Douw Steyn’s dream city comes to life – secrets revealed
STEYN CITY - Douw Steyn's dream of building a city within a city has been realised, and what awaits visitors and potential buyers is a wholly different idea of city living.
On 14 and 15 March Steyn City will finally open to the public so that everyone can see what has been kept such a mystery behind the development’s enormous gates.
Steyn City Properties CEO, Giuseppe Plumari was the original owner of part of the land on which Steyn City is built. He initially wanted to develop the land for industrial use but well-known South African businessman, Steyn had other plans and bought up the remaining land that makes up the 2000 acre site today. Steyn City is six times the size of Sandton City, four times the size of Monaco and two and a half times the size of New York’s Central Park.
Head of Steyn City sales and marketing, Kent Gush explains the idea behind the artwork entitled Ubuntu:
Steyn’s vision was to develop a city that was uniquely South African based on the pedestrianised, community-orientated cities of yesteryear. This is why the development is referred to as a ‘lifestyle resort’. Steyn City has 1 000 acres of green belts and parklands, a pedestrianised network of paths allowing for traffic-free navigation, outdoor gyms, an indoor health centre, a spa, skate park, tennis courts. equestrian centre with dedicated bridle paths, 60km of off-road mountain bike tracks and a service station with a coffee shop.
In addition to the already impressive list of amenities, a medical facility and school will break ground in the resort during this year. Construction is underway for a city centre, similar to Melrose Arch with restaurants and retail facilities, and 700 apartments and 2 000 parking bays. The city centre will open in 2018.
Artist Malvern Makhonya from Cosmo City talks about the work he is doing in Steyn City:
Steyn City will use renewable energy. There are two bulk gas storage farms on site to provide piped gas services to residents, and there are also solar power options available to all homeowners. About 50 percent of Steyn City will eventually be wooded parkland. There are currently
746 000 plants in the on-site nursery and the long term aim is to plant one million indigenous trees on the property. Scattered along the pedestrian walkways, one will see surprisingly detailed and evocative artworks.
In August last year Steyn City launched its artist upliftment programme and commissioned Charles Gotthard, South Africa’s only architectural ceramist, to mentor three artists from Diepsloot and Cosmo City to create the amazing pieces that can be seen in the development today.
Read our previous story, Steyn City opens its gates to the public.
