The neglected southern side of Bourke Street Mall is undergoing a transformation with new hotels, shops and “the Mecca of all Meccas” getting closer to completion. The $150 million Melbourne Walk hotel and retail development in the former Walk Arcade building and Mecca’s giant flagship store in the former David Jones building are both on track to open next year. CEO and founder of Mecca Jo Horgan at Mecca’s Sydney boutique. She is opening what she believes will be the biggest beauty store in the world in Bourke Street Mall. Credit: Louise Kennerley Bourke Street Mall, once a prized shopping strip, experienced some lean years after Walk Arcade closed in 2020 and was left empty, and then David Jones shut its menswear store in 2022 . Jo Horgan, founder and chief executive of Mecca , said she believed the Bourke Street Mall Mecca store would be the biggest dedicated beauty store in the world when completed and would become a destination in its own right. “27 years later everything we have done before has culminated in us opening what we hope will be the Mecca of all Meccas,” she said. “I have always been foolishly optimistic and I totally believe in people and consumers and I think if we build it, they will come.” Mecca’s store will span three floors and 4000 square metres stocking more than 200 beauty brands. Advertising firm Clemenger will occupy the floors above Mecca. The store will house a perfumeria dedicated to fragrances, an apothecary wellness hub, a salon for make-up, hair and nail services and ‘Meccaversity’ – a 150-seat educational space for Mecca staff and customers housed in a suspended pod installed on the first floor of the building. Horgan said signing up in the middle of COVID lockdowns to a very complicated project came with its challenges, especially with an “old, culturally significant building”. The site first housed the Coles Book Arcade, a three-storey book store that was once the largest bookstore in the world. “We fell in love with the site, Coles was the largest bookstore in the world, there was a romance in going from the largest bookstore to the largest beauty store,” Horgan said. The former David Jones store is being transformed into a Mecca store on three levels. Credit: Justin McManus However, Mecca’s redevelopment is running behind schedule with a key permit only lodged with Heritage Victoria this month. Horgan said her team got handover in September and “we are now like women possessed to launch it within the timeframe allowed to our build”. “The driving sentiment of the whole team is: how spectacular can we make it, how can we imagine the future of beauty,” she said. “We are so motivated to create an ode to beauty or a Mecca to beauty which will really compel people to make the pilgrimage.” Next door, on a walk through of the Melbourne Walk site, project manager Michael Jansen from builder Hickory said the majority of development had historically always been on the northern side of the Bourke Street Mall. Teck-Lay Tay, executive director of developer Steadfast Capital, and Hayden Djakic, of architecture firm Buchan, inside the Melbourne Walk development. Credit: Simon Schluter “This is the first time that we’re seeing multiple developments, redevelopments, repositioning of assets on the southern side of Bourke Street Mall,” he said. “It’s actually bringing the southern side of the Bourke Street Mall back into play. There’s always been retail over this side, but all the big new shiny objects have always been on the northern side.” Jansen said David Jones moving its menswear department across the road to the southern side of the Bourke Street Mall had opened up the precinct for redevelopment to occur. Melbourne Walk will house two hotels, Hotel Indigo and a Holiday Inn, alongside several stores, including flagship tenant JD Sports. Hayden Djakic, associate at architecture practice Buchan, said the design team wanted to introduce something “quite different” to Melbourne. An artist’s rendering of the Melbourne Walk redevelopment in Bourke Street Mall. “This is really the melting pot of Melbourne, the fine-grain retail itself, where an arcade really celebrates a part of our city and the larger retail of the north amongst Myer, Emporium and David Jones,” he said. “The arcade itself is really a nod to the arcades of old, the likes of the Royal and Block arcades, by taking a modern approach to the classical formation architecture.” The Melbourne Walk team had to remove layers of “pigeon guano” (excrement) from the site before construction could begin. “The building was not occupied from the ground floor up, [since 1980] so we had 10 storeys of pigeons,” Djakic said. Hayden Djakic and Teck-Lay Tay outside the Melbourne Walk site in the Bourke Street Mall. Credit: Simon Schluter Teck-Lay Tay, executive director of Steadfast Capital, said the new developments turned the mall into more of a precinct. “If you look at the next development that’s next door to us [Mecca], David Jones and St Collins Lane, the vision is to have a shopping precinct,” he said. “We invigorate Bourke Street Mall and when the tenants all come in ... it’ll be a very attractive destination for everyone.” Lord mayor Nick Reece said the mall had its ups and downs over Melbourne’s history, but it was now on the up again. “Bourke Street Mall is the most central block in the Hoddle grid, and since the earliest days of Melbourne has been a focus for retail and city life, and so to see it taking on a new lease of life now with these new projects coming online, is a fantastic milestone for Melbourne,” Reece said. Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. 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‘America’s Burning’ Duo Michael Douglas & David Smick Say They Still Have Hope For The Nation – Contenders DocumentaryOlder siblings everywhere could appreciate John Harbaugh's refusal to concede an inch against his younger brother Jim. Even when his Baltimore Ravens faced fourth down at their 16-yard line in the second quarter, John wasn't giving up the ball without a fight. The Ravens converted that fourth down and two others on their way to a 30-23 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Monday night, giving their coach a third victory in three matchups against his brother. It was the first time they'd faced off since Baltimore beat San Francisco — then coached by Jim Harbaugh — in the Super Bowl at the end of the 2012 season. “We grew up in the same room and have always lived our life side by side, but that’s not what the game is about,” John Harbaugh said. “The game really is about the players, and the players are always going to win the game or lose the game or whatever.” On this night, it was Baltimore's players who shined. Specifically Derrick Henry, who rushed for 140 yards. Lamar Jackson threw a couple of touchdown passes, and the defense was solid, allowing touchdowns on the first and last Los Angeles drives but not much in between. “I’m proud of our guys,” John Harbaugh said. “I’m proud of the way they came out and responded after the first 10 points — we were down 10-0, and our guys stepped up.” After converting fourth-and-1 at their 16 late in the second quarter, the Ravens scored on a 40-yard pass from Jackson to Rashod Bateman, taking the lead for good at 14-10. Baltimore's other two fourth-and-1 conversions came on a 14-play touchdown drive that spanned the end of the third quarter and start of the fourth. “We’re just confident that we’ll end up converting on those fourth downs, and we did a great job blocking,” said Henry, who converted the last two of the fourth downs. "All we had to do was make a play, and we did.” What's working The Ravens got back to their identity a bit, rushing for 212 yards. And it wasn't just Henry and Jackson contributing. Justice Hill broke free for a 51-yard touchdown that made it 30-16 in the fourth. “Nobody wants to stand in front of (Derrick Henry) every single play, every single run,” Hill said. "You can do it one time, two times, three times, but when you have to do it 20 to 25 times, it starts to wear down. I’m glad we stuck with the run game this game, and it played out for us.” What needs help There were still too many penalties, with the Ravens flagged nine times for 102 yards. Baltimore played a pretty clean game until the fourth quarter, so several of those flags came after the Ravens had the game reasonably under control, but this is still an area of concern. Stock up With star linebacker Roquan Smith out because of a hamstring injury, Malik Harrison led the Ravens with a dozen tackles. “It’s a lot of people that doubted me coming into this game, so I’m happy I was able to ball out and show them that I can be in this league, and I can play at a high level,” Harrison said. Stock down There was a time when Isaiah Likely seemed as if he might be supplanting Mark Andrews as Baltimore's top tight end threat, but Likely went without a catch Monday. He did, however, recover the onside kick that effectively ended the game. Injuries Although Smith was out, DT Travis Jones (ankle) and C Tyler Linderbaum (back) were able to start. Key number Jackson has now thrown 22 touchdown passes with no interceptions on Monday nights, with a passer rating of 124.3. Next steps The Ravens have one more game before their open date, and it's a showdown this weekend against a Philadelphia team that has won seven in a row. Saquon Barkley (1,392) of the Eagles and Henry (1,325) have both surpassed 1,300 yards rushing already. Nobody else in the NFL has more than 1,000. ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl Noah Trister, The Associated Press
