A bid to build a supersized Apple store at Melbourne’s Federation Square may have failed but the Victorian government is still looking towards an overhaul of site.

People can have their say as part of a review of the square, after the state’s heritage authority rejected the tech giant’s proposed glass behemoth superstore.

“There are very few places in Australia as magnificently situated as this square,” Tourism Minister Martin Pakula told reporters on Friday.

“We really should open up our imaginations about how it can best work as a gathering place, as a culture centre.”

The review into the square, which began in April, is looking at the site’s business model and governance as well as implications of its inclusion on the Victorian Heritage Register.

“The square has always had significant maintenance obligations and the revenue generated in the square, it’s not an enormous amount of money,” Mr Pakula said.

The Labor government in 2017 announced Apple’s intention to establish its only flagship store in the southern hemisphere at Federation Square but this was met with a groundswell of public resistance.

It led to a referral to Heritage Victorian and an interim protection order for the site.

“It’s not the case and it’s never been the case that there are no commercial operations in Federation Square,” Mr Pakula said on Friday.

“At the end of the day we want to hear from the public about what they want to see in the square.”

Victorians can have their say until the end of September and the government is expecting a preliminary report by end of the year.

The final report is set to be made public by early next year.

Article Source: AAP

Image source: Timeout