Wanna live in Ponte?

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"River Park"

Green lung fight rages

MICHELLE LOEWENSTEIN
JOHANNESBURG – The battle to preserve Sandton’s last remaining green lung continues.

The Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) presented its visual plans for a proposed centre to stakeholders last week and concerns were raised about the amount of development that was envisaged.

The plans included not only a centre but a Pick ’n Pay development and a “forest farm” which would be situated among high density apartment blocks.
The area would be declared a precinct and would be renamed River Park.
The problematic western bank bordering William Nicol Drive had been earmarked for high density development consisting of perimeter buildings of mixed use up to six storeys in height.

The western bank has caused many headaches in the past due to a problem with squatters.

Three dams would be built on the centre’s open park areas and footpaths would cut across open areas.

The heritage building which houses the recreation centre would remain in the park.

A heritage impact assessment of the centre’s land was conducted by Professor Revil Mason last year, which claimed that the Field and Study Centre landscape was protected by the Heritage Act.

Surveys conducted earlier this year found that the public believed that less than 10% of the centre’s land should be developed. The Field and Study Centre will now draw up a counter proposal to those of the JPC. – CNS.

Many of the sprawling mansions that characterise some of Johannesburg's wealthiest northern suburbs are likely to be demolished to make way for high-rise office and apartment blocks if local council adopts a new urban development framework tabled for approval last week.

The proposed framework is aimed specifically at areas that fall within the Rosebank and Sandton Gautrain station precincts, including parts of Dunkeld, Dunkeld West, Saxonwold, Illovo, Melrose and Parktown North.

Local homeowners have apparently not been informed of council's proposed densification drive. The key concern is that a new development framework will be pushed through without proper public participation.

Ian Ollis, councillor for Ward 90 that represents most of these suburbs, says if the proposed development framework is adopted as policy in its current guise, the traditional residential character of the area will effectively be destroyed. Ollis says this could have a negative impact on residential property values in the area, which boasts some of Johannesburg's most prestigious residential addresses.

In terms of the proposed framework, developers will be allowed to build up to 20-storey apartment and office towers along Oxford Road. Buildings of up to 10 storeys will be allowed in streets located slightly further a field from the Rosebank station, while high-rise developments in the immediate vicinity of the Sandton station will be capped at 40 floors.

It is understood that developers will not have to apply for the usual rezoning approvals for redevelopment projects in these designated areas. One developer has apparently already started buying up a number of homes in Dunkeld West. Ollis concedes that the owners of these properties have probably been paid a premium to current market value. But Ollis says the danger is that once commercial development starts to encroach on neighbouring residential properties, particularly if its done in a piecemeal fashion, other homeowners could see the value of their properties plummet.

Ollis says that although no-one is opposed to the principle of regeneration, it is worrying that the council has not consulted local residents associations on any of these proposals.

Says Ollis: "The entire process has been conducted behind closed doors. Local council needs to adopt a more transparent and responsible approach so that everyone has the opportunity to fully consider the impact of the proposals before they are adopted as official policy." - Joan Muller

Readers' Comments
Notification would have been nice - I agree with the sentiments of Mr. Ollis. As a resident of the affected area I would have greatly appreciated some comprehensive form of correspondence from the council, particularly when the impact affects my biggest asset. Was any reason given for why the "developers will not have to apply for the usual rezoning approvals for redevelopment projects in these designated areas"?

Due process cannot be bypassed without exceptional circumstances, these are the checks and balance systems that operate independent of the transient officials that populate the council's membership roll.

As a recent resident moved up from Durban I can see troubling comparisons in procedure to the street renaming fiasco that went down in that city a few short months ago; during which Mike Suttcliff saw it unnecessary to inform the public of the name changes until the implementation phase of the project. The result was a 10 000 people strong protest march through the city streets.

I've never seen a Rosebanker toyi toyi before, does the council want it to come to that? - Kiran Reddy

Concerned As a concerned Saxonwold resident, how can we put a stop to this? Already property owners on Oxford Road have been approached in respect of selling a portion of their land to make way for widening the road. Up to a million rand is being asked for by local residents on Oxford Road. The condition of Oxford Road at the intersection of Oxford and Engelwold has deteriorated to the extent the intersection is dangerous because of ongoing drilling.

I think it would be in the interest of the Local Councillor to set up a meeting with the residents' to give feedback as to the way forward.- Concerned Resident

Work on Zonk'Izizwe site to start this year
31 Jul 2007 - Inet Bridge -

Intro
Infrastructure development for the mixed-use property site Zonk’Izizwe in Midrand is due to start at the end of the year

By Nick Wilson

Infrastructure development for the mixed-use property site Zonk'Izizwe in Midrand is due to start at the end of the year, says Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments.

The project, which is expected to cost between R15bn-R20bn, will encompass the Gautrain's Midrand station, the first stop on the Pretoria line of the rapid rail link. Grand Central Airport is also near the site .

Brent Wiltshire, development executive for Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, said they plan to start structure development on the 220ha site in the third quarter of next year.

Zonk'Izizwe will be a mixed-use development including a town centre, residential and hospitality property , offices and retail property.

It will be developed in phases over several years.

"Our first phase will consist of what will anchor the development, which is a new town centre made up predominantly of offices, retail, and residential property, as well as selected hotels," said Wiltshire.

Wiltshire said Old Mutual had received "very good feedback" from most major retailers, who were eager to acquire flagship space .

The Gautrain station is integrated into the development . It had initially been planned as an underground station, but will now be above ground to merge with the development.

The Zonk'Izizwe site has been held for many years by Old Mutual.

The train station has given the company an opportunity to benefit from the residential densification it would attract.

"The strategy of the Gautrain is to ensure densification happens within a certain radius of each station," Wiltshire said.

Old Mutual is poised to benefit from the underground Rosebank Gautrain station because of its large property holdings in the precinct. The group is also constructing a R623m mixed-use property development near its shopping centre The Zone@Rosebank .

Five Old Mutual-owned properties have been demolished in the suburb to make way for retail space, a 160-room hotel, a four-level parking garage and offices.

The development is part of a phased precinct strategy and will also take advantage of having a Gautrain station as part of the offering.

The new development is on a site on Tyrwhitt Mall and Cradock Avenue bordered by the Park Hyatt Hotel, and The Firs and The Zone shopping centres.

You know we really should be creaming ourselves about Zonki'Zizwe.... R15bil for R20bil..... dat's a lot....

You know we really should be creaming ourselves about Zonki'Zizwe.... R15bil for R20bil..... dat's a lot....

attended a presentation on this, its bloody AMA-zing

how big will the core retail mall be?

If you can, get your hands on the latest copy of the Rosebank Gazette. Has a fantastic front-page article on the densification plans in Rosebank Central.

Unfortunately those plans are probably gonna be hotly contested by the NIMBYs.. Lets hope it goes thru as planned

What does "NIMBYS" stand for?

I get the feeling they a bunch of grannies stuck in the bronze age

Not In My Back Yard.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nimby

thanks

The NIMBY's arguments are really dumb because they don't really realise how much their property values are going to sky rocket..

yes well, are NIMBY's arguments ever not dumb? you have NO idea how many cool devs we could have by now if it wasnt for nimbys

Mike I can't fins the Melrose Arch thread via the search and I had posted in ti about a month ago. Please assist.

Published: 3 Aug 07 - 0:00
The Melrose Arch Development Company has appointed Murray & Roberts Construction as the main contractor on the R1,1-billion Melrose Arch Piazza project.

Melrose Arch Piazza comprises street-level shopping and offices in the successful Melrose Arch mixed-use precinct in northern Johannesburg.

Melrose Arch is owned by South-ern Palace, a joint venture between Amdec Property Development, and Property Partners. Amdec is also the appointed development manager for Melrose Arch, driving the roll-out of all development projects at this mixed-use precinct. Nedbank is financing the Melrose Arch Piazza scheme.

The appointment of Murray & Roberts Construction follows the company’s successful involvement in the first-phase construction of the mixed-use precinct, explains Melrose Arch Development Company director Nicholas Stopforth.

“This is a high-profile project and we are proud to have been appointed as the main contractor,” says Murray & Roberts Construction director Colin Steyn.

