Body found near Melbourne shopping centre

A man's body has been found near a major shopping centre in Melbourne's outer southeast.

The man was found dead in Max Pawsey Reserve at Narre Warren about 12pm on Wednesday, with police establishing a crime scene.

He is yet to be identified and the circumstances surrounding his death are unknown.

The reserve is directly adjacent to Westfield Fountain Gate, the nation's second largest shopping centre by floor area.

A tent has been erected next to a footpath on the Princes Highway and workers are putting up a temporary fence to keep pedestrians out of the crime scene.

An inbound lane of the highway remains closed after Magid Drive.