THE proposed erection of an iconic tower in Durban could see the city home to the tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere.
The catalytic project concept was presented to members of the Economic Development and Planning Committee on Wednesday, however eThekwini spokesperson, Tozi Mthethwa, said no final decision has been made regarding the development.
“It is still in the proposal phase. A consultation process with affected communities and stakeholders is expected to begin next week and will continue over a number of weeks and months before the proposal is ultimately tabled at the Executive Committee,” she said.
The proposal was made by the Durban Tower Development Company, a private company specifically incorporated for this project.
According to Mthethwa, the aim of the iconic tower would be to create another globally recognised icon for the City of Durban. It would serve as another potential catalyst for future large scale developments within the Durban Inner City.
If approved, the building is expected to be 370 metres high and approximately 88 storeys, which would make it the tallest building in Africa and in the Southern Hemisphere.
Mthethwa said the proposed location for the site is the heart of Durban’s potential world class sports precinct – the Durban Country Club and NMR sites.
“Discussions are underway with the clubs. Given the proximity to the World Championship Golf Course, direct access to the beachfront promenade and being less than 200m from the Moses Mabhida Stadium, the position is extremely favourable,” she said.
Both properties are owned by the Municipality and are being leased to the two clubs on long term arrangements.
Mthethwa said the proposed use of the building would be mixed-use consisting of retail, commercial, parking, hotel(s) and residential.
The bulk of the project would be funded by the private sector, with good expressions of interest already in hand.
