THE city’s Executive Committee was given insight into strides made by the municipality to regenerate the inner city when Deputy City Minager of Economic Development and Planning, Phillip Sithole, addressed Exco at a recent meeting.
Sithole said plans for the inner city regeneration was aimed to attract and retain investment, create jobs and attract people to live in the area.
“These goals will not be achieved without partnerships, starting with all service delivery departments working together. We have also engaged the business community and non-governmental organisations as important stakeholders of the plan’s success,” he said, adding that four priority zones had been identified.
“The first is the area from City Hall to the Beach and Point. This priority area is currently being implemented and will see private investment of R36 billion and an investment by the city of R400 million in the promenade extension, R250 million for water mains, a R2 billion investment in the Centrum site and a R44 million investment in Rivertown.
A second area extending from City Hall to Warwick, will see the municipality invest in the markets of Warwick project pipeline, public realm, informal trade and retail, and public transport.
ALSO READ: Construction to start at Rivertown precinct
Third on the priority list is the area from City Hall to the Port, followed by the area from City Hall to uMgeni River, which will see R30 million invested in Blue Lagoon, R10 million annually for beach infrastructure and R25 million for maintenance.
Sithole said the municipality was currently implementing priority area one which would ensure basic services are delivered to the targeted area as well as prime tourists spots.
“In the first phase, more than 30 problem buildings have been identified of which 12 buildings have been profiled and contra notices issued to the building owners. Four buildings are receiving legal intervention and one unoccupied building tis o be demolished,” he added.
Elaborating on the capital investment status, he said the 750 metre promenade extension was 80 per cent complete and would be open to the public by November.
Following this, the private sector investment in the Point Waterfront Development would be launched which included a retail mall and residential apartments for the area.
This will see a developer investment of R2.8 billion and an annual rates contribution of R200 million.
ALSO READ: Durban promenade extension nearing completion
He confirmed that six sites had been identified to supply 10 000 social and gap housing units to the market which include Block AK, the uMgeni Road site, Victoria Park, Albert Park, Bus Depot and the old drive-in site.
Sithole also outlined social interventions which he explained were a critical element to the regeneration process.
“There are approximately 6 000 homeless people living in urban centres in the Durban Central Business District, Pinetown, uThongathi and Isiphingo as a result of spatial injustice, urbanisation, migration, unemployment, family disputes and drug and substance abuse. We have to take social ills into consideration as we regenerate the inner city,” he said.
He said consideration would be given to a city policy on the homeless, norms and standards for shelters, council buildings for shelters, rates and utility incentives for shelters, development programmes for the homeless, standard operations procedures for the Metro Police and a dedicated and a well-resourced programme/unit and technical secretariat to assist a task team and nominated City officials.
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