Billions to re-develop Cape Town

The Prestwich Street precinct will include plans to link the city with the Waterfront using a pedestrian route.

A major regeneration plan for six precincts in Cape Town will include water taxis at Athlone, the refurbishment of Valkenberg Hospital and the possible development of a waterfront casino at the V&A.

The multi-billion project may include a second international airport being built outside the city at Saldanha Bay.

The six precincts are:

- Artscape – which will include the expanded Cape Town International Convention Centre and the area around the Artscape Theatre. About R4,5-billion has been earmarked for this project. 

- Somerset – centred around the Somerset Hospital,has still to be finalised but includes the expansion and development of the area across the road from the Waterfront. A new casino is likely to be built in this precinct. 

- Prestwich Street – which will include plans to link the city with the Waterfront using a pedestrian route. This precinct is likely to focus on high-rise developments as it would not interfere with views in the City Bowl. 

- Government – this precinct will focus on government buildings including those in Dorp Street and the provincial administration buildings in Wale Street. A new high-rise building to house various government departments  is planned for Loop and Leeuwen streets. 

- Government Garage – this precinct comprises pockets of land in Buitenkant, Mill, Hope and Roeland Streets. The government garage will move to the old abattoir site in Maitland along with the ambulance depot.

- The Two Rivers Urban Park at Oude Molen and Valkenberg Hospital will be combined as the base for a high-tech medical park. Water taxis along the Black River from Oude Molen to Athlone may be included in the development of this precinct.

According to Robin Carlisle, MEC for Public Works and Transport, the plan was to use provincial government-owned land to generate income to fund building and road maintenance.

He says the plan centres on several public-private partnerships that will generate revenue of between R100-million and R200-million a year providing the city with the income required to wipe out any maintenance backlogs.

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Water taxis on the Black River would be surpising!  The river stinks, it smells like it is carrying untreated sewage.  I smell it every day as I cross over it on the Metro near Koeberg Road station.  Any such plan for development will have to do something serious about urban water quality. - Arthur