Apple cancels Federation Square Store in Australia after heritage authorities say ‘no’

“A plan to build an Apple store at Federation Square has been shelved, after heritage authorities refused an application to demolish part of the existing square,” Clay Lucas reports for The Sydney Morning Herald. “Apple will not proceed with its plan, and the Andrews government will now review the operation of Federation Square.”
“The Koorie Heritage Trust, which includes an Aboriginal art gallery, was to make way for Apple and be relocated elsewhere in the square. It will instead remain where it is, for now,” Lucas reports. “Heritage Victoria on Friday issued a refusal to Federation Square management, which had applied to knock down the Yarra Building to make way for an ‘Apple Global Flagship Store.'”
“Heritage Victoria’s ruling found the Apple store would have been ‘visually dominant,’ and that demolition of the Yarra Building would have ‘diminished’ the public square,” Lucas reports. “The redevelopment would have added about 500 square metres of extra open space to Federation Square, and would have better linked the square to the Yarra River. National Trust chief executive Simon Ambrose said his group had not opposed development at Federation Square, but that the Apple proposal ‘fell far short’ of what was required.”
BEFORE: An artist’s impression of the originally-planned Apple concept store at Melbourne’s Federation Square. (Photo via Victorian Government)
 
AFTER: Apple’s revised retail store proposal for Federation Square in Melbourne, Australia, now canceled. (Image: Federation Square)
 
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Whatever. Put it somewhere else in Melbourne. It’s Federation Square’s loss.
SEE ALSO:
Heritage recommendation for Melbourne’s Federation Square jeopardizes Apple Retail Store plans – October 17, 2018
Apple’s Federation Square retail store faces further delays in Australia – August 23, 2018
Apple looks to replace ‘Pizza Hut Pagoda’ flagship store in Melbourne with new boxy design – July 20, 2018
Federation Square flagship Apple store labeled ‘Pizza Hut pagoda’ as Melbourne City Council vows to fight design – February 7, 2018
Apple reveals plans for Apple Federation Square flagship store in Melbourne, Australia – December 20, 2017