Portage la Prairie Mayor Sharilyn Knox recently shared her thoughts on the province’s Throne Speech, emphasizing the speech’s broad focus on issues that impact both the city and rural communities. Knox, who attended the speech at the Manitoba Legislative Building on November 19th, described it as inclusive, covering a wide array of topics important to local governments and citizens. “The Throne Speech provides a great opportunity to understand the province’s priorities,” Knox said. “It covers everything from healthcare to environmental concerns, and it’s always an honour to be invited to listen.” A key highlight for Knox was the mention of healthcare priorities. As she noted, healthcare is a crucial issue for all Manitobans, and she appreciated hearing about the province’s continued focus on improving services. “For municipalities, we heard about a focus on autonomy and collaboration, both of which are important to us,” Knox added. The speech also brought attention to environmental initiatives, including a significant mention of Portage la Prairie. Knox was pleased to see the region’s potential involvement in the development of a sustainable aviation fuel facility. “Portage la Prairie got a shout-out regarding environmental and climate initiatives,” Knox said. “The province is investing in this project, and we’re hopeful that a decision will be made soon.” Knox also highlighted the discussion around journalism and the importance of ensuring information reaches smaller and rural communities. “It was interesting to hear about the push for better information access in rural areas,” she said. “I think it’s something we’ll need to follow up on.” Beyond the speech itself, Knox noted the value of building relationships with provincial ministers. She had the chance to meet with the new Municipal and Northern Relations Minister, Glen Simard, as well as Minister of Health, Minister Uzoma Asagwara. “It’s always valuable to connect with ministers in person,” Knox remarked. “I spoke with Minister Asagwara about our new hospital, and we discussed staffing needs. They mentioned that they learned a lot during their visit.” The topic of healthcare technology also came up, specifically the province’s plans for a mobile MRI unit. While the province has already outlined plans for this mobile service in northern Manitoba, Knox expressed hope that such initiatives would benefit rural areas as well. “Mobile MRI units are a great example of how technology can make a real difference,” Knox said. “We’ve seen how mobile mammograms have saved lives across the province, and we’re hopeful that mobile MRIs can have the same impact.” Knox also emphasized the importance of ongoing dialogue with the province to ensure that Portage la Prairie and other rural communities receive the attention and resources they need. “We’re excited about the future and looking forward to continued discussions on issues that matter to us,” she said.Seventy Ninth Resources Announces Successful First Reconnaissance at McKellar Copper-Zinc and Enable Gold ProjectsASX set to slide, Wall Street hits more records
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A team that previously boycotted at least one match against the San Jose State women's volleyball program will again be faced with the decision whether to play the school , this time in the Mountain West Conference semifinals with a shot at the NCAA Tournament on the line. Five schools forfeited matches in the regular season against San Jose State, which carried a No. 2 seed into the conference tournament in Las Vegas. Among those schools: No. 3 Utah State and No. 6 Boise State, who will face off Wednesday with the winner scheduled to play the Spartans in the semifinals on Friday. Wyoming, Nevada and Southern Utah — which is not a Mountain West member — also canceled regular-season matches, all without explicitly saying why they were forfeiting. Nevada players cited fairness in women’s sports as a reason to boycott their match, while political figures from Wyoming, Idaho, Utah and Nevada suggested the cancellations center around protecting women’s sports. In a lawsuit filed against the NCAA , plaintiffs cited unspecified reports asserting there was a transgender player on the San Jose State volleyball team, even naming her. While some media have reported those and other details, neither San Jose State nor the forfeiting teams have confirmed the school has a trans women’s volleyball player. The Associated Press is withholding the player’s name because she has not publicly commented on her gender identity and through school officials has declined an interview request. A judge on Monday rejected a request made by nine current conference players to block the San Jose State player from competing in the tournament on grounds that she is transgender. That ruling was upheld Tuesday by an appeals court. “The team looks forward to starting Mountain West Conference tournament competition on Friday,” San Jose State said in a statement issued after the appeals court decision. “The university maintains an unwavering commitment to the participation, safety and privacy of all students at San Jose State and ensuring they