The Metro Tunnel's completion has handed back construction land to one of Carlton's oldest parks, with a $7.8 million upgrade now underway.
Construction has started on stage two of the University Square upgrade in Carlton, a project made possible by the Metro Tunnel finishing up and handing back the land it occupied during years of station construction beneath Grattan Street.
The $7.8 million transformation picks up where the Metro Tunnel left off. Parkville Station opened on 30 November 2025 as part of the Victorian government’s $11 billion rail project, which delivered twin nine-kilometre tunnels and five new underground stations connecting the Sunbury, Cranbourne and Pakenham lines through the CBD. The station sits directly below Grattan Street between Leicester and Elizabeth streets, and its construction required a significant section of University Square to be used as a laydown and works area for several years. That land has now been returned to the City of Melbourne, and the council is wasting no time converting it into something permanent.
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University Square Carlton expansion absorbs Barry Street
Barry Street, which runs along the square’s western edge, was closed to traffic during Metro Tunnel construction. It will now remain permanently closed and be absorbed into the expanded park. The result is more than 2,500 square metres of additional public open space in a suburb where more than 80 per cent of homes are apartments. Stage one of the master plan was completed in 2019, delivering new open space, biodiverse gardens and terrace seating. Stage two, endorsed by the Future Melbourne Committee in April 2024 after community consultation, will complete the vision.
130 new trees and 41 per cent more canopy cover
The upgrade will deliver approximately 130 new trees, increasing the square’s canopy cover by 41 per cent. New garden beds, lawns, seating, picnic tables, drinking fountains and bike hoops are part of the design, along with water-sensitive urban design features to manage stormwater and reduce the urban heat island effect. The square now functions as the closest major green space to Parkville Station, which provides direct rail access to the University of Melbourne, the Royal Melbourne Hospital, the Royal Women’s Hospital and the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre. The station features four entrances, a 44-metre pedestrian underpass beneath Royal Parade and a new level-access tram stop, meaning the surrounding public realm is carrying significantly more foot traffic than it did before 2025.
The Greenline Project’s completion at Birrarung Marr and new parks in Docklands and Collingwood have all expanded inner Melbourne’s green footprint in recent months, and University Square’s stage two continues that momentum.
Metro Tunnel’s lasting impact on Carlton’s public space
Construction is expected to run through to the end of 2026. The project forms part of a broader $26 million investment in 13 new or upgraded parks across the City of Melbourne’s draft Budget 2026–27, which is open for public consultation until 28 April. Melbourne’s inner suburbs have been steadily converting road and construction land into green space, and the Metro Tunnel’s footprint in Carlton is the latest piece of grey to go green.
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