Granting Norwood a new lease on life
NORWOOD - Grant Avenue may become central to a City Improvement District (CID) after discussions between landlords, the Johannesburg Development Agency and Ward 73 councillor Marcelle Ravid.
Ravid explained that a CID was a collection of residents and business owners who come together to pay a levy for supplementary enhancement of the physical and social environment of the area.
“The City has also promised to invest in Grant Avenue,” said Ravid. “This has never happened before.”
The avenue already has an array of exciting new developments which may assist in the street being given CID status. Some of these are The Usual, a trendy restaurant, a coffee shop called Coffee >Xchange<ct:Italic> <ct:>and a new 24-hour pizza joint.
A standout feature from all the coffee shops that have sprung up to augment old favourites such as the<ct:Italic> <ct:>Real Sushi bar and Rainbow<ct:Italic> <ct:>restaurant is The Factory, a prominent newcomer to the Grant Avenue community.
“When I went away [during The Factory’s development] some people called me with frantic complaints,” said Ravid.
“People were worried that [the developer] was building another night club.
“I just told them to wait and see, and now it has made a huge difference.”
The Factory is a conglomerate of shops which have been rented out to different tenants.
Developments such as these and the Johannesburg Development Agency’s commitment to invest in Grant Avenue was a step in the right direction for the future of the street, added Ravid.
“However, there needs to be a two-pronged approach,” cautioned Ravid. “The City needs to invest in improving the infrastructure in the area, and then landlords need to manage those improvements.”
