The entrance to Ballito is set to become even more impressive with the proposed major expansion of the Ballito Junction.
An ambitious project to upgrade the popular shopping centre to the Ballito Junction Regional Mall has been in the works for sometime.
Key stakeholders include property development and investment firm Flanagan & Gerard, Menlyn Maine, MDS Architecture, Pretoria-based architects Boogertman and Partners and ABSA Bank.
The Absa Property Development project team presented the proposed extension to KwaDukuza municipal officials last October and the executive committee was briefed on the latest developments last week.
Since the initial meeting developers embarked on a traffic impact study, environmental management plan and landscape plans. Layout plans detailing the proposed internal traffic circulation system, including loading zones, public transport zones and pedestrian access and crossings, were submitted to the KwaDukuza town planning department.
The expansion will increase the mall’s gross leasable area from 9 313 sq m to 82 297 sq m, placing it in the category of a regional shopping mall – 30kms away from the next regional mall – the Gateway Theatre of Shopping.
The mall’s new design is described as “contemporary meets classical”, with a proposed 70 100sqm extension comprising four split levels of retail and five parking levels.
According to the tabled council item the mall will house, among others “Game retail warehouse, Edgars clothing, Checkers supermarket and Woolworths home store and cinemas.”
The provincial transport department has recommended that a new access link road be built behind the mall from the P445 (Ballito Drive) allowing for new western access to the existing Leonora Drive.
The council item indicates that several meetings have been held between developers, the transport department and key municipal officials, resulting in approval for the mall layout.
Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) South Africa has been appointed to “create a model to determine developer contributions for the current road infrastructure upgrade, for all relevant developers within the Ballito CBD precinct”.
Developer contributions towards new access points and the link road agreed upon by Menlyn Maine, on behalf of the ABSA development group, amounts to R15 050 060.
The site plan was recommended for approval, subject to municipal building stipulations.
Boogertman and Partners director Bruce Douglas referred the Courier to developer Pat Flanagan, who had not responded at the time of going to press.
Menlyn Maine’s Jacqueline Radley indicated they were not ready to comment.
Leigh-Anne Bailey, property manager for Broll Property Group – which currently manages the Ballito Junction – said an official statement would be released in due course.
A Menlyn Maine official confirmed ABSA is set to transfer ownership to Menlyn Maine and Flanagan & Gerard in August.
