Faulty transformers lead to the immediate closure of the Metro Centre
This is the latest fire to have plagued the Johannesburg CBD.
Fires continue to wreak havoc in the Johannesburg CBD.
The Metro Centre building in Braamfontein caught fire on September 16.
The cause of the fire is thought to be due to old faulty transformers.
This is the second fire the Metro Building has experienced this year with the previous one occurring in March.
Johannesburg Property Company CEO Helen Botes recommends that the building be closed for this week as the unstable nature of the transformers renders the building unsafe.
“Last week the service provider determined that the transformers are problematic. A 2019 engineers report also highlighted the state of the transformers (which were then 40 years old),” said Botes.
The Executive Mayor Kabelo Gwamanda, the Speaker of Council and the City Manager’s office have all been temporarily relocated out of the Metro Centre.
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The city centre serves as the heart of the city’s services including emergency, planning and administration and the Council is also run from this building. The city is planning on placing all of its staff in nearby leased facilities whilst the complete revamp of the building is done.
Botes had this to say in terms of decanting the Metro Centre.
“The team is currently concluding the evaluation of requests for proposals (for the refurbishment of the Metro Centre). We are likely to submit a report on the work of the Bid Evaluation Committee on the Metro Centre to the Executive Adjudication Committee for consideration and approval by the City Manager next week.
There were no injuries as the fire was contained in time.
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