October 30, 2003
By Lucille Davie
THE first phase of the transformation of the Randburg Waterfront into a new, community-friendly, outdoor shopping and entertainment area was launched on Tuesday night, to be renamed Brightwater Commons.
The Waterfront, built in 1996, is a large oval of shops and restaurants surrounding a lake in a natural depression in President Ridge in Randburg. Traditionally popular with teenagers and families, offering live bands, African dancers, a cinema complex, combined with a wide choice of restaurants and flea market stalls, in recent years it saw a drop in its popularity, with many shops standing empty.
A revamp, at a cost of R80-million, has been undertaken this year, to be completed in April 2004. In January the large lake that took up most of the inner space was drained, and has been replaced with a "smaller, shallower, softer" body of water, and a large, grassy common, to create a "village feel".
The common has been planted with six-metre tall palms and other trees, and landscaped beds, and is available for kicking a ball about on, or just sitting on one of the benches under a tree, or playing a board game, and taking in the vibe.
A pool on the southern end has been created, and the former musical fountains have been re-instated. Water runs from the pool in a stream running around the edge of the common to the northern edge, ending in a rocky, bubbling flow into another pool. Large boulders have been positioned along the waterway, which is softened with water plants.
Several bridges have been thrown over the stream, linking the common to the walkway around the circle. The common is interspersed with paved paths, inviting people onto the common to enjoy its relaxed ambience.
In progress is the building of a promotions court in the centre of the common, and phase two will see the construction of flea market stalls in the centre too, to be moved from their present position on the southern end of the complex. A new "home zone" shopping area will replace the flea market shops, to be completed in phase two of the project.
The spaces in front of restaurants have been extended so that patrons can sit at the water's edge while eating their meals. Some shop fronts and roofscapes have been refurbished.
The mix of shops is to be changed - a number of new shops to encourage more of a family orientation have been introduced: a children's bookstore, an educational toy store, and children's clothing and accessories stores. Other new stores include an art gallery, new gift stores and computer game and internet shops.
On Tuesday night people happily mingled and strolled around the complex, enjoying the samples of delicious snacks that most restaurants and shops had placed outside their premises. There were blasts of live music from half a dozen small bands that had set up at periodic points around the commons.
In the centre of the common a threesome were playing a game of bouille (French bowls), and a couple were setting up a small hot-air balloon, which they referred to as a "hot-glow balloon", to hover just above the common.
Rael Abramowitz, property manager of Allan Gray Properties, the owners of complex, said: "The Brightwater Commons provides the perfect opportunity to have an outside streetscape and common parkland on to which restaurants and retail interface, within a safe and contained commercial development."
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