Jewel of the East has new shine and vibe

Nestled in a valley between Greenstone and Germiston is Edenvale – a hub of activity and home to people who pride themselves on their sense of community.

Despite urban degradation over the years, the town’s people and business owners are standing up, dusting themselves off and reclaiming Edenvale’s title as Jewel of the East.

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With the recent developments in the CBD, the area now offers something for everyone, ranging from good food and unique restaurants to staying healthy in the local gym.

Compared to other towns in Ekurhuleni, Edenvale remains a shining beacon of hope with a CBD where one can still feel safe walking the streets.

Residents and those invested in Edenvale continue to work towards making the Jewel of the East shine the brightest.

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In recent years, the town has seen an influx of development as developers and business owners try to put Edenvale back on the map.

Almost symbolically, recently planted trees on Van Riebeeck Avenue add to the sense of growth, breathing a breath of fresh air as Edenvale is reborn.

To learn more about the positive changes in Edenvale, the NEWS met with Edenvale developer Clayton Risk of Risk Prop.

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He was raised in Edenvale and likes to share his childhood memories of growing up in The Vale.

With memories of business owners chatting on Van Riebeeck Avenue, family visits to Fast Burger and monthly grocery shopping at Eden Mall, Clayton’s plans and dreams for Edenvale started taking shape several years ago when Risk Prop looked to invest in a town.

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After assessing various locations, three towns were identified in the Johannesburg region: Randburg, Germiston and Edenvale.

“When we decided to invest in Edenvale, it felt really good. This was my chance to give back to my town and my community.”

Despite the decay that crept in over the years, Clayton was confident about the decision to invest in and develop his beloved town by making use of the existing infrastructure in the CBD and revitalising the area.

One of the key role players in his life other than his family was the late Wim Verhoogt, who started De Backery and constructed Edenvale’s iconic windmill.

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“Wim was a very good friend who encouraged me during the early years, especially at times when I thought this project was going to be a mountain climb.

“He was the perfect mentor. He had been in Edenvale for a very long time and the few years that we got to know each other, was a special time.

“I value all the advice that he gave me as it encouraged me to keep going in the spirit of what he started.”

He said Edenvale had a lot of existing buildings, many of which were empty.

“It didn’t make financial sense to move to another area and build from scratch, and that’s how the project started.

“There still are great businesses in Edenvale and there is still an unbelievable community spirit. I think if you are born and bred in Edenvale, Edenvale stays in your heart no matter where you go.

“It shows in various events held in Edenvale, like the Horwood’s Farm Family Market. These events show the spirit and camaraderie community members have towards being part of the town.”

As Clayton walks through the CBD, he is greeted by business owners.

With a smile and friendly greeting, he takes the time to speak to owners and community members.

A family-like bond can be felt between Clayton and those he speaks to.

This further highlights that something special is happening in Edenvale – a new uniqueness to our sense of community spirit is taking shape.

By investing in the town, Clayton is confident people and shoppers will again make the central business district their first choice of shopping and doing business.

“We want to make our CBD affordable and safe for community members.” Risk Prop also focuses on creating affordable living spaces.

“A spin-off from that is building the commercial areas as well.”

Clayton’s plans for the CBD focuses on unique offerings.

“It is not a copy-paste model like other CBDs. The shops we have selected can only be found in Edenvale and that’s what makes us special.”

Clayton believes that by aligning himself with like-minded people, further aided the development of the town.

“Other businesses and developers in the area are not in competition with each other. We see projects like ours as a common goal for everyone.

“Everybody is in it together and where we can, we lend a hand. Edenvale will always remain true to its roots. Nobody can ever change that and nobody will ever break that.”

Business owners pick Edenvale CBD

As Clayton reminisces about his memories and passionately shares his dreams for Edenvale, we come across several bussiness owners who echo his love, passion, hopes and dreams for our CBD.

