'Fed Square of the north'

The infrastructure plan, which allocates $3.14 million to the Queen Vic project, also outlines projects including a new library in Docklands and a redevelopment of the former JH Boyd Girls High School in Southbank.

Lord mayor Robert Doyle said the infrastructure fund was an essential plank of the council's budget.

''There is no doubt that that is the lasting legacy of the city … Great streets equal a great city and I felt one of the things I wanted to do was really invest in the infrastructure of the city,'' he said.

The Queen Victoria Market plan is not yet finalised, but the first stage, including beautifying Queen Street, is funded in the draft budget.

Cr Doyle said Queen Street would become a pedestrian precinct and a focal point for community events held at the market.

''What we want to do is spend considerable amounts of money to pedestrianise and beautify that Queen Street end,'' he said.

''Eventually that will be subsumed into a greater Queen Victoria Market plan … but in the meantime we have to start to get the public realm working for all of those community markets and the multicultural events and just make it a bit more than a back-end street for the market.''

The Queen Vic proposal also includes funds for business plans, market research and ''full community consultation''.

Future Melbourne (People and Creative City) Committee chairwoman Jennifer Kanis said the infrastructure funding would fill gaps in service delivery and increase support for more people.

Other projects funded under the $14.43 million program include:

¦ $5 million to redevelop the JH Boyd Girls High School in Southbank, creating facilities including a library, health services, meeting rooms and artist spaces.

¦ $2.5 million for a library in Docklands on the corner of Bourke Street and Harbour Esplanade.

¦ $400,000 to finish upgrading the Tan track around the Royal Botanic Gardens, including widening, providing extra lighting and harvesting stormwater.