May 11, 2004
By Thomas Thale
A NEW multi-million rand shopping mall, housing some 80 shops, will soon rise to dominate the Soweto shopping experience.
The mall will be the biggest shopping centre of its size in the sprawling township with a population of some 900 000 people. At present, Soweto has a few smaller shopping centres, the most popular of which is in Dobsonville.
The development will be located at the corner of the Old Potchefstroom Road in Protea
The development by Greenworld Property Development and Roux Property Development, a Black Economic Empowerment company, will be located at the corner of the Old Potchefstroom Road and Alekhine Street, an area bordering Protea North and Protea Gardens.
Construction on the R106-million development could begin within two months, provided the developers get the go-ahead from the council. "The full scope of the approximate R106-million development will cater for approximately 22 000 to 25 000mē of retail space incorporating a mall, all related roads and parking, services and landscaping," said Pierre van Driel, project manager of ARC Architectural Consultants, architects for the project.
Van Driel said tenants that have already committed themselves to the venture include a major supermarket, three major banks, fashion outlets, furniture stores, liquor outlets, a hardware store, optometrists and pharmacies. Shoprite Checkers will be the anchor tenant of the new development. A fast food court will be located just outside the mall.
"We are trying to create a quality product with a limited budget. We have had to drop the lease rate to make it more viable," said Van Driel. "We have also come up with a way of using affordable finishes in a clever way."
Lael Bethlehem, director of the City's Economic Development Unit, hailed the project as a "welcome investment", which would bolster the Soweto Development Initiative, aimed at expanding retail trade in the area.
Bethlehem maintains that some 85 percent of Soweto residents spend their disposable income outside the township, because the retail sector is so underdeveloped.
In a statement, the developers called on the council to help expedite the "finalisation of exemption of EIA, rights issues, site development and plan approval" for this "special development".
Bethlehem has pledged to do everything in her power to help expedite the processing of the development proposal. "The proposal has been presented to the economic development sub-committee of the mayoral committee, which undertook to help facilitate as much as possible". She said the Department of Development, Planning and Transportation had also been extremely helpful in making sure that the development goes through the regulatory process without hitches.
The developers expect the development to create an estimated 350 temporary jobs and 500 permanent jobs.
The new mall is expected to be open to the public in April 2005.
Permission to use web site material
Publishers may use material from this site free of charge, as long as:
- Credit is given to either the "City of Johannesburg website
(www.joburg.org.za)" or to "Johannesburg News Agency
(www.joburg.org.za)";
- If the article is used online, a link is provided to the original
article on this website;
- The name of the article's author is acknowledged;
-
The webmaster is informed of how and where the material is used (fill
in this brief online form).
Johannesburg News Agency is operated by BIG Media at 011-484-1400 |
