Plans for Randburg gather pace
23 Mar 2006
A mixed-use development is on the cards for Randburg that will incorporate shops and flats. Planning approval is still pending, but it should help give the area a boost. By Ndaba Dlamini
Plans are under way to develop a portion of land on Hilltop Street in Randburg's central business district into a mixed-use facility, one of the many initiatives to ensure socio-economic growth and investment in the area, in the north west of Joburg.
The development will include shops on the ground floor and flats on the top floors, according to Nisha Moodley, the marketing manager of the City of Johannesburg Property Company (JPC). It is part of revitalisation plans for the Randburg business district.
"The development hasn't been approved yet by the City council. We are calling for proposals for proposed development on Erven 17 to 22 Bordeaux, and 744 and RE/745 Ferndale, with the possible inclusion of a portion of Hilltop Street."
Construction will begin soon after the proposal adjudicating board decides on the right candidate to take up the development tender, probably in June this year, according to Moodley. "[Until we receive proposals] it is difficult to say at this stage exactly when construction will begin."
The proposed zoning of the area under development, termed Business 2 in terms of the Randburg Town Planning Scheme of 1976, will lead to the closure of Hillltop Street.
"The rezoning application for Business 2, allowing a basket of land use rights, is in the process of being considered by the council's planning department and any alienation will be subject to the approval of the land use rights by the JPC," Moodley explains.
The six-storey development will take up more than 13 000m² of space. The market value of the portion of land is more than R6-million, she adds. The development is expected to help restore the Randburg CBD's reputation as a regional node and an important economic role player in Johannesburg.
Over the past few years Randburg has experienced an economic decline as businesses have moved to relatively new business and retail developments in areas like Cresta and Sandton. In 2004 the CBD was declared a city improvement district in an effort to deal with its problems and win back business confidence. Kagiso Urban Management was appointed to manage the city improvement district.
This was followed by the official launch of the Randburg Management District in April 2005, a joint effort by the City and the local business community to give Randburg a make-over. The management district is bordered by Selkirk Road in the south, Dover Street in the north, Kent Avenue in the west and Hendrik Verwoerd Drive in the east.
The first of a four-phase of plan to revitalise Randburg is complete, and the second phase is expected to begin in late March.
Article courtesy of City of Johannesburg website (www.joburg.org.za).