Legal tangles stall Mt Richmore shopping centre
"It would be irresponsible for any municipality to grant an occupation certificate, when it did not receive any application."
Salt Rock residents greeted the opening of the new Checkers in Mt Richmore with much happiness. But why have all of the shops not been opened?
Ongoing legal tussles between the developer and KDM regarding the size of the shopping centre, applications for occupation certificates, additions to road infrastructure and more have led to a delay in the opening of certain shops.
KDM media liaison Sipho Mkhize told the Courier that the municipality had issued a six month temporary occupation certificate for the superstructure alone for 15 shops after they had come to an agreement with the developer shortly before the centre was due to open.
He said these shops would still need to get their individual occupation certificates for internal layout.
The shops are: Checkers, Checkers Liquor, Pizza Perfect, Afros, Absolute Pet, RO Water System, Natal Diamonds, BK’s Biltong and Coffee, Crazy Store, Postnet, Clicks and an as yet vacant store.
“It would be irresponsible for any municipality to grant an occupation certificate, when it did not receive any application. It is common cause that the developer did not apply for an occupation certificate”, said Mkhize.
Also read: WATCH: Mt Richmore shopping centre open for business
However, the developer disputes this, saying they did apply.
One of the key difficulties regarding occupation certificates is disagreement between KDM and the developer over adjustments to the size of the centre, which KDM says it did not approve.
At present, shops like Woolworths are not part of this temporary agreement and as such do not have occupation certificates, meaning – in Mkhize’s words – “they cannot operate at all.”
The Courier will carry a more in depth article regarding the disagreements between the developer and KDM in next week’s edition.
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