A bold city-shaping project to rebuild Richmond Station and construct a deck over eyesore rail lines would create a new 1.8km boulevard that connects the state’s iconic sporting arenas, while paving the way for thousands of new homes.

The ambitious vision for the “G Line”, created over seven years by a team of industry, event and planning specialists, enables sports fans, residents and visitors to walk or cycle from next to the CBD at Birrarung Marr through to Cremorne.

It would create and unlock 12.6 hectares of prime inner city land above train tracks, on which there would be new parks, shops, entertainment venues, hotels and education facilities.

The project, which stitches together the rail line divide that separates the MCG from Melbourne Park and AAMI Park, has been designed to be funded and built without needing taxpayer handouts.

How G-Line will connect the iconic stadium to the CBD.

The Herald Sun can reveal details of the master plan as part of its Future Victoria campaign, with Victorians encouraged to have their say on how the city can build for the future while protecting the cultural assets that make it unique.

The G Line project would be funded through long-term leases of air rights above train tracks — effectively allowing construction over a rail corridor to generate revenue — that is currently dead space.

This would unlock billions of dollars to build across new land that would be the length of eight CBD half-blocks, the same distance as between Spencer St and Spring St.

A complete rebuild of the dilapidated Richmond Station would boost public transport in and around the precinct, and project designers say it could be done while the busy corridor that services millions of passengers a year continues to operate.

The engineering would be similar to what has been applied in New York where redevelopment has occurred over active railyards, and in Japan where retail and housing are routinely built above stations.

The new boulevard above Richmond tracks would be up to 100 metres wide, allowing for construction of a plaza connecting the MCG to Melbourne Park, simplifying future expansion of the two iconic venues — including the planned redevelopment of the Southern Stand.

New entrances and exits from Richmond station would allow for seamless grade-level entry to the ‘G, with the height of decking aligned to the ground’s existing elevated concourse.

Tennis courts would also be shifted up to the western end of the rail deck for public use, as part of a massive expansion of open space and parkland on the doorstep of the CBD.

The highest buildings along the route — likely to be high-rise hotels or commercial properties — would be clustered around the station to protect sight lines around the MCG.

The project will include retirement living, student accommodation and hospitality venues.

The bold vision also includes:

• About 2000 new homes including retirement living;

• Eight public parks and 1.9ha of green space;

• A new sports museum and pre- and post-game event venues;

• Education and health facilities;

• More than 5000 new trees.

The plan would also open the door to sporting codes to host major events on the same day, due to enhanced public transport options and construction of multiple exits and entries from Richmond station, which has not had a major upgrade since the 1960s.

G Line founder, Zane Haupt, said the platform above the tracks would be “connective tissue” that would allow communities to seamlessly cross between Melbourne icons for the first time.

“It’s a new, vibrant city that’s made up of six new neighbourhoods in arguably the most important sports precinct on the planet,” he said.

“A place where people can live, work, learn, watch sport hear music, explore and commute.”

Momentum to improve the globally-significant precinct has built over the past few years and comes after the success of the NFL regular season match this year, which was followed by blockbusters at the ‘G for AFL finals that drew 100,000 fans.

Ian Robson, who has been a CEO of two AFL clubs and Melbourne Victory, said a unique selling point of Melbourne’s sporting cathedral was its proximity to the CBD and the G Line would create land “that currently doesn’t exist” to encourage people to stay in the area longer and significantly enhance consumer experiences.

“The underpinning DNA of high performance sport is a commitment to continue to improve. If we don’t have that same commitment … as a city, we’re going to get passed.”

Six new neighbourhoods designed as part of the project include Jolimont Fields, which is primarily designed for community use and where tennis courts shifted from near Swan St to the new site, and Olympic Plaza — billed as a “meeting place that consolidates and connects Melbourne’s world famous sports and entertainment precincts”.

Other neighbourhoods include Yarra Park Residences, Richmond Circus where the tallest skyscrapers would tower above the new station, The Village where the vibe of Swan St would be expanded, and Cremorne Commons where lower-rise homes would be built.

The Master Plan includes designs for fixing dangerous and congested sections of Punt Rd, Swan St, and Barassi Way, including on game days when pedestrian spillover on to roads has raised safety alarms.

An elevated pedestrian structure, dubbed the “halo” by the proponents, would be built over the Punt Rd and Swan St intersection as part of the project.

The Master Plan also has for new and improved transport hubs.

Associate director at Traffix Group, Matthew Woollard, said the project would “completely transform” how people move through Richmond and East Melbourne by upgrading east-west and south-north corridors at the same time as bolstering public transport.

This would include new bus interchanges at Punt Rd, which could be expanded at the station site once it was rebuilt.

The group enlisted environmental experts at Finding Infinity to build into the Master Plan energy generation and sustainability measures that would create a zero waste project.

Deep soil planting has been planned to allow for a higher tree canopy, while the project Master Plan includes designs for new laneways and galleries.

Town planning associate at Tract, Erin Specht, said fixing the rail line was a critical starting point to bring to life dead space around the precinct that made it feel unsafe — especially on big game days when queues were crossing congested roads or pouring out of the station.

“At the moment you look at the rail line and it’s just this giant, brown, lifeless tract of land … and then you have these beautiful parts of either side,” she said.

“I just think of the G Line as this big, beautiful patch over a hole in the city. It creates this continuity and just kind of knits all of the surrounding places together.”