Melrose Arch Piazza will form an extension to the existing mixed-use fabric of Melrose Arch. Melrose Arch Piazza comprises nine separate highly individualised buildings with street-level retail and upper-level prime office space, located at the northern end of the existing development. There will be 28 000 m2 of retail and leisure space and 31 000 m2 of lettable office space above.

The shopping component is scheduled for completion by Easter 2009, while the office component will be completed a month later.

The architecture of the 42 000-m2 Piazza extends the existing ‘contemporary African feel’ of Melrose Arch’s integrated urban fabric. The project will consume 50 000 m2 of concrete, 130 000 m2 of slab formwork, 4,5-million bricks, 81 000 m2 of plaster, 11 000 m2 of shopfronts and 10 500 m2 of tiling, comments Murray & Roberts Construction project director Rui Santos.

Murray & Roberts Construction began work in January this year, following a lengthy negotiation process and after four months of bulk earthworks undertaken by Diesel Power. This included the removal and subsequent relocation of 250 000 m3 of soil to make way for the new basement parking.

Murray & Roberts Construction also acquired a brand-new Liebherr ready-mix batch plant, which was erected on site and became operational in June. In terms of specific project challenges, Santos says that the initial foundation work encountered a large quantity of rock, which complicated the bases as well as the lift shafts. (The Piazza will have about 16 lifts and eight escalators.) The presence of rock neccessitated blasting and excavating, and trimming with hydraulic hammers fitted to excavators. Stopforth reports that the develop- ment roll-out of Melrose Arch is proceeding well, with over 175 000 m2 out of a total of 315 000 m2 in the precinct either built or under construction. The first transfers of the sectional title offices at 1 and 3 Melrose Boulevard are expected in August 2007.

Get ready for
changes to inner city
With the Inner City Regeneration Charter approved by the City council, major changes will start to take place soon as efforts to restore the pulse of central Joburg gain momentum.


August 6, 2007
By Emily Visser

THE Inner City Regeneration Charter has been approved by the City council – for the next few years, the charter will guide inner city regeneration and all projects undertaken in the area.

For starters, R400-million has been set aside for the upgrading of physical infrastructure and the public environment in the 2007/08 financial year.

The regeneration of the inner city was first raised in mid-1997, when the then deputy president, Thabo Mbeki, launched a new vision for the area, The Golden Heartbeat of Africa. It was the product of months of intensive dialogue between the City, provincial and national government, business, community and other stakeholders.

In 2000, Executive Mayor Amos Masondo declared inner city regeneration one of six mayoral priorities, resulting in positive changes in the area during the 2000 to 2005 mayoral term; these included establishing Constitution Hill, Newtown cultural precinct, the fashion district, Metro Mall, Mary Fitzgerald Square, Faraday Taxi Rank, Nelson Mandela Bridge and upgrades in Main Street and Braamfontein.

Then, an Inner City Summit was held on 5 May this year, bringing together about a thousand stakeholders from business, community, parastatals and other spheres of government. The aim was to find ways to further inner city regeneration.

Participants considered the draft of an Inner City Regeneration Charter, drawn up out of six intensive stakeholder working groups that ran from November 2006 to May.



Turning the inner city around: Johannesburg has approved an Inner City regeneration charter


The final charter was approved at the council's ordinary meeting on Thursday, 26 July and, according to the councillor, Boeta Rajan, who is also the chairperson of the inner city section 79 committee, the first of the inner city charter programmes will be rolled out by October.

"Everything is in place. We are very optimistic that this model is going to work."


Oversight and monitoring
The inner city section 79 committee, the mayoral inner city sub-committee and the Charter Partnership Forum, the latter consisting of City and inner city stakeholder representatives, will oversee charter commitments. The inner city section 79 committee is the political oversight body for all projects and programmes undertaken in the inner city.
Rajan said the committee recently completed a two-day workshop on its oversight role. It consists of a multidisciplinary team made up of various role players in the inner city. Monitoring will be done through quarterly reports and physical oversight of projects.

"The charter is going to be our guide; it becomes a roadmap. We have to ensure that the expectations of stakeholders are met."

In terms of cash, the mayoral committee approved a budget of R300-million for inner city regeneration projects in the 2007/08 financial year. An additional R100-million has been ringfenced in the budget of the department of development planning and urban management for Region F to control. In total, about R2-billion will be spent on inner city programmes in the next five years.

And the charter has been referred back to the section 79 committee to set clear time-frames for projects. "As a collective we must ensure delivery is expedited within specific time periods," Rajan confirmed.

Speaking at the council meeting, the Democratic Alliance's Nico de Jager confirmed that the opposition party would support the regeneration effort to ensure its success.

And Ruby Mathang, the member of the mayoral committee for development planning and urban management, said clear commitments had been made in the charter after extensive consultation with internal and external parties. These commitments would be personally monitored by the mayor.

"This charter, we believe, will turn the inner city around."


Charter management
Six broad categories have been defined - urban management, safety and security; economic development; community development; transport; residential development; and public spaces, arts, culture and heritage.
Stakeholders identified several issues in each category that are critical to regeneration. Desired outcomes have been identified, together with clear, measurable commitments to resolve the issue. These commitments will be pursued over the next few years.

The City's department of development planning and urban management (DPUM) will be responsible for the co-ordination and implementation of all projects. Yael Horowitz, previously at the Johannesburg Development Agency, has been appointed interim programme manager; she will report to the executive director of the DPUM.

Graeme Gotz, an urban management specialist, said the programme manager's task was to "put the commitments made by the charter into concrete projects". The programme manager will be supported by a programme strategic team and an extended programme management team and will be responsible for delivery outputs.


Charter commitments
Commitments to be set in motion in the next three months include a Regional Urban Management Plan (RUMP) for the urban development zone, mapping service breakdowns and by-law enforcement, and analysing the capability of systems to deal with these challenges.
Block by block blitzes will be undertaken by multidisciplinary law enforcement and service delivery teams to identify key by-law infringement zones and areas of poor service delivery. They will also come up with solutions to these problems.

A by-law enforcement capacity development plan will be finalised by December, and the City will employ more environmental health staff and metro police officers to boost its by-law enforcement capacity. Visible policing will be increased in high priority areas –both by day and night – over the next three years. At least 100 vehicles and 750 police officers will be deployed in the inner city by 2010, and by June 2008, 216 cameras will be installed in and around the area.

Waste management infrastructure and service delivery systems have also been inadequate. In response, funds will be set aside to buy more mechanical street sweepers, roll out more swivel bins and accelerate the underground bin system.

Phase one of the underground bin system has already been completed, with seven bins installed on the corners of Claim and Noord streets; Leyds and Loveday streets; Bree and Sauer streets; Wanderers and Koch streets; and Wanderers and Bok streets.

"A total of 18 bins will be installed. We are on track to finish all 18 by August," confirmed Tseliso Pitikoe, the Pikitup project manager.


Buildings and public open spaces
As part of its commitments, the City will scale up its Better Buildings Programme. A multidisciplinary team with enhanced legal recourse will be established in Region F's offices by December to deal with bad buildings.
A streetscape and public environment upgrade plan focusing on paving, trees, furniture, street trading, lighting, refuse bins and other related aspects will also be ready by December. Streets such as Kerk, Diagonal, Eloff and Main have been identified as pedestrian priority areas, while priority precincts are Hillbrow/Berea, Doornfontein, Fordsburg/Pageview and the fashion district, on the eastern edge of the inner city.

A management plan for iconic public places – buildings with strong symbolic, cultural or heritage significance – will be put in place by December. These include the old Park Station and the Gauteng provincial government precinct square. The Rissik Street Post Office was not mentioned in the charter, but De Jager said that as a heritage building it should be considered in the plan.

Again with a December deadline, an implementation plan for upgrading and maintaining parks will be formulated. Parks identified for this are Donald Mackay, End Street, Pieter Roos, Alec Gorschell and The Wilds.

A major intervention is the construction of a linear, continuous open space "spine" from Yeoville Ridge through Pullinger Kop and along End Street Park. A business plan for this will be ready by July 2008.

Other projects will look at profiling the city as a cultural capital and improving and supporting arts and cultural productions and programmes.