are able to compete in an inclusive, fair and respectful environment.” Chris Kutz, a Boise State athletics spokesman, said in an email the university would not “comment on potential matchups at this time.” Doug Hoffman, an Aggies athletics spokesman, said in an email Utah State is reviewing the court’s order. “Right now, our women’s volleyball program is focused on the game this Wednesday, and we’ll be cheering them on,” Hoffman wrote. San Jose State, which had a first-round bye, would be sent directly to the conference title game if Utah State or Boise State were to forfeit again. If the Spartans make the title game, it's likely the opponent would not forfeit. They would face top-seeded Colorado State, No. 4 Fresno State or No. 5 San Diego State — all teams that played the Spartans this season. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sportsAuthorities in Pakistan launch operation to clear Khan supporters from capitalThe ultimate five tricks energy experts use to keep heating costs down - including the way you can HALVE your bill By TOBY WALNE Updated: 22:47, 26 November 2024 e-mail View comments You may think that you’ve tried every trick in the book to keep your energy bills down and your home nice and warm as the temperature outside drops. But even if you’ve already insulated the loft and stopped every draught, there are still things you can do to make your home more energy efficient. Money Mail talks to the hands-on experts, from gas engineers to builders, for their practical tips that you may not have considered. Check your boiler’s pressure gauge Dom Roque, managing director of Dom’s Heating and Plumbing, recommends a few basic checks that you can do on your heating system to make sure it is in good shape. And an annual service from a professional, typically costing around £100, will be money well spent. Winter chills: Even if you’ve already insulated the loft and stopped every draught, there are still things you can do to make your home more energy efficient ‘An annual check helps spot problems – such as leaks and parts wearing out – before the boiler breaks down on Christmas Eve and you need an emergency call-out costing hundreds of pounds,’ he says. If you want to carry out a few simple checks yourself, the first step is to look at the pressure gauge on your boiler, says Dom. A modern pressurised boiler heating system typically reads between one and two bars when the boiler is on. If it’s any lower there may be a leak. The gauge is normally fitted on the outside of the boiler on the front of the unit – a circular dial the size of a small stopwatch. Look at this gauge, and if it is between zero and one put your ear to the boiler without touching anything and see if you can hear a slight hissing sound – indicating steam or water escaping the system. If you can hear that, then there may be a fault with a relief valve on the unit that needs to be replaced by a gas engineer. Also listen for a hissing sound coming from your radiators to check whether water or steam is escaping from them. If there is, you may be able to fix this yourself. At the top of each radiator should be a small valve with a square-shaped tap that can be tightened or loosened with a radiator key. These can be bought for around £2 from a hardware store. If there is a hiss you might turn it clockwise until it stops – and is closed. HOW THIS IS MONEY CAN HELP How to save money on energy: What you need to know and energy-saving tips that work Don’t forget the hot water tank If you have a separate hot water tank in the airing cupboard, check if there’s an expansion vessel connected to it that needs repressurising. This is a metal cylinder about the size of a balloon that usually sits above, or to the side of, the hot water tank. It also acts as a relief valve. Containing both air and water, it takes in extra water when the tank and central heating system heats up and water expands – and releases it back again when it cools down. If it is not working properly then it might be full of water, and the only way the excess can escape is through an overflow pipe linked from the boiler to the outside of the house. You can identify the pipe outside your home to see if it is dripping. Details of the pressure required for the expansion vessel should be clearly marked on the side of the unit. If you have a modern bicycle pump that includes a pressure measurement gauge you might be able to pump the vessel back up to the required pressure level – but in most cases it is best left to the professionals. Do the radiators have cold spots? If your radiators are not warming up as usual and perhaps have cold spots near the bottom of them, this indicates they may contain sludge. Once fixed, your heating bill could be halved. It can be a messy job if you try sorting it out yourself, so it is best left to a qualified boiler expert who should have the equipment needed to clean out the radiators with a power flush. The equipment can sit outside the house. Dom says: ‘If your radiators are full of sludge, it makes them half as efficient – like boiling a pan of fresh water compared to one of mud. The latter can double heating bills.’ An occasional ‘power flush’ to your radiator system by a plumber costs around £300 – but Dom says it should pay for itself in a year. He adds that air in radiators can cause rust, so bleed them every year. You may be able to do this yourself. If you are not confident you can find practical guidance on YouTube. Other ways to stop winter burning a hole in your budget Ask your supplier for a refund: If you pay gas or electricity by direct debit, payments are usually based on an estimate of how much energy you use and may be higher than your actual consumption. It’s good to have a small buffer heading into winter, when you’re likely to use more energy. But you can ask your provider for a refund of any surplus. Go paperless: Some suppliers charge you for paper bills so go paperless to save cash if you can. Ovo Energy, for example, charges £1.50 each month for paper bills. Keep showers to four minutes: This can save you around £70 a year. Draw the curtains: Stitch thermal lining on to curtains – £10 per metre – and draw before sunset to keep warmth in to save £150 a year. Curtain shops such as Dunelm (dunelm.com) can provide further details. Turn thermostat down: Every degree you turn the thermostat down will cut bills by up to 10 per cent, knocking £145 a year off home heating. Be wary of going below 18c (64f), as this risks getting too cold. Put foil behind the radiator: Foil reflects heat back into the room to cut £120 off energy bills a year. A five-metre strip for five radiators costs £12. Check out DIY shops such as Screwfix for available options. Draught-proof windows and doors: Buy 20 metres of a door and window sticky-backed rubber seal for £24 and fix it around gaps to save up to £90 a year. DIY stores such as B&Q sell draught-proofing. Is there too much loft insulation? Builder Mike Edwards, 68, who began as a bricklaying apprentice more than half a century ago, fears too many homes fill any gap in their loft with insulation – which is a costly mistake. The co-founder of the website DIY Doctor says: ‘There is a misguided conception that a loft packed with insulation keeps bills down, when the opposite could be true. The roof space should be cool and draughty. Otherwise, hot air hitting the cold roof creates condensation that rots wooden joists and insulation gets damp.’ Mike suggests insulation should be 270mm thick – but not tightly packed down. If it is placed under boards in the attic there should also be a 50mm air space between the insulation and boards. You should leave a gap of at least 25mm between the insulation and eaves – the part of the roof that overhangs the wall of a house. Around 25 per cent of heat is lost through an uninsulated roof, so if done properly, it will save you at least £300 a year. Keep the heat in: Proper insulation is essential in any home - but too much can create condensation that rots wooden joists Put a jacket on an immersion heater This cylinder in the airing cupboard is rarely understood or used efficiently to keep energy bills down, believes Dom. He says: ‘Look at it as a giant kettle – with an electric heating element inside.’ There is no need to leave the immersion heater on all the time if you do not need hot water all day – as this can cost more money. Putting it on for just an hour before you need the hot water is enough time to warm it up. Dom says the cylinder must be well insulated – wrap it in a £20 jacket and ensure all connected pipework is also covered. This costs from £1 per metre of insulation, and should knock at least £50 a year off your heating bill. Dig out the instruction manual and make sure that the settings are providing warmth for the times that you need it. There is no need to leave it on when you are away for the day – perhaps at work – or on holiday. toby.walne@dailymail.co.uk Can you save money on energy bills? Check the best fixed deals When energy prices spiked most households slipped energy price cap tariffs, but it is now possible again to switch to fixed rate energy deals that can save you money. This is Money's recommended partner uSwitch lets you compare the best energy deals for you, based on your home and gas and electricity costs. > Compare the best energy deals with uSwitch* By entering your address and energy usage, you can search for energy deals that can cut your costs and suit how you live. Switching energy provider can also help the planet, if you move to one of the a green deals offering electricity from renewable sources and more environmentally-friendly gas. > Check the best fixed rate energy deals with uSwitch and This is Money * *Affiliate links: If you take out a product This is Money may earn a commission. 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