Jin Zi has enjoyed life in Box Hill for more than a decade.
A few years ago, Ms Jin, who is in her 60s, purchased an apartment opposite Box Hill Gardens, a popular green park, close to shops and public transport, to enjoy her "golden years".
Now, everywhere she turns, she is surrounded by construction.
"It is extremely inconvenient at the moment," Ms Jin said.
"Finding a parking spot in the area has become nearly impossible."
The disruptions stem from major works on a new underground station in Box Hill that will form part of the $35 billion dollar eastern section of the Victorian state government's controversial Suburban Rail Loop Project (SRL).
Across Box Hill's city centre there are partial road closures, removal of dozens of car park spaces, dust, and the noise of construction.
The government has already compulsorily acquired hundreds of homes and businesses that will be demolished, including an entire apartment building on Elland Avenue that was built less than a decade ago.
Even the park Ms Jin visits every day has not been spared. Currently, a quarter of it has been closed to accommodate digging for the new station.
According to the state government, parts of the park will be occupied for the next six or seven years, before it is returned to the public.
City of Whitehorse councillor Blair Barker said this was the reality facing constituents in his municipality and eventually those in other suburbs in metropolitan Melbourne earmarked for SRL stations.
"With the amount of construction that's going on in Box Hill, I'm concerned about a generation of kids that will grow up knowing large parts of Box Hill as just a construction site," Cr Barker said.
"We are just the first municipality to go through this."
But Box Hill's construction woes are not limited to the Suburban Rail Loop; there's also the North-East Link and a new tower development, said Cr Barker.
Large cranes for private developments can be seen dotted along the suburb's already tower-rich skyline, which is the tallest outside of Melbourne's CBD.
In June, the state government fast tracked approval for the $1.57 billion Box Hill Central North Masterplan proposed by shopping centre behemoth Vicinity Centres, who are part-owners of Chadstone Shopping Centre.
The plan for the mixed-use precinct in the heart of Box Hill includes seven towers of up to 50 storeys.
Across all the projects underway, the council predicts the loss of 15 MCG ovals of open space across Burwood and Box Hill.
The question now for the council and the Victorian state government is how to ease impacts on residents' lives.
Major development inevitable in Box Hill
In 1954, when the then-Melbourne Metropolitan Planning Scheme designated a sleepy low-lying suburb 14 kilometres east of Melbourne's CBD as a "district business centre" the writing was on the wall, said prominent planning expert Marcus Spiller.
"Box Hill has always been on the radar," said Dr Spiller, who is a founding partner at SGS Economics and Planning and has previously consulted with the government on background research for the SRL project.
"It was always regarded as a major secondary centre for economic and residential because of its proximity to the city and transport infrastructure," he said.
"Through the decades, Commonwealth and state governments have invested in making that happen.
"The Suburban Rail Loop is in some ways a continuation of the story."
Since the 1950s, a windfall of private and public development including transport infrastructure, housing, and the establishment of the Australian Taxation Office building on Whitehorse Rd, Box Hill, has attracted more investment.
The Vicinity Centres project will redevelop the Box Hill Central North Shopping Centre and surrounding land into a bustling mini city.
It will include 1,700 homes with 10 per cent affordable housing, a mixed-use plaza, open space, and public amenities like pedestrian and cycling paths.
However, the development is not without its critics.
Whitehorse Council Mayor Denise Massoud said the council was cut out of the planning process after the state government took over planning controls for the site.
The council is no longer the relevant planning authority but did put forward a submission to the Priority Projects Standing Advisory Committee, before the decision was made.
"There's certainly going to be some concerns about overlooking, overshadowing to various degrees," Ms Massoud said.
"There's concerns about heritage overlays and what will happen to some of the beautiful heritage homes in some of the streets that are within the precinct."
'Bring residents and council on board'
At the Box Hill Gardens, Cr Barker pointed to the sprawling grassy areas.
He said on weekends it was packed with local families flocking to use the playground as well as residents living in nearby apartment blocks, for which the park is a much needed reprieve.
"When your only open space is a very small balcony on level 22 in an apartment building, that open space becomes really precious for people," Cr Barker said.
In the next few decades, the City of Whitehorse is expected to grow by 50,000 residents.
Cr Barker said he was worried about the pressure the population increase would have on open space and other services like sports facilities and libraries that the council managed.
"When you think about New York, London, and Singapore, there is great park space," said Cr Barker.
"It's incredibly important to the livability of our city going forward."
Lissa van Camp, the executive general manager of Land, Planning, Environment and Sustainability at the Suburban Rail Loop Authority, said the government had spoken with community members for years and was "trying to protect things that are important to people" such as open space.
"We are building six brand new stations and 26 kilometres of rail infrastructure, a rail line, and that does take a little bit of time," Ms van Camp said.
"We are using a small part of the gardens and we know that that's an impact.
"So, we're replacing that land in other parts, in walkable parts, so that the community can continue to have access to open space."
The plan will see several nearby car parks turned into small "pocket parks".
The state government also compensated residents whose properties were acquired.
Ms Van camp said there was also a 24/7 1800 hotline available for anyone who had concerns or ideas, and they wanted to hear from people on how they can "continue to make this area even better".
'Painful transformation'
For Bihong Wang, president of the Asian Business Association of Whitehorse, the current investment in Box Hill is something to celebrate despite the "painful transformation" that residents face.
"These developments show the government and developers are very confident about the Box Hill area, and people realise this is 'a Feng Shui treasure'," said Ms Wang, who has owned a financial business in Box Hill for the past 20 years.
But she said some businesses would not survive and some had already closed.
"With construction likely for next eight to 10 years, many people may also decide not to come to Box Hill Central area due to lack of parking and traffic jams," she said.
"It would also impact on existing businesses too.
"Most of small businesses are mum and dad businesses. They will have to think about the future — to move to another area or choose to close off permanently, which could incur a huge loss."
For residents like Ms Jin, her dream of a peaceful retirement is no longer possible in Box Hill.
"By the time all of this work is finished, I will be [in my 70s]," she said.
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