Economic development
The City will target existing key economic sectors and anchor industries as well as small, medium and micro enterprises in its bid to bring an economic resurgence to the inner city. The envisaged result is a dynamic, multifaceted local economy.
There will be a combined approach to micro and street trading, focusing not only on regulating the industry but also on adding a developmental component. New policies and strategies to be finalised in this regard include rolling out a smart card system for registered traders and completing two pilot linear markets - Hoek Street market will be one of these - by December.

There will be stricter law enforcement by March 2008, to coincide with the roll out of new trading spaces and developmental programmes to help traders to consolidate or expand their businesses.

The first demonstration networks for the Johannesburg Broadband Network Project will be rolled out by September and the project will be fully operational by June 2008.

Various new economic activities are also growing in the inner city. Several inner city business working forums will be established by the City by December, with the aim of drawing up a three-year inner city economic development programme.

By September it will have a concrete plan in place delineating and consolidating buildings for the business process outsourcing (BPO) sector and it will fill a further 1 000 BPO seats in the inner city.

In addition, Johannesburg will negotiate an extension of the urban development zone deadline with the national Treasury, and promote this incentive to attract additional investment in the 2007/08 financial year. Existing businesses will be supported as well. A shortlist of 20 key companies in the inner city will be compiled, and their concerns and constraints will be addressed over two years.

On- and off-street parking and reinvestment in conference facilities, hotels and related industries are also being investigated.


Housing
An Inner City Housing Plan will ensure at least 50 000 new residential units by 2015; the first phase of this plan will be released in August and an operational plan will be in place by December. Financial and institutional arrangements will be established by March 2008.



An Inner City Housing Plan will ensure at least 50 000 new units by 2015


Inclusionary housing – providing housing across income groups in all new housing developments - is strongly supported by the City, which will put in place South Africa's largest inclusionary housing programme in the inner city. It will have about 20 000 of the promised new residential units in the area.

In addition, systems and structures to support private sector proposals for the plan will be in place by January 2008.

Part of the commitment to accelerate housing delivery will be issuing all clearance certificates within three months. The 40 percent rates rebate on buildings of which at least 80 percent is reserved for residential use, will continue to apply.

The shortage of temporary accommodation is also acknowledged in the charter, and Johannesburg aimed to have at least 500 emergency beds available by July. Another 800 to 1 000 beds will be available by June 2008. Between 10 and 15 buildings will be made available for social housing over the next three financial years.

An extensive social package will also be introduced in the 2007/08 tariff reviews, becoming effective in July 2008. Other housing initiatives will look at hostel upgrades, promotion of ownership and sectional title options, and supporting city improvement districts.


Transport
Joburg lacks a world-class transport and distribution system, and to ease movement to and from the inner city, a plan for an Inner City Distribution System will be devised by December, running within the broader design of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
Construction of key BRT stations at Ellis Park will start in June 2008 and the full inner city system will be rolled out by January 2010.

The Park Station precinct will be developed as a single, integrated, inter-modal transport facility called the International Transit and Shopping Centre. The feasibility study and project structure will be available by March 2008.

A number of train stations along the main east-west railway line have become obsolete or need major upgrades; final decisions on the future of some of these stations will be made public in September.



Joburg aims to create a world-class public tranport system


Public transport stops, lay-bys and taxi ranking and holding facilities are inadequate and require urgent intervention, and a plan for this will be completed by June 2008. In addition, a traffic flow model will look at congestion and mobility, with its findings published by December. Traffic law enforcement will be increased.


Inner city communities
A number of projects will look specifically at communities within the inner city. Vulnerable groups, such as street children, and the high number of migrant workers are a particular concern.
The City will support and work closely with non-government, faith-based and community-based organisations, establishing a database of these organisations by September. In addition, it will establish an Inner City Corporate Social Responsibility Fund by March 2008.

Special groups will be catered for in the City's Housing Plan. Early childhood development facilities will be scaled up and sports and recreation amenities and programmes will be assessed to determine specific needs.

"The challenge going forward is to scale up regeneration efforts to ensure more rapid, even and sustained positive impacts on the entire inner city, without having a detrimental effect on inner city communities," the Inner City Regeneration Charter concluded.

J[b]oburg is SA's culture capital[b]

With a handful of new theatres and audiences streaming to see hit shows, Johannesburg is cementing its position as the country's capital of culture.


August 7, 2007
By Lucille Davie

JOBURG is to be rebranded the "cultural capital" of South Africa and, as if to reinforce this image, a number of theatres have recently opened across the city, adding to the 20 or so already in existence.

The 1 900-seat Teatro at Montecasino, in Fourways opened in June with the spectacular The Lion King. Built especially for the show at a cost of R110-million, it is the biggest lyric theatre in the country.

Another new venue, Gold Reef City's Lyric Theatre, will open in October; in addition, two old theatres, the Victory and the Alexander, have been refurbished and re-opened this year.

The City is doing its bit too – it has clinched the World Summit on Arts and Culture, to take place in 2009. And by March 2008 it will have produced a strategy to promote Joburg as a cultural capital. In addition, it will promote the concept of a pan-African rotating "City of Culture" through consultation with the national Department of Arts and Culture, the African Union and other relevant bodies.

The concept will be launched at the 2009 world summit.


The Montecasino Teatro
The Lion King is playing to packed audiences at the Montecasino Teatro; it is the first time the musical has been seen in the country. The run has been extended three times - it will now close on 2 December - giving it a total season of six months.



The R110-million new Montecasino Teatro, the country's biggest lyric theatre


It has been seen around the world by some 52 million people.

And once the The Lion King finishes its Joburg run, other major musicals are likely to be seen in the Teatro, says Steve Howell, the general manager of Montecasino. "Other productions of the stature of The Lion King are going to be put on in the Teatro."

Howell says Montecasino is looking for critical mass, and "it is getting it, as Gauteng audiences want what is being offered". He reckons that the critical mass is there because the black middle class is growing, and with more disposable income available, people are coming to the theatre.

"We are reaping the benefits of the good life."

He is confident that future productions will be well patronised, particularly as Montecasino will put on world-class shows. Of course, Howell hopes that people who go to the theatre will also spend money at Montecasino's many restaurants, or at the casino, which can be used to cross-subsidise the theatre, if need be.

The local acting fraternity will also benefit – cast and crew on all shows will be mainly South Africans, as is the case with The Lion King. Besides, Howell says, it's too expensive to bring in an international cast.

The Teatro is just one element of a broader investment of R350-million, used to expand Montecasino with a hotel, six new restaurants, a ballroom and a piazza.


The Victory Theatre
The Victory Theatre in Orange Grove, one of the city's oldest cinemas, dates back to the 1920s; but has been dark and shuttered for a while.
Shortly after closing as a cinema in the early 1990s, it opened again as a theatre, presenting Ipi Thombi and the Rocky Horror Show, but by the end of the 1990s the lights were switched off again.

Until 2004 that is, when music producer and magazine publisher Joe Theron bought the theatre. Over the past two years most of the old building has been demolished and a new, up-market venue has been created, with a view to setting up a home for dance group Umoja, which Theron has taken under his wing.

On 26 June, after renovations costing R28-million, he opened the new-look 470-seat Victory Theatre with Africa Umoja, a show that traces the history of South African dance. The venue also boasts a jazz bar and a 250-seat restaurant. "It's a state-of-the-art venue now."

With plush black carpeting and black leather seats, it promises to be a valuable addition to the city's theatres. And with four levels of parking and direct access from the parking to the theatre, patrons can avoid the busy Louis Botha Avenue.

Theron bought the four small stores alongside the Victory Theatre, demolished them and incorporated that space into his new theatre. He has kept the old cinema seats, with a decorative "K" running down each outer chair, a reminder of the days when it was called the Grove Kinema.

"Umoja is happily settled in the theatre," he says. And he has other plans for the theatre, including bringing back the popular Rocky Horror Show and possibly putting on In Defence of the Caveman, although he won't be involved in producing the shows – he's leaving that to others.


Lyric Theatre
Another new theatre, the Lyric, is to open in October this year. Based at Gold Reef City, it is to be a "luxurious and intimate, world-class, Victorian-styled 1 100-seat theatre".



