Yep – the much promoted ‘Pizza Me’ vending machine got replaced by a photo booth!

Thanks!

Retail property landlords have been putting up rents all over the place:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-17/businesses-struggling-afford-increasing-rent-melbourne/101240824

For example my local Vicinity Centres managed shopping centre is full of empty shops after they keep on jacking up the rents.

Surprisingly they’ve done worse – like these advertising signs from 2009 that doubled as tripping hazards.

Some more on that original proposal for a Lonsdale Street footbridge here:

https://wongm.com/2019/05/southern-cross-station-what-could-have-been/

The problem goes back to the original design intent of dissuading loitering. The concourse area has the appearance of a thoroughfare, but movement is constricted by ticket gates and the platform access is constrained by escalators and lack of platform space.

In high traffic times, the architecture funnels passengers toward the platform, and the constrictions prove a strong disincentive to leave it.

In low traffic times (for suburban or Gippsland V/Line passengers), there is nowhere suitable to wait for a train other than the platform. At these times if you have to wait 20+ minutes for a train, there is time to go back up to the concourse and visit retail. But that may not be enough customers to pay rent.

Replying to myself above, I meant a Lonsdale street bridge, that was part of the original plan for the station overhaul, not Bourke st.