTrack chief executive Bob McDonald said the council and residents would have their say in the station's new shape, but that any development had to be commercially viable.

The mayor of the City of Moreland, John Kavanagh, said he welcomed VicTrack's commitment to improving the station, but was concerned about the height of a proposed apartment tower - up to seven storeys - and a potential loss of parking spaces.

Public Transport Users Association president Daniel Bowen said many suburban railway stations had degenerated since staff were removed in the 1990s and were ripe for a makeover.

''If they can put in upgrades that improve things for passengers as well as providing community facilities and retail, which gets more people using those stations, it'd be a good thing,'' Mr Bowen said.

Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/jewell-first-rail-site-for-makeover-20120626-210k2.html

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Jewell Railway Station (Brunswick) --> http://ptv.vic.gov.au/stop/view/19969


Jewell railway station --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewell_railway_station

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Enhancing Jewell Station Precinct  --> https://www.victrack.com.au/statewide-projects/project/jewellstationprecinct

VicTrack is investigating the opportunity to enhance and activate the Jewell Station Precinct through improvements to the station and surrounding land.  These improvements will be funded through proposed residential, office and retail developments.