City accepts donation of derelict buildings for inner city rejuvenation

THREE dilapidated buildings in Durban’s inner city have been donated to eThekwini by the provincial Department of Public Works to be redeveloped and then sold to the private sector and the capital raised used for social housing units in “strategic locations”.

This was disclosed at meeting of the Executive Committee on Tuesday, 15 May. The three buildings, West Point Lodge on Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Victoria Embankment), the Palm Beach Hotel on Gillespie Street and the Seamans Institute on Mahatma Gandhi (Point Road) will renovated to the tune of R5.5 million in the line with the city’s urban renewal and densification strategies.

The buildings have deteriorated since the Department of Human Settlements purchased them in 2003. One of the buildings, West Point Lodge, was condemned in 2012 following a devastating fire. Some of the other buildings are said to have no electricity and have been occupied by vagrants.

Once the buildings have been revitalised, they will be sold off and the proceeds used for social housing.

ALSO READ: Mayor welcomes land expropriation public hearings

The report grants authority to the Deputy City Manager of the Economic Development and Planning Cluster, Phillip Sithole, to accept the donation of the three buildings to trigger renewal of bad buildings within the inner city.

The report also granted authority to City Manager, Sipho Nzuza, to be authorised to sign a memorandum of agreement with conditions, processes as well as roles and responsibilities of all parties on behalf of the City.

EThekwini Mayor Zandile Gumede welcomed the donation by the Department of Public Works with the aim of accelerating social housing. “This is in line with our densification strategy. We want to applaud Human Settlements MEC Ravi Pillay for doing this for the City,” she said.

Gumede acknowledged that some of the buildings had been illegally invaded but said this would not stop the City from accepting the donation of the buildings.

“We need to go ahead and accept this donation so that we can decisively deal with these bad buildings. This is definitely a step in the right direction. We hope this donation will go a long way in solving our housing problems in the inner city. We are also looking forward to youth, women and disabled communities benefiting from this project.”

She said she had discussed the matter with Nzuza, Sithole and the Deputy City Manager for Human Settlements, Beryl Mphakathi about this issue.

“We want to create jobs and use these facilities because people have been complaining about problem buildings in the City. I welcome this initiative as these buildings will have an impact on what we are trying to do as the City to rejuvenate the inner city and attract investors. I am also looking forward to our communities benefitting from this project as a result,” Mayor Gumede added.

ALSO READ: North Beach rat infestation causes alarm

Speaking at the Executive Committee meeting, Deputy Mayor Fawzia Peer said people who had illegally occupied the buildings would not be “thrown out” but would be dealt with through legal channels.

Sithole said problem buildings in the City had a negative impact on investment and tourism as they become an eyesore. He said often investors could not separate the City from the problem buildings.

Mphakathi said the donation was a legal agreement acknowledging that it came with legal and social implications including squatters.

“We have taken the implications into consideration and would not accept donation of these buildings if we did not have the capacity to effectively deal with them. We will not be putting the City in jeopardy by accepting these buildings,” she added.

Do you want to receive news alerts via WhatsApp? Send us a WhatsApp message (not an sms) with your name and surname to 060 532 5535.

You can also join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

PLEASE NOTE: If you have signed up for our news alerts you need to save the Berea Mail WhatsApp number as a contact to your phone, otherwise you will not receive our alerts