The soon-to-be-opened Lyric Theatre at Gold Reef City


Producer Richard Loring is bubbling with enthusiasm. His production African Footprint ran to full audiences at the 300-seat Globe Theatre at Gold Reef City for four-and-a-half years, and has just returned from an overseas tour.

The Globe has been changed to a 200-seat intimate theatre, catering for the gambling audience at Gold Reef City.

Loring is preparing for the opening of Hairspray. A new movie version of the cult classic, starring John Travolta, will open in South Africa on 17 August.

Loring's stage production features local stars Mara Louw, Harry Sideropolous and Kate Normington, and a 34-strong cast. Hairspray is showing in London's West End and on Broadway in the US.

And the producer is working on other musicals to bring to the Lyric once Hairspray has finished its run. Despite all the competition around town, Loring is confident that he will fill the venue. "We will be creating a new audience," he says.

He feels that South Africans will identify with Hairspray, which is set in 1960s America, at the time of the civil rights movement. Like Montecasino, the Lyric can fall back on cross-subsidisation from the Gold Reef City casino, if necessary.


Alexander Theatre
The Alexander Theatre opened 50 years ago in Braamfontein and closed 10 years ago, but opened again in July this year with the musical Rent. Producer Hazel Feldman describes the theatre as a "very viable venue", although it will take the public a while before they can be persuaded back into the CBD, she adds.
The response on the first few nights has been "very, very good". Rent is a "powerful piece of theatre", which had the audience on their feet by the end of the evening. "If Rent works, it will pave the way for other shows."

Although not prepared to comment on what she has planned for upcoming shows at the Alexander, Feldman says she is working on a few ideas. The theatre opened in 1951, named after Muriel Alexander, the founder of the Joburg Repertory Players, which played in the theatre for over 30 years.

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was seen for the first time in Johannesburg at the Alexander; it closed in the 1990s with Ipi Thombi.

Property entrepreneur Adam Levy, who bought the theatre late last year and has since given it a major overhaul, says he is not averse to anything happening at the theatre. The Business Arts South Africa awards were held there at the beginning of June; Talk Radio 702 presenter Jenny Crwys-Williams held her In Conversation evenings there in mid-June.

"I want people to come into Braamfontein and feel inspired," Levy says. He has had the 550-seat theatre re-upholstered and has had the bar and bathrooms revamped. "We have retained the old stall feeling – a very authentic feel and flavour – but with a new-age feel."

Counting the three theatres at the Civic Theatre and the three theatres at the Wits Theatre, Levy sees Braamfontein becoming Johannesburg's West End theatre precinct. "They will all benefit each other."


Civic Theatre
Bernard Jay, the chief executive of the Civic Theatre complex, is responsible for the turnaround of the complex, building audience attendance from 30 percent seven years ago to 85 percent attendance. He says he has spent that time building a "new theatre-going audience in the city".
"For seven years people were criticising me; now they're copying me," he says. Although he modestly denies credit for getting more Joburgers to the theatre, he admits to "a certain amount of emulation" and having "established something at the Civic".

The opening of the four new theatres this year is healthy competition, and he would be "mad to see this as a threat". People might go to see The Lion King and, from that experience, be encouraged to go to the Civic Theatre or any other theatre in the city, which can only be encouraged.

Jay's concern is getting a steady supply of material, particularly musicals, to fill these theatres. "Just how many Broadway musicals are there around?" he ponders.

The Civic's 1 069-seat Nelson Mandela Theatre is booked until October 2010, but this doesn't mean Jay is complacent. A recent production, The Soweto Story, was not successful, he says, attributing this to people having never heard of it before.

"People want to see titles they know, like Chicago, We Will Rock You, or Thoroughly Modern Millie."

Jay says that South Africans just don't write musicals. But he may be about to be proved wrong – writer and playwright John Matshikiza has just finished rewriting his father's 1959 script for the hugely successful King Kong.

Monorail project ‘will not proceed' - Cabinet

By: Olivia Spadavecchia
Published: 8 Aug 07 - 17:23
The South African Cabinet has decided that the R12-billion project for the development of a monorail between Soweto and Johannesburg, will not progress.

At its meeting held in Pretoria on Wednesday, Cabinet reviewed a report on the project and noted that there were "major shortcomings in the process leading to the announcement of the project."

These included a lack of consultation with key stakeholders such as the Minister of Transport, the City of Johannesburg, the taxi industry and the South African Rail and Commuter Corporation. A further shortcoming of the project is that no thorough financial viability study was conducted, Cabinet said.

The meeting reinforced the fact that all commuter rail proposals from all spheres of government, including private sector initiatives, have to be subjected to the multi criteria matrix appraisal framework, as contained in the Consolidated Passenger Rail Plan which was approved by Cabinet in 2006.

It also reiterated that ministerial approval must be obtained before the finalisation and announcement of a project.

As the project fell short of fulfilling these mandatory procedures Cabinet has decided that it will not continue and has informed the Gauteng provincial government.

The monorail project was unveiled on May 16 by the Gauteng Economic Development Agency and, Malaysian project financiers, Newcyc Vision. Following the announcement it emerged that Transport Minister Jeff Radebe said that he had not been made aware of the proposed project, and had found out about it when it wwas announced to the press.

The project was subsequently put on hold.

http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article.php?a_id=114354

Maybe those R12-billion could be used to improve the public transportation system between Soweto and Johannesburg, I think that would do a lot more good to the area than a fancy monorail.

Joburg empowers
informal traders
Basic business skills are being taught to informal traders, equipping them with the means to grow their businesses.


August 8, 2007
By George Matlala

MORE than a thousand informal traders have completed a business course being run as part of the City of Johannesburg's Grow your Business skills development programme.

In all, 1 500 informal traders, including street vendors, have signed up for the 14-week business course, held at the University of the Witwatersrand.

The project, now in its third year, is aimed at providing informal traders with basic business skills such as drawing up a business plan, marketing, financial management and sourcing finance, says Xolani Nxumalo, a project consultant in the City's department of economic development.

This year, more than 500 informal traders enrolled for the course, which started in February and ended in June. It runs over 14 training sessions, with one facilitator teaching 20 participants on the weekends. "Every beneficiary attended one formal training session a week," says Johan Swanepoel, the short course manager at Wits Enterprise.

Basics of small business management were taught, including pricing, budgeting and basic financial management, networking, metro legislative imperatives and growing a business. "The programme has been taken to a new level with the wholesale and retail seta coming on board to provide follow-up mentorship programmes for people who have excelled on the course."

Academics mentored the participants, visiting their businesses at least once.


Application forms
Course application forms were handed out to informal traders by the department of economic development. These forms were assessed and qualifying candidates were called in for the training programme.
In addition, participants were given food packs and transport allowances - this helped to stop participants from dropping out when they could not afford transport to and from the training site, Swanepoel explains.

Participants received attendance certificates on Saturday, 28 July; going forward, they will be mentored to ensure what they have learned is sustained and implemented.

Victor Motaung, from Meadowlands in Soweto, has been selling cool drinks and snacks at Bree Street Mall since 2002 and says the course, which he did this year, has helped him to make a profit.

"Basically, I learned how to manage my business in general … Now I can do cash registration with pen and paper." He adds that the City has promised to continue monitoring his business.

And with his new knowledge, he aims to open a restaurant. "I am interested in other opportunities to gain skills."


Critical skills
Nxumalo says that the programme has helped to provide critical skills and job creation. "This training provides critical skills to the city's informal traders, particularly those located in formal markets."
Progress can be seen since the programme was set up; for example, informal traders have formed at least 32 co-operatives since June last year. The City will help these groups to get finance through financial institutions and to comply with legal requirements.



Informal traders on their graduation day at Wits


Joburg has also set up a partnership with the wholesale and retail seta to provide more than 450 informal traders with further business skills. The candidates were chosen from the programme run through Wits University.

An agreement has also been reached between the City, the Metropolitan Trading Company and the wholesale and retail seta to help the informal traders to enhance the skills they have learned through the Grow your Business initiative. "The purpose of the memorandum of understanding is for the parties herein to jointly support and enable small, micro and medium enterprises through financial and non-financial transactions," Nxumalo says.

