Close to two thirds – 66 percent – of the members present at the Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria (GOCMV) Extraordinary General Meeting will need to vote in favour of the Lonsdale St Hellenic Cultural Centre proposal on Sunday in order for the construction plans to go ahead.

If we don’t build the cultural centre, as proposed, we run the risk of losing the biggest grant ever and setting the community back 20 years.

The GOCMV is proposing to build a 13 storey tower on its current Lonsdale Street site, using four stories as a cultural centre and renting out the remaining nine stories as a source of revenue.

The proposed cultural centre will house a multimedia centre, community rooms, and a Hellenic archive.

In the largest grant ever bestowed to a community group in Victoria, the state government granted $2 million to the GOCMV to be used for the construction of the Antipodes Centre for Greek Culture in the traditional Greek heartland Lonsdale Street

Greek Community President Bill Papastergiadis emphasised the importance of using the money for the purpose it was designated, saying “if we don’t build the cultural centre, as proposed, we run the risk of losing the biggest grant ever and setting the community back 20 years”.

Along with this grant the state government has committed to $1.5 million to the reburbishment of the Lonsdale St property as part of the cultural precincts rejuvenation project.

Mr Papastergiadis told Neos Kosmos they have received strong support from members about the proposal.

“What’s important to note is that leaving aside a few individuals, 30 of Victoria’s major community groups and organisations have written to us expressing their unanimous support for this project,” he said. “We would say those organisations represent tens of thousands of Greek Melburnians and that reveals the level of support of all the key organisations”.

However, former GOCMV Treasurer Con Dikeos and long time critic of Mr Papastergiadis said he, and a “significant proportion” of members, are opposing the proposal on the basis that only 21 days notice had been given for public discussion on the matter.

Mr Dikeos emphasised that members were notified by the GOCMV to make the decision to sell adjoining church properties in order to finance the cultural centre. Mr Dikeos told Neos Kosmos that 21 days was “not enough time for public discussion on such a major proposal.”

However, the proposal has been in the public domain for two and a half years Mr Papastergiadis said, also highlighting that his team ran their election campaign on this proposal and were unanimously elected.

The cost of the construction is estimated at $12.5 million, and forward projects suggest that $1 million of revenue annually wil be generated through the commercial leasing of nine levels of the building.

Mr Dikeos believes the financing of the project to be a rush job, however Mr Papastergiadis said consultants providing the final figures for this project are those retained by Victorian government. “How much more independent can we make it? It’s not like we’ve gotten our mates to come up with the figures,” he said.

Mr Dikeos believes that “more importantly, it [the proposal for a cultural centre], hasn’t been presented for public discussion”. He said that “any attempt to ram through something within 21 days of public consideration, discussion and adoption is very suspicious”.

The Greek Community is proposing to sell five to six of their long term properties, (houses now rented out), to assist in funding the centre to ensure financial risk in development is minimal, Mr Papastergiadis said.

Mr Dikeos said members are disappointed that a number of properties adjoining churches, that have been effectively financed and donated by the people of these local areas, are now being sold.

“The Greek community’s role is there to protect their interests and their interests are being undermined,” he said.

The most simple and effective solution would be to access the $2 million state government grant and perform a modest extension to the current building adding the necessary refurbishment, Mr Dikeos argued.

However, Mr Papastergiadis said the city is dominated by buildings which obtain the benefit of their size through rent and it would be to the Greek community’s detriment to not capitalise on available space when everyone else has.

“The building next door is 35 stories, across the road is 38 stories, and we’re stuck on three, why not get the benefit to build upwards and secure economic freedom and prosperity?”, he said.

A spokesperson for the Greek Community said they contacted Con Dikeos to discuss the proposal, however the call was never returned.

The EGM will be held on Sunday 5 December, at 2 pm, at the Main Pavilion East, Meat Market, 5 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne.