ALBERTON – Brackendowns Centre is situated in De Waal Street. Previously the centre hosted a number of diverse stores including a nursery, a hardware store, Spar, liquor store, pet store, home industries, hairdressing salon, a pub, cellular repair shop and lawnmower repair shop, among others.
The centre has since been sold and renovations have been going on, showing very little progress or any signs of being finished any time soon. Many of the businesses in the centre have closed down or moved to other centres. At present the centre is home to six tenants.
The RECORD made contact with the possible buyers and received the following comment from Sagran Sukhessan, Regional Manager: East Region, Life Healthcare Group who explained the process and plans.
“The current owner of the Brackendown Centre was unable to secure a suitable national franchise tenant as an anchor for the centre; this due to the active competition for retail in the area. He eventually decided to sell the site to a reputable healthcare group who are proposing a much needed medical facility in the area,” said Sukhessan.
As possible buyer, Life Healthcare Group, a leader in private healthcare in Southern Africa with 64 facilities countrywide, has submitted an offer to buy the property. This offer is subject to successful rezoning and Department of Health License approvals. The entire process will take about 12 months before the necessary approvals are obtained. “We invite the community to view the proposed development at the Ekurhuleni town planning division. They can lodge any objections with the council up until December 19, 2014. For more details around the process the community can contact the town planner, Wynand Theron on wynandt@wtaa.co.za
“The proposed development comprises an 80-bed wellness hospital, focusing on the rehabilitation of patients with lifestyle-related mental or physical health disorders. Life Healthcare Group already has six similar specialist hospitals located in residential areas such as Benoni, Roodepoort and Randburg. The proposed hospital will offer an aesthetically pleasing and tranquil environment for patients to learn new skills from a multi-disciplinary specialist team.”
Sukhessan further explained that the development will meet demand. “Fifteen per cent of disability and death worldwide is caused by mental health disorders, which profoundly disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, ability to relate to others and capacity for coping with the demands of life. Treatment is highly effective with up to 90 per cent of sufferers having significant reduction of symptoms and improved quality of life. There is a shortage of facilities in this country to deal with demand.
“As many as one in six South Africans suffer from anxiety, depression or substance-use problems (and this does not include more serious conditions such as bipolar disorder or schizophrenia), according to statistics released by the South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG).”
Residents have until December 19 to lodge their complaints. They can do so in writing to: The Area Manager City Planning, Level 11, Alberton Civic Centre, Alwyn Taljaard Street. Particulars of the application will lie for inspection during normal office hours at the Alberton Customer Care Centre, City Planning, Level 11, Alberton Civic Centre, Alwyn Taljaard Avenue, Alberton.
