R3.2bn to be spent on refurbishing fire-damaged Metro Centre building, says Joburg mayor

With the 50-year-old Metro Centre building in Braamfontein declared inhabitable and in violation of several regulations and acts, City of Johannesburg (CoJ) Mayor Dada Morero on Wednesday said an estimated R3.2 billion will be spent to refurbish the iconic structure.

He said the CoJ is in the process of appointing a transactional advisor to help redevelop the centre precinct, which is lying empty.

Metro Centre building damaged by fire

Addressing a media briefing in Johannesburg, Morero said swift action was necessary to prevent exposing CoJ employees and the public to further danger in the building which caught fire last year, leading to widespread panic among staff.

“Currently, the Metro Centre cannot be issued an electrical certificate of compliance due to non-compliance with the requirements of the Electrical Contracting Boards (ECB),” said Morero.

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The building accommodated about 3 000 CoJ employees and provided essential services to the public.

“Structures of this age require major refurbishment every 10 to 15 years, to maintain optimal performance.

“A building is deemed habitable only when it has a fixed structure, walls and a roof,” said Morero.

A report tabled in 2014 noted “significant challenges following a conditional assessment, yet building maintenance was not conducted as prescribed, leading to severe leaks and other infrastructural issues”.

Morero said many professional reports submitted by independent engineers, emergency management services, and the Department of Employment and Labour, highlighted “the outdated electrical, plumbing, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning infrastructure, with parts required for repairs no longer available on the market”.

“Early last year, the Department of Employment and Labour, issued a confirmatory notice to the city through the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC), stressing the need for urgent action,” said Morero.

“It stated that failure to comply could result in prosecution.

“The Metro Centre was found non-compliant, in terms of the Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1993 and the National Building Regulations and Building Standards Act.

“To ensure the safety and compliance of the Metro Centre, the council made the decision to close the building and initiate refurbishment through a public-private partnership, working closely with National Treasury.”

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He said the CoJ-JPC team is currently concluding supply chain management processes, as required by the Municipal Finance Management Act, following the request for proposals.

“This initiative aims to transition the city away from renting office accommodation in the private sector – allowing us to utilise refurbished offices that are fit for purpose,” he said.

Alternative buildings

CoJ general manager for mega projects, Musa Makhunga, said in finding alternative accommodation, the CoJ had to take account of “the size of the Metro Centre”.

“Here we are talking about decanting of staff from the centre – looking at over 70 000 square metres of office space.

“We had to move the legislature to the Braampark Office Park, moved the executive mayor to the SAPPI building, with no additional cost paid for the space being utilised.

“However, we still require additional space to deal with the shortfall.

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“Development and Planning still requires a huge space to ensure that the entire plans of the City of Johannesburg are kept safely.

“We are adhering to an open tender process to test the rate against the market – ensuring that everyone is accommodated.

“We get involved in long-term leases to get better terms,” said Makhunga.

Water challenges

Giving an update on water challenges, Morero said the CoJ water supply reserves remained around 40%, “which is not ideal for a water supply system of this magnitude”.

“There is a drive to increase the reserves above 60%, as this will buffer the impact of sudden water supply interruptions.

“During the month of November, we have noticed a 6% decrease in total consumption.

“This is because of aggressive continuous intervention that we continue to implement,” he said.

CoJ interventions included:

• Scheduled water supply restriction by throttling the reservoir outlets between 8pm and 4am.
• Increasing response time for the repair of burst pipes from 48 hours to 24 hours.
• Removal of Illegal water connections in the informal settlements.
• Imposing water supply restrictions in deemed consumption areas and informal settlements.
• Intensifying the use of first line response teams to isolate the leaking water while waiting for the repair teams to come.

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