Major revamp on the cards for Joburg’s CBD
JOHANNESBURG – It has been reported that the Gauteng Infrastructure and Development Department is seeking ways to bring more investments into the city, and that a major facelift is on the cards.
In an article published on EWN.co.za, Gauteng Infrastructure and Development MEC, Nandi Mayathula-Khoza announced that her department had plans to upgrade the Johannesburg CBD.
One of the key projects will be the Kopanong Precinct which has been in the pipeline since 2003, but was put on hold in 2010 after a number of objections from heritage bodies.
Although a new report states that heritage permits have to be obtained before starting with the development of these affected heritage properties, Khoza announced on 28 July that the project had the official go-ahead.
“The R3 billion Kopanong Precinct is an investment project aimed at bringing about economic development and the aesthetic facelift of the Joburg CBD,” said Khoza. It is reported that the project would entail the rehabilitation, development and management of 21 buildings.
The objectives of the project are:
- To improve service delivery through efficient interrelations
- To identify a vehicle of changing ownership in the CBD
- To eliminate work disruptions by security of tenure
- To boost urban office design and regenerate the CBD
Supposedly, the new precinct will boast a street underpass, skywalks that join buildings, and underground parking around a focal point such as a communal square.
This is a developing story and updates will be published as we receive them.