The people targeted will be informal traders, women entrepreneurs, young and black entrepreneurs. The Metropolitan Trading Company is a City agency tasked with managing its trading markets.

An informal trading policy, acknowledging the critical role played by the informal economy, is also being re-developed. The policy is aimed at creating an environment within which the informal trading sector and its participants can become commercially viable.

"Informal trading is an anchor of the second economy and as much a part of the past, present and the future of the City of Johannesburg as are the other forms of economic activities," Nxumalo says.

To support the sector, there should be in place progressive policies, integrated spatial planning, appropriate infrastructure and support services, and organisation and management of public trading spaces.

Informal trading contributes to job creation, Nxumalo adds. "It plays a critical role in the alleviation of poverty and provides a platform for both social and economical inclusion among the poor."

However, he warns that informal trading should only occur in demarcated trading zones. The programmes it has set up are a demonstration that the City is committed "to uplifting and migrating the second economy into the first", he says.

Major facelift for Joburg
Isaac Mahlangu Published:Aug 12, 2007


Plans in pipeline for high-rise blocks in posh neighbourhoods

One of the biggest urban-planning changes in the city of Joburg’s history is looming, with spacious suburbs possibly having to make way for giant apartment and office blocks.

The plans, already preliminarily passed at a council meeting, will see:

# Sections of the posh suburbs of Inanda, Sandhurst, Parkmore and Morningside turned into business districts;

# The elimination of suburbs such as Melrose, Dunkeld and Atholl and their transformation into high-rise office and apartment blocks;

# The erection of 20- storey, mixed-use office and residential blocks in Rosebank and Sandton;

# The expansion of the Sandton CBD to include the suburb of Atholl;

# The expansion of business nodes in most parts of northern Joburg;

# Permission granted to developers to build high-rise buildings along Oxford and Rivonia roads; and

# A significant increase in building density in areas such as Parktown North and Killarney.

The plans, tabled in three proposals before the Joburg council late last month, under the Urban Development Framework document, have been put in place to ensure the success of Gautrain and the city’s R2-billion Bus Rapid Transport System.

The documents contain the council’s vision for Sandton, Rosebank and Marlboro, all of which will have Gautrain stations. The plans, which were passed by the council, will now be subject to a public-participation process at a council sitting on July 26.

Property experts are describing the plans as “major” and “inevitable”.

Developer and investor Patrick Flanagan said it would “alleviate traffic congestion, as mixed-used developments reduce residents’ reliance on cars”.

He added: “ Before emotion comes into it, people who own properties in these areas should clearly understand what is proposed.

“People must ... be very mature in understanding what this is in terms of overall town-planning.”

But not everybody shares Flanagan’s view. Rosebank ward councillor Ian Ollis accused the city of alerting developers to the plans before residents got to look at them. Some of his Dunkeld constituents, he claimed, had already received visits from developers on “shopping sprees” for property in the area. “Before we even knew about the plans, developers were already knocking on doors with offers to buy houses,” he said.

On Wednesday, officials from the city’s planning department met with councillors of affected areas to brief them on the process. The councillors called for intense involvement by residents.

The Urban Development Framework also calls for the business districts of Rosebank, Marlboro and Sandton to be extended to include Melrose, Dunkeld, Parkmore and parts of Illovo, Sandhurst and Alexandra.

Also on the cards are high- rise buildings near Gautrain stations, as well as a 10-storey average for buildings in Rosebank, with those close to the Gautrain station allowed to be higher.

The document recommended an even higher building density than did the five-year Integrated Development Plan mooted earlier this year, which sparked an uproar and will no longer be applied.

The Urban Development Framework document states that council plans to allow high-rise buildings up to a 15-minute walk away from Gautrain stations.

Property economist Francois Viruly said this would not necessarily cause a decrease in property prices in affected neighbourhoods.

Council spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said: “I don’t want to comment on the details of the current proposals because it might change after the public-participation process.”

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/PrintEdition/Article.aspx?id=537054

Let's see how the nimbys tear this one apart.

good news and just what we had in Oz, high rise , tax ensentivided , high density developments integrating into the transport nodes wether bus or rail and they are very siccessful.

Well, I suppose it depends how well planned it is: densification not so successful in São Paulo in my opinion...

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One step forward,
several more back
The more things change, the more they stay the same - this week there is more good news, and the usual bad news, for Neil Fraser.


April 13, 2007
By Neil Fraser

ON two mornings this past week I was taken to see the changes that are taking place in specific areas in the inner city; both were to the south of Market Street. The biggest noticeable change was the sheer number of people now working in buildings that less than 18 months ago were virtually empty.


And developers are saying that if they had more space they could fill it - in fact, construction abounds in some areas. Two main issues that are probably having a strong and positive effect are the economy itself and, secondly, that people who have resisted working in the inner city are now either buying good accommodation in the centre or are enjoying the benefits of easy transport and the rapidly growing service economy that is materialising to support them.

We need a big push to deal with the environment around these specific areas. I have heard of one instance regarding an area around some of the major buildings being deliberately held up because of unacceptable demands on the property owner by a council entity. This sort of attitude must be stopped, otherwise it really is a story of one step forward …

In other good news
The other really good news that I received this week relates to the buy-out of the notorious Dunwell and Softstone properties, with concommitmant plans to refurbish these. The purchase of the Dunwell portfolio is evidently subject to a number of conditions precedent that still need to be fulfilled.

Here we have so-called slum lording being taken up and, with the quality of those who have purchased and will refurbish the properties, I have no doubt that a series of what can be described as sinkholes among the 24 buildings involved in the deal, will be turned around and once again be an asset to the city.

According to the press release: "ApexHi Properties Limited has acquired two residential property portfolios (the Dunwell and Softstone portfolios) for R246-million and will invest a further R91-million in refurbishing costs in a joint venture with residential specialists, Aengus Property Holdings. The purchase of the Dunwell portfolio is subject to a number of conditions precedent that still need to be fulfilled."

The Dunwell portfolio, which consists of 15 residential properties in Braamfontein, will be acquired for R115-million. A further R78-million will be incurred in refurbishing costs. A portion of the portfolio, at a cost of R47-million, will be refurbished and held as investment property; the balance, purchased and refurbished for R146-million, will be sold to investors.

The Softstone portfolio will be bought for R131-million, with a further R11-million incurred in refurbishing costs. The portfolio consists of nine residential properties in Hospital Hill, Hillbrow, Braamfontein, Parktown and Berea. The joint venture will retain a portfolio of R86-million; the balance will be sold.

Aengus Properties has been working with ApexHi since last year and the relationship has been extremely positive for the city - Aengus has developed Braamfontein Lofts from what used to be Biccard House; Fashion Lofts from Kelhof; Lofts@66 from the mothballed 66 Smal Street; and Tribeca Lofts from African City. The bulk of the 514 extremely good quality residential accommodation has been sold, often within days of coming on the market.

There is a close link between this and my earlier comment, that there is a growing number of people now working in the inner city who also prefer staying here. Ten years ago I would have been burnt at the stake for suggesting that this was the way we would go.

Nothing changes
The second issue that hit me forcibly on my walk around is that in relation to some issues, nothing changes. The older sinkholes are still being allowed to rot and do their damage.

One visual aspect of the inner city that continues to be of major concern to me is the treatment (or rather the lack thereof) of buildings, old and not so old, scattered throughout the inner city. The irresponsibility of some private developers and of all levels of government in regard to these buildings is appalling.

I walked past the Irish Barracks in Marshall Street and was dismayed to see that it is still a burnt-out shell. The building has not been in use for decades. The fire that partly destroyed it took place years ago and was probably caused by vandals burning the plastic sheathing off stolen copper wire.

For some time before the fire, it was used by the City as a store for informal traders - it housed old supermarket trolleys and goods the movement of which to and from the building created havoc with traffic. I understand that the building belongs to the central government, which is supposed to be the leaders of preservation of the country's heritage.

What a joke! Remember the Drill Hall? It had to have a series of fires that almost destroyed it and cost numerous lives before the City council stepped in, took over ownership and restored as much as what was left. The Irish Barracks must be classified as a sinkhole yet the central government owner, through its Works Department, ignores genuine interest from those who are keen to place the building back into the daily life of the city.