Standing outside De Backery, admiring Edenvale’s truly unique landmark, we bump into Mark Verhoogt, son of Wim and now owner of De Backery.

The Verhoogt family has always had a keen interest in Edenvale’s future.

Mark explained that through the efforts of Risk Prop and other investors, Edenvale is on the rise.

“Things are falling in line, similar to the dream my father had for Edenvale. Through the development, I believe Edenvale is becoming a destination town.”

One of the key attributing factors Mark identified was the improved quality of tenants in Edenvale in recent years.

With a passion for baking and making sweet treats, Harry Nicoloudakis, managing director of Mr Harry’s Bakery, found a home for his store in Edenvale a year-and-a-half ago.

He chose Edenvale because of its location and ease of access.

“I found this at a shop in Eden Mall and went from selling packets of biscuit to buckets of biscuits of various sizes,” said Harry.

He said what makes Edenvale so unique is the number of shops along the length of Van Riebeeck Avenue, its proximity to the Gautrain and several highways.

“Another unique aspect is the residents of the town – people of different nationalities ranging from Portuguese, Greeks, Italians and various African countries live in Edenvale,” said Harry. He believes ongoing development can only improve business in Edenvale.

“Going forward, I hope the town will be well maintained and a safe place to live and work.”

Further down Van Riebeeck Avenue, we run into the smiling face of Eden Tailors and Dry Cleaners owner Boetie Ranchod.

Passionate about his town, Boetie proudly shares why Eden Tailors made Edenvale its home.

“We decided on Edenvale because it is centrally located. We sometimes refer to it as the garden of Eden as it has always provided for my family.”

Boetie said despite the ups and towns the town has gone through, he looks forward to what the future has in store for Edenvale.

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Although not as established as Eden Tailors, Hodad’s restaurant adds some unique flavour to the town.

Finding its home in Edenvale five years ago, Hodad’s was initially a restaurant for blue-collar workers.

Three years after opening, owner Dylan Kirton decided to change his menu and reinvented his restaurant in the CBD.

Since development started in town, Dylan was delighted to notice a cleaner and neater Edenvale compared to other CBDs.

“It has become a nice town with something to offer everyone, where residents of the CBD have the convenience of having various stores a few minutes away.”

Unique Beans brings a fresh new flavour to Edenvale with custom blends of coffee beans.

From market stall to shop

Founded in 2014, the business grew from selling products at Modderfontein Market to moving to Edenvale CBD six months ago.

Co-owner and Edenvale resident James Smith said the decision to have a store in Edenvale was because he knew the town, its people who are also his friends and they are conveniently located close to the airport and several highways.

He hopes that community members support each other and local entrepreneurs.

Owner of Battery Centre, Jan Moore, said his move to Edenvale 19 years ago was also due to its location.

“Over the years, I have seen the town thrive but it did go through a dip, but now it is on the rise again.”

“I think the reason why the town is on the rise is because of Edenvale’s community – the people of this town make us unique.”

Another reason Jan attributed Edenvale’s growth to is the continued investment in the town and new businesses finding their homes in Edenvale.

“I hope that the current trajectory of growth continues.”

Founded 36 years ago, Edenvale Steel and Tube was one of the first steel companies to establish itself in Edenvale.

Marianthi Rokos Xanthou, managing director at Edenvale Steel and Tube, said it was founded by Denis Rokos.

“I was born and raised in Edenvale. I have seen the area drastically develop over the years,” said Marianthi.

“I have also seen major deterioration due to the bigger mall developments in surrounding areas, but I am happy to now see the development in Edenvale. It is a sign that people are happy to invest their money in the town.

“Our town compared to others is unique. The store owners, security companies and community are making a combined effort to maintain and upkeep Edenvale to the best of their ability.”

Marianthi said she would love to see Edenvale flourish and become a functional town as it used to be.

Slowly but surely our town, especially our CBD, is polishing itself up to once again shine bright as the Jewel of the East.

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