Millions of rands are being invested in restoring some of the historic buildings in Hillbrow including the Windybrow Theatre and the Department of Arts and Culture wants to use this restoration programme as a catalyst to upgrade the whole area by turning it into a cultural precinct.
Furthermore, a new R30 million chancery is being built next door to the Cathedral of Christ the King. At the moment squatters occupy many of Hillbrow’s historic buildings.
According to Nicholas Scott, the architect responsible for the restoration of Windybrow, three adjoining buildings, including a block of flats used by squatters, will all be included in the restoration work being done by the Department of Arts and Culture.
He says that Windybrow, the three adjoining buildings and the new chancery will all be linked by walkways and ample parking will be provided at Windybrow for events and conferences that might be held at the facilities in the future.
Several streets around the theatre will be converted into walkways. The historic Moth Hall on the premises of the new chancery will also be restored along with the existing halls at the old chancery.
The Moth Hall will house a soup kitchen and various interview and consulting rooms while the new chancery will emerge as a two-storey building with a central atrium and basement parking.
The new chancery is located on the corner of Saratoga Avenue and Nugget Street.
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Millions to be spent on Hillbrow----you must be joking it will take billions to repair HILLBROW. - PJ De Beer
Is a good news as we stay and live in Hillbrow we would love to see this development happening, I am an estate agent working and staying in the area, and this development will do good for the business and the life of people who lives around this area.I know it exactly where is especially building adjoining windybrow theater, they are dilapidated. It will do us a good thing to restore this building but involve the people of this are more especially people who deals with property they might have more important input in this area. We all love South Africa. - Obotseng