was moved to the entrance of Eastern Park due to the construction of the Solomons Building on the same site. Solomons Building 1912 saw the clearing of the western side of the Market Square for the Solomons Building. The building housed a department store owned by Mr Julius Solomon, and was officially opened on 16 April 1913. It was the third largest floor space without walls of stores in Victoria at the time. Mr Solomon had wanted to build a store in the Market Square for five years. The contract allowed the construction on the crown land, as long as the buildings reverted to council in 50 years. Solomons closed in 1966 and was replaced by a Woolworths supermarket, before the building was incorporated into the Market Square Shopping Centre development in the 1980s. Further development In 1915 a referendum was held in Geelong, asking if more stores should be built in the Market Square. The result was yes, and the Block Building in Little Malop Street was built soon after. CML Building The Colonial Mutual Life Assurance (CML) Building was announced on 28 May 1923. The building for the insurance company was to occupy the site of the clock tower, which was demolished in October 1923. The new three-storey stone office building was designed with a new clock tower to house the old clock, topped with a copper dome. Once again, due to being built on crown land, the building was to revert to council in 50 years. Car park Growing motor traffic in Geelong by the 1960s resulted in a need for more car parking in the central area. To provide this, Cowley's Motor Garage (located on the former Exhibition Building site) was demolished, and a three-level concrete carpark built. Officially opened on 20 October 1961 by Member for Corio Mr Hubert Opperman. The car park cost £70,000 ($140,000), had a 200-car capacity, and also offered fuel, lubrication, and washing to motorists. Towards redevelopment See Market Square Shopping Centre for the history of the shopping centre itself. The 1980s saw the first of many urban renewal proposals floated for the central Geelong area. The Geelong Regional Commission on 6 November 1981 released a plan that would see a massive shopping centre extend from Little Malop Street through to the waterfront. This proposal did not proceed, with the City of Geelong instead deciding to develop their own shopping centre