As reported by The Age, only a small portion of the Palace’s facade will be preserved, with a luxury hotel set to be built in its place. It is believed Jinshan Investment Group have now been granted a permit to pursue a 12-story development, with very minimal chance of further appeal.
The issue had been hotly debated at VCAT, as The City of Melbourne met with community groups wanting to save the 1650-capacity venue on heritage value and importance as a live music venue.
In 2014 much of the interior was pulled down by workers, so part of the debate was how much heritage protection was an issue, as was the building’s continued cultural significance.
Almost 45,000 people had signed a petition to save the venue.