And the City does nothing - surely the new urban management regime that has been spoken about for months should see this as an urgent responsibility? Of course, it has become even more of an eyesore now that the buildings that surround it have been upgraded - someone needs to get off their butt, fast.

Heritage Resources Act
Our National Heritage Resources Act contains all the "right words" - "… enable and encourage communities to nurture and conserve their legacy so that it may be bequeathed to future generations … Our heritage is unique and precious and it cannot be renewed. It helps us to define our cultural identity and therefore lies at the heart of our spiritual wellbeing and has the power to build our nation."

Oswald Spengler, author of The Decline of the West and Cities, aptly wrote in the early 20th century: "We cannot comprehend political, social and economic history at all unless we realise that the city … is the determinative form to which the course and sense of higher history generally conforms. World history is city history."

To which Donovan Rypkema, in his excellent paper on "Globalisation, heritage buildings and the 21st century", adds: "… historic preservation allows a city the opportunity to modernise without having to Westernise. More than that - historic preservation is the irreplaceable variable to achieve modernisation without Westernisation."

A level down from the central government we have a provincial legislature that acts just as badly as its superior - no worse, given provincial heritage responsibility. The Rissik Street Post Office, supposedly bought by the provincial legislature some years back for office space, daily disintegrates.

Its unique historic clock and bells have long since been melted down in a scrap buyer's yard, while the building daily becomes more and more of a cancer on the urban fabric. The provincial government is supposed to provide the government agency that is entrusted to manage Gauteng's heritage. What a joke!

In March, it provided yet another demolition permit for a building known for, and drawn to their attention for, its heritage value. Although it is not within the inner city - it is in Parkwood - it is another example of the total disrespect the organisation has for legislative procedures, as well as its apparent disinterest in heritage preservation.

Private sector
The private sector's hands are not clean either. The quite remarkable turnaround that the city has experienced has resulted in what appears to me to be major exploitation of the urban environment.

A number of private buyers, unlike the two mentioned previously and, thankfully, many others, have bought substantial numbers of buildings for very little over the past few years and for which they are quite happy to pay rates yet see them rot until the market goes even higher and they can make a killing … Just good business?

For them, maybe, but for the inner city it certainly isn't because of the negative effect that the empty buildings, some of which are rotting hulks, have on the city. How can a property owner be permitted to surround a building with hoardings for a couple of years or have street parking bays closed, also for years, yet do nothing with the building without the City paying any attention at all? Is the City happy merely to collect the rates and ignore the negative effect on the city itself?

Again, hopefully, when the much-vaunted urban management programme is put into place (when?), maybe we'll see some appropriate reaction. Personally, I think that it is time to become punitive.

I trust you enjoyed Women's Day and had a great long weekend.
Best regards, Neil

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Last Holiday Inn in Johannesburg becomes a Southern Sun hotel

Southern Sun will continue with the momentum gained through its multi-million rand refurbishing process – that commenced in 2005 - when it re-opens the flagship ‘Holiday Inn Katherine Street’ as ‘The Southern Sun Katherine Street’ hotel, in Sandton on August 1, 2007.

The re-opening will be in line with the ultimate aim of the programme that is to own brands as opposed to managing them. Following an investment of over R4 Million, the lobby, guest rooms and restaurant will welcome guests with a completely updated and modernised look. Based on a design concept of ‘Contemporary American Country’, the décor will encompass bright, lively colours, a theme that will be consistently applied throughout the group’s premier offering.

Southern Sun’s Managing Director, Helder Pereira, comments; "The Holiday Inn Katherine Street has always been one of our prime products in the Gauteng region, especially as it is so centrally located in relation to the Sandton CBD and services international and business clientele. It therefore followed logically that we would invest significantly in this re-branding and re-naming, plus the associated refurbishing, in line with international standards".

The consistent quality and exceptional service standards that have singled the hotel out as a brand leader within the group will now be complimented by the Southern Sun hallmarks - ranging from a World of Welcome with the lobby serving as the heart of the hotel, high speed internet access in all public areas and rooms, Food as a Destination Experience pivotal to the overall service offering, banqueting, and most importantly the Room offered as a Haven, guaranteed.

The Southern Sun Katherine Street Sandton hotel will form part of the 4-star Premier category within the group’s new brand tier structure. Other categories include the Southern Sun deluxe portfolio, the new SunSquare Montecasino hotel positioned as a trendy, hip hotel for the upper tier of economy traveler, Garden Court hotels within the Economy segment, and StayEasy for the more value conscious traveller.

http://www.southernsun.com/SSH/images/logo_main.gif

Southern Sun likely to convert last Holiday Inn in SA to it's Premier brand in November

Holiday Inn Pretoria is a modern, contemporary hotel situated within walking distance of the city centre, embassies and consulates.

This superior hotel is located in the capital city, Pretoria, and is the ideal choice of diplomats, embassy officials, executives and international travellers who demand high standards of product and service. It is a contemporary hotel with a spectacular glass and steel facade, overlooking lush gardens and pool area.

The Holiday Inn Pretoria team are very excited to inform all of the commencement of a major refurbishment of this property. All rooms rooms, suites, corridors and public areas including the porte couchere, foyer, bar and restaurant will benefit.

The exercise will continue until November 2007 to facilitate the process. We appreciate your understanding, while we undertake this refurbishment project. Please be assured that we will continue to provide the superior level of service and comfort, during this period.

http://www.southernsun.com/SSH/SSHContents/SiteContent/Brand/Holiday%20Inn/Holiday%20Inn%20Pretoria/Images/Holiday%20Inn%20Pretoria%20Pool.jpg

15 August 2007
Peermont to build new Emperors hotel

A NEW three-star hotel, The Metcourt, is being built at the Emperors Palace Hotel Casino and Convention Resort.

The 248-room hotel, scheduled to open in the fourth quarter of 2008, will be located on the north-west boundary of the Emperors Palace complex on Jones Road. It is estimated to cost around R170m to develop and will feature a large ground floor reception area, business centre, boardroom, residents’ pool areas and buffet-style restaurant. There will also be large dedicated facilities for the arrival and check-in of tour groups.

The Metcourt will be managed by Peermont and is the fourth hotel at Emperors Palace. The existing hotels include the five-star D’oreale Grande, the three-star Mondior Concorde and the three-star Metcourt Laurel.

“We are delighted to be able to grow the number of hotel rooms at Emperors Palace from the current 426 to 674 when the Metcourt is completed,” said Anthony Puttergill, ceo of Peermont.

Chana Viljoen
(chanav@nowmedia.co.za)

Well, I suppose it depends how well planned it is: densification not so successful in São Paulo in my opinion...


Why do you say it hasn't been so successful in Sao Paulo? We're dying for some densification in Joburg because our highways look like that photo you posted...

What a vile exterior, I mean its clad in IBR sheeting like a farking barn or shed. This needs a major external makeover as well:bash: :bash:

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http://www.southernsun.com/SSH/SSHContents/SiteContent/Brand/Holiday%20Inn/Holiday%20Inn%20Pretoria/Images/Holiday%20Inn%20Pretoria%20Pool.jpg

Braamfontein is cooking... The Manhattan is progressing (7F), 100 Jorisson is almost done (5F), TimeSquare is looking good (11F)... Orion got a makeover. Many smaller two and three storeys are undergoing refurb. Bridge View construction to start soon (I think 5F), Broadway (15F) will have quite an impact on Juta Street... The new gateway art project in Bertha is going up. And a lovely 6F is undergoing refurb in Juta as well...

Arial and other photos from a Helicopter

Gents Some times this year, about 3 months ago, I went to Gold Reef City with my kids and wife and we took a Helicopter ride around Gofl Reef and the cost of four people was R200.00. The guy told us that to fly over Gold Reef City and the CBD is R400 for all four people, meaning that it will be R100.00. each

Don't you think that we should one day take a Heli so that we can get the best pictures of our city? Jakes, Kulani, Jorg etc I think we can do this guys.

Sure kewl idea Pule!

ya there loads of props in braam just went to the pace website there cashing in

yo yo yo...

