11 February 2005 Press Release HUDDLE PARK DEVELOPMENT GETS A THUMBS-UP The City of Johannesburg's - Mayoral Committee - yesterday noted a decision of the adjudication panel on the development of the Huddle Park golf course. Islandsite was voted a preferred bidder. Of all the proposals considered, Islandsite's was - in addition to scoring the highest points - also the best proposal in relative value terms. The proposal had the strongest financial backing and spoke directly to the capability of the consortium. The development consortium and professional team achieved the required Previously Disadvantage Individuals (PDI) and Black Economic Empowerment (BEE) credentials and also reflected a proven ability to execute a project of this scale and significance. The components of the proposal consisted of the following: Residential development Private golf course at Huddle Park Public golf course and residential development in Pimville, Soweto Public golf course in Frankenwald in Alexandra Park, bird sanctuary and farmyard (special place) Retail and wellness centre Offices Technical components of the proposal were coherent. The Special Place and overall treatment, look and feel of the proposed Huddle Park development is, in the panel's view, designed to blend with the surrounding area and create aesthetic and functional synergy with the immediate surrounding locale and regional context. The consortium offered a Gary Player Signature Course, which was considered attractive for the golf tourism and a critical feature of added value. In addition to the on-site offering, the panel's attention was drawn to the consortium's inclusion to offer remote public golfing facilities in Pimville and Frankenwald. These will be designed to USA-PGA standards by Gary Player Designs. It will further include catalytic infrastructure for middle-income housing in Kliptown. This approach is expected to bolster transformation and arrest the growing migration of upward mobile communities from their Soweto and Alexandra backyard. The Kliptown elements will allow for the creation of a first class golf estate (which will be open to the public) and be capable of hosting an international event. The view of the panel was also largely influenced the proposal's elements of economic growth, service delivery particularly in a previously disadvantaged areas, equity in the urban environment which coincided with the City's vision. Ends Nthatisi Modingoane Media Liaison Officer CITY OF JOHANNESBURG Tel: (011) 407 7354 Fax: 403 3494 Cell: 082 467 9228 E-mail: nthatisem@joburg.org.za For more information about this wonderful City of ours, please visit our website : www.joburg.org.za Background The Huddle Park golf course, which consists of 3 eighteen-hole golf courses (the White, the Yellow and the Blue), covers an area of 235, 489 hectares and is located in the eastern part of Johannesburg. The suburbs bordering it include Bedford Park in the south, Senderwood in the east and Sandringham in the north. Adjacent to it on the west is Johannesburg Golf Club. Huddle park is one of the largest remaining open spaces within the City of Joburg, but is considered to be underutilized in terms of its potential as a centrally located open space facility. It is owned by the City of Johannesburg and is currently leased by the Linksfield Golf Development Company. The Company is responsible for the maintenance of the golf courses, but because of financial constraints it focuses its resources on only one golf course. The annual running costs currently stand at approximately R7,2 million. Generally, the golf courses are in a poor state of repair. It was the City's view that Huddle Park needed to be upgraded, hence a decision by the Mayoral Committee, for proposal call to be issued inviting proposals for the development of the site. In September 2004 the city issued a proposal call for the development of Huddle Park golf course and the closing date for the submission of proposals was 12 November 2005. The adjudication panel was then set up with a mandate of evaluating and adjudicating on the proposals based of the criteria that was set in advance. The outcome of the adjudication panel's task is that the Islandsite consortium is confirmed as the preferred bidder for the development of Huddle Park.