October 22, 2003
By Lucille Davie
A NEW inner city mall is to be created in Main Street, to be completed by August next year, in a R15-million private/public initiative.
The project, overseen by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and to be called the Main Street Mall, will see six blocks - from McLaren to Rissik streets - being made "pedestrian-friendly", by paving Main Street, widening the pavements, and planting more trees and flower beds, with a view to creating a "high quality tourist attraction".
The western end of Main Street, occupied at present by the city's mining houses, has already been pedestrianised and closed to traffic altogether, with attractive massed beds, trees and fountains making it very user friendly. The six blocks will remain open to traffic, but only traffic that requires access to work places in the street.
A mining theme is to be followed with donations of headgear, coco pans and rail tracks from the mining industry, to be displayed in the street.
Currently two bus lanes exist in this section of Main Street. Metrobus has agreed to relocate buses to Marshall and Fox streets where new bus stops will be created together with peak hour bus lanes.
"It is hoped that existing restaurants will be encouraged to upgrade, and new restaurants will be opened," says Paul Arnott-Job, development manager at the JDA. He hopes, too, that restaurants will move tables onto the pavements, and create a bustling piazza atmosphere. He emphasises that the area will have high quality finishes.
Tourist buses will be accommodated in McLaren Street, and residents can park in Fox and Marshall streets, as well as the city's parking garages, and stroll down the new mall.
The project will be substantially complete by the end of June, and totally complete by the end of August. It is expected that work on the project will begin in mid-January 2004.
The private sector investment amounts to R13-million, with the City of Johannesburg contributing R2-million. The idea for the upgrade came originally from the private sector. A Section 21 company is being created to manage the development.
A black economic empowerment company is to be formed to manage the area, employing and training half a dozen women in horticulture. It is estimated that service providers and new businesses in the area will generate hundreds of permanent jobs.
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