Since almost everyone is on facebook these days, you guys must go check out a facebook ground called 'Night of a 1000 Drawings.' (also http://1000drawings.blogspot.com), and then get yourself invited to the event next week Sunday called 'Doodler on the roof,' where you have a picnic on the roof of Corner House in the city and paint/draw/photograph stuff with Joburg's skyline as an inspiration.

These then get sold at a later event for R10 each, and the money goes to feeding the inner city homeless. I think it's pretty awesome!

Went to Fuel Cafe last night, so went past them sticking the Eland up! It's rather striking! And it'll look particularly striking with the Nelson Mandela bridge in the background!

Joburg: 'SA's cultural capital'
Lucille Davie

17 August 2007

A number of new theatres have recently opened in and around Johannesburg to add to the more than 20 already in existence, and the city council has now announced plans to rebrand the city as South Africa's "cultural capital".

The city aims to produce a branding and marketing strategy by promote itself as the country's cultural hub by 2008, and will hold the World Summit on Arts and Culture in 2009, further backing its claim to that status.

In addition, the city council wants to promote the concept of a pan-African rotating "City of Culture" in consultation with the national Department of Arts and Culture, the African Union and other relevant bodies.

The concept will be launched during the World Summit in 2009.

The 1 900-seater Teatro at Montecasino in Fourways was built at a cost of R110-million and is the biggest lyric theatre in the country. It opened in June with the spectacular The Lion King, for which it was especially built.

Another new venue, Gold Reef City's Lyric Theatre, will open in October; in addition, two old theatres, the Victory and the Alexander, have been refurbished and re-opened this year.

The Montecasino Teatro

In its first appearance in South Africa, The Lion King has played to packed audiences and the run had to be extended three times, currently scheduled to run till 2 December, giving it a total season of six months.

Some 52-million people from around the world have seen the musical.

Johannesburg's residents can look forward to other theatrical delights, with Teatro general manager Steve Howell saying the theatre will secure other productions "of the stature of The Lion King".

Howell is confident that future productions at the Teatro will be well patronised, due to the high quality of their productions and increasing numbers of black middle-class patrons.

The local acting fraternity will also benefit, as cast and crew on all shows will be mainly South Africans, as is the case with The Lion King. Besides, Howell says, it's too expensive to bring in an international cast.

The Teatro is just one element of a broader investment of R350-million, used to expand Montecasino with a hotel, six new restaurants, a ballroom and a piazza.

The Victory Theatre

The Victory Theatre in Orange Grove is one of the city's oldest cinemas, dating back to the 1920s.

Shortly after closing as a cinema in the early 1990s, it opened again as a theatre, presenting Ipi Thombi and the Rocky Horror Show, but by the end of the 1990s it was closed down again, before being purchased by music producer and magazine publisher Joe Theron in 2004.

Over the past two years the old building was demolished and a new state-of-the-art venue built as a cost of R28-million, with a view to setting up a home for the dance group Umoja, which Theron has taken under his wing.

He opened the new-look 470-seater Victory Theatre in June with Africa Umoja, a show that traces the history of South African dance. To better cater for patrons, the venue includes a jazz bar and a 250-seater restaurant.

"Umoja is happily settled in the theatre," he says.

Theron bought the four small stores alongside the old Victory Theatre, demolished them and incorporated that space into his new theatre. He has kept the old cinema seats, with a decorative "K" running down each outer chair, a reminder of the days when it was called the Grove Kinema.

He has other plans for the theatre, including bringing back the popular Rocky Horror Show and possibly putting on In Defence of the Caveman, although he won't be involved in producing the shows.

Lyric Theatre

Another new theatre, the Lyric, is to open in October this year. Based at Gold Reef City, it is to be a "luxurious and intimate, world-class, Victorian-styled 1 100-seat theatre".

Producer Richard Loring is preparing for the opening of Hairspray, featuring local stars Mara Louw, Harry Sideropolous and Kate Normington, and a 34-strong cast. Hairspray is also showing in London's West End Theatre and in Broadway in the US.

He is working on other musicals to bring to the Lyric once Hairspray has finished its run. Despite all the competition around town, Loring is confident that he will fill the venue. "We will be creating a new audience," he says.

Loring feels that South Africans will identify with Hairspray, which is set in 1960s America, at the time of the civil rights movement. A new movie version of the cult classic, starring John Travolta in drag, is currently running in South African cinemas.

Alexander Theatre

The Alexander Theatre opened in Braamfontein in 1951 and was named after Muriel Alexander, the founder of the Joburg Repertory Players, which played in the theatre for over 30 years.

It was closed 10 years ago, but reopened in July this year with the musical Rent.

Producer Hazel Feldman describes the theatre as a "very viable venue", although it will take the public a while before they can be persuaded back into downtown Johannesburg.

The response on the first few nights has been "very, very good". Rent is a "powerful piece of theatre", which had the audience on their feet by the end of the evening.

"If Rent works, it will pave the way for other shows," Feldman says.

Although not prepared to comment on what she has planned for upcoming shows at the Alexander, Feldman says she is working on a few ideas. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat was seen for the first time in Johannesburg at the Alexander and it closed in the 1990s with Ipi Thombi.

Property entrepreneur Adam Levy bought the theatre late last year and gave it a major overhaul.

"I want people to come into Braamfontein and feel inspired," says Levy.

He has had the 550-seat theatre re-upholstered and has had the bar and bathrooms revamped. "We have retained the old stall feeling - a very authentic feel and flavour - but with a new-age feel."

Counting the three theatres at the Civic Theatre and the three theatres at the Wits Theatre, Levy sees Braamfontein becoming Johannesburg's West End theatre precinct.

"They will all benefit each other."

Civic Theatre

Civic Theatre chief executive Bernard Jay has been responsible for a major turnaround at the complex, with audience attendance figures improving from 30% seven years ago to a present attendance of 85%, mainly through creating "a new theatre-going audience in the city".

"For seven years people were criticising me - now they're copying me," he says.

Although he modestly denies credit for getting more Johannesburg residents into the theatre, he admits to "a certain amount of emulation" and having "established something at the Civic".

The opening of the four new theatres this year is healthy competition, and Jay says it would be "mad to see this as a threat". He says people might go to see The Lion King and, from that experience, be encouraged to go to the Civic Theatre or any other theatre in the city.

His concern, though, is getting a steady supply of material, particularly musicals, to fill these theatres.

"Just how many Broadway musicals are there around?" he ponders.

Jay says that South Africans just don't write musicals, but he may be about to be proved wrong - writer and playwright John Matshikiza has just finished rewriting his father's 1959 script for the hugely successful King Kong.

The Civic Theatre's 1 069-seat Nelson Mandela Theatre is booked until October 2010, but this doesn't mean Jay is complacent. A recent production, The Soweto Story, was not successful, he says, attributing this to people having never heard of it before.

"People want to see titles they know, like Chicago, We Will Rock You, or Thoroughly Modern Millie."

Source: City of Johannesburg

You guys must also go check out Sophiatown Cafe in Newtown, its a killa place.

Architectural wonder rises from power station's grave

21 August 2007 09:32

The AngloGold Ashanti canteen. (Photo: Ilvy Njiokiktjien)
As we stand in front of the impressive facade of the revamped AngloGold Ashanti building on Turbine Square in downtown Johannesburg, architect, writer-critic and sociologist Professor Alan Lipman explains that Newtown is slowly becoming one of Johannesburg's most exemplary architectural locations.

Situated between the historical buildings of a former city power station, the rebuilt Turbine Hall on the intersection of Ntemi Piliso, Jeppe and Miriam Makeba streets now provides a brand-new work space for the 470 employees of South Africa's leading global gold producer.

Today a heritage site, the Turbine Hall was originally one of the first electricity stations in Johannesburg. After its operations were halted, the building was left derelict during the 1990s. In 2001, its further demise was prevented by the Newtown Renewal Programme.

"The fine building of AngloGold Ashanti is an exception between the other refurbished Newtown buildings," explains Lipman as we walk towards its entrance.

"Although I think the other buildings -- like the Workers' Library, MuseuMAfricA and the Market Theatre -- have been altered and reused in a positive way, it remains a work in progress. And I don't think the proposed cultural centre for the community will ever be completed. There is simply no money for it," he says,

"AngloGold, on the other hand, has all the money in the world. So I am not surprised by its appealing looks."

