On the evening of September 19, about 200 people gathered at (Federation Square) protest Apple in Melbourne`s CBD Federation Square, according to Time out. More than one hundred thousand people have signed online calls to stop Apple since July last year, when the city announced that it would build Apple`s flagship store in Federal Square.
Opponents say Commonwealth Square is the soul of Melbourne, a city that belongs to citizens and should not be commercialized. Without any public consultation, it was sold to a multinational.
According to the plan, 16-year-old landmarks on the square, the Yara building will be demolished, inside the Kuli Native Heritage Foundation (Koorie Heritage Trust) will move.
Apple flagship store plans to build a rectangular glass structure, 500 square meters of single-family, shade, track and an open space for an open-air music show. Apple is said to offer a tempting offer: to cover all the costs of the project, a 20-year lease on the site, without spending a cent of the state`s taxpayers.
Apple said the Commonwealth Square flagship store in Melbourne would be Apple`s most important store in the southern hemisphere, bringing together shopping, entertainment and education. If things go well, starting in 2019 and opening in 2020 will create at least 200 jobs, attracting 20 percent more people a year to come to Federal Square (10 million to 12 million).
Apple opened a Sydney store in June 2009, the world`s second-largest store. Melbourne`s largest boutique is located in Chadstone. But there are only five Apple flagship stores in the world, four in the United States, one in Milan, Italy, and Melbourne will be the first flagship store in the Southern Hemisphere.
Construction needs for the Townhall subway station near Melbourne`s Federation Square will see a 40-meter-long, 13-meter-wide, 18-meter-high sound insulation wall on the square starting in 2019, and the Melbourne visitor center, (Melbourne Visitor`s Centre), will be dismantled.