When entering AngloGold's impressive but welcoming foyer, the open plan of the structure is prominent. The thoughtfully designed and imposing open shaft for a pair of exposed elevators draws the eye immediately.

Walking past the 190-seater auditorium, adaptable office spaces, clinic, gymnasium, canteen and conference rooms, it's clear that money wasn't an issue when designing the complex. The designers, Guy Steenekamp of TPS Architects and Steve Lanahan of AngloGold, didn't spare any resources in setting an architectural example.

As Lipman guides me through the foyer -- which was part of the water system for cooling the former electricity plant -- to the north boiler house, he explains the different phases of the construction process.

"The north boiler house was the first of the three interconnected structures that was rebuilt. Here they constructed a new, four-storey building in its place. What's exciting about the building is that everything reminds of how it was. It's admirable how they changed so much, but managed to keep the same profile as the old building," he says.

"There are many reminders of how it was. Just look at the form of the building and the impressive concrete bracing and remnants of bolted joints that have been left exposed. They just left parts of the old steel and built around it. The features of the whole building are very cautiously and sensitively designed, and still it has this great industrial feel."

The second phase, the renovation of the Turbine Hall, is still under way, but Lipman explains its cathedral-like features are already "very exciting".

"The new AngloGold Ashanti building is an example of very fine contemporary architecture, owing to the historical value of the square and its surrounding buildings," he says.

The new headquarters of AngloGold Ashanti offers 13 000 square metres of open-plan office space and will be fully operational by October.
When we make our way outside and leave the building through its security ports, it seems a shame it is only accessible to its employees and their visitors.

The one wing, after it miraculously survived demolition.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/turbinehall.jpg

The new Canteen
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/canteen2.jpg

My bad night shot of the new office complex
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/DSC00166.jpg

I really like the way they have reused old decrepid buildings and have made them into gorgeous masterpieces!

But you know... there are something about Newtown that's missing..... it just doesn't have the same vibe as the city does! It's almost a bit bland in a way?

Maybe it is the harsh industrial buildings that keep people away. Plus in my view, the square is great for big events, but when empty it lacks any feel. Just one big grey block. Newtown needs to be softened up. It is intimidating - in an architectural sense. The park does a lot to soften the area up though. And they need to build parking structures - parking can be a nightmare. More art, more greenery. More social gathering places.

ye.. more trees indeed! especially with the double-decker highway being right there! i think AngloGold could have actually done more in that sense! created a space for instance where not only AngloGold office workers could go to get fresh air, but where people from elsewhere could too.

Declaring war on unemployment
Joburg is serious about bringing more job opportunities and training to marginalised groups.


August 22, 2007
By Emily Visser

MORE than 25 000 jobs were created by the City's Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) over the last financial year, amounting to almost 800 000 person days of work for the unemployed. This is according to the City's latest EPWP report, for the year ending July 2007.


Of these, over 6 000 jobs were created for youths (26 percent) and almost 4 000 jobs were created for women (14 percent); 14 disabled people (0,06 percent) were employed. The three groups are the main targets of the programme and the City aims for 40 percent of the beneficiaries to be women, 30 percent youngsters and two percent disabled people.

The programme works to create jobs for unemployed and unskilled people. More than R9-million was spent on 137 projects by the City in the last financial year. The EPWP is in its third year and is applied across all City entities, companies and departments. It is driven by specially appointed EPWP champions in each sector, and all sectors are required to target the unskilled and unemployed through labour intensive projects.

The sectors are infrastructure; economic; environment and culture; and social. So far, most of the jobs have been created in the infrastructure sector. On average, workers are employed for three months per job and receive a minimum wage of R30 a day in the social sector and R60 a day in the other three sectors.

Jobs and skills
A national government initiative, the EPWP requires all state organs, provincial governments and municipalities to undertake projects that provide or create jobs, and to give training.

"The programme involves creating work opportunities for the unemployed, thus ensuring that workers gain skills and on-the-job training to increase their chances of earning an income," says Lulama Ndlovu, the EPWP programme manager at the City.

It has set itself a target of creating 117 500 jobs by 2009 through the EPWP. The department of health was one of the biggest job creators in this period, providing 10 500 jobs through its measles and polio immunisation campaigns.

Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA), Joburg Water, City Power and City Parks also contributed to the programme, running a number of infrastructure upgrading projects. These included tarring gravel roads, installing water and sanitation facilities in informal settlements, laying electrical cables and landscaping.

Operation Gcin'amanzi in Soweto provided jobs for almost 6 000 unskilled labourers. Other big projects were the first phase of the rehabilitation of Orlando Stadium, where more than 1 500 labourers were employed, and water and sanitation projects in informal settlements, where over a thousand local people were given jobs.

Bharat Gulab, Joburg Water's investment manager and EPWP co-ordinator, says the company is committed to the programme. "All our capital projects are EPWP aligned."

And where possible, the company uses only local, unemployed labour to do upgrades to its infrastructure.

Likewise, City Parks had aligned its tender documents to the EPWP and had created 929 jobs, the report noted. Projects included landscaping and planting trees and creating pathways at parks around the city.

JRA and Joburg Water have gone a step further and have appointed permanent champions to run their EPWP projects. In the 2006-07 financial year, JRA had 26 EPWP projects, creating 862 jobs.

Training
Projects have to be coupled with training, giving people the opportunity to get out of the poverty pool permanently. Training is provided free of charge by the Department of Labour, provided beneficiaries are employed in a project.

The number of people who received accredited training during this period was 2 600. Ndlovu says this number does not include some of the unaccredited training that takes place on site and that should have formed part of the report.

"A lot of underreporting takes place because of champions [within departments and entities] changing continuously." Job creation and training initiatives are in place in all City departments and entities but proper reporting still needs attention, she says.

Gulab explains that tight time-lines on some projects mean that accredited training cannot always take place. Instead, workers receive unaccredited training on the job. Ndlovu adds that registration for training at the Department of Labour can be extensive and time consuming.

The report, however, pointed out that not all jobs created in this period complied with all EPWP requirements.

Vukuphile Learnership
Joburg also runs a contractor/entrepreneur development programme as part of its EPWP, called Vukuphile Learnership. It aims to increase people's ability to earn a living once they have completed training.

Training lasts two years and consists of structured classroom training and workplace experience. After successfully completing the training, learners are fully fledged contractors.

The City has 16 infrastructure learnership contractors involved in training, of which 12 are engaged in projects, including in Bryanston and Morningside involving water upgrades, construction of gabions at Delta Park and construction of footways in Soweto and at Alexandra cemetery.

These projects also employed an additional 202 unemployed people, who received five days of life skills training through the Department of Labour. Joburg hopes to extend the learnership programmes to the other sectors.

Funding
EPWP projects are funded through existing capital and operational budgets. In addition, the City can apply for a municipal infrastructure grant. These are subject to a number of conditions, of which poverty alleviation is a key requirement. Municipalities are allocated grants on the basis of past performance in implementing the EPWP.

For the first time since the EPWP was launched three years ago, the City's report was accepted by the national Department of Public Works, which oversees and drives the programme countrywide. All state organs, provincial governments and municipalities have to compile quarterly reports on the status of their EPWP projects.

"It is a call from the national government and the president to eliminate poverty, give people [job] experiences and employment opportunities," Ndlovu confirmed, adding that she hopes to see City departments and entities working closer together on future EPWP projects.

Its EPWP office will be moved to the economic development department and a new steering committee will be installed in the near future. The national goal is to create 1 million jobs in South Africa between 2004 and 2009. Of this, at least 40 percent must be for women, 30 percent for youths - aged between 18 and 35 - and two percent for disabled people.

President Thabo Mbeki made the EPWP a presidential priority in his State of the Nation speech in February 2003. During that address, Mbeki said the aim of the programme was to invest in the country's social infrastructure by drawing "significant numbers of the unemployed into productive work".

check out the sandton and joburg galleries

Declaring war on unemployment
Joburg is serious about bringing more job opportunities and training to marginalised groups.


August 22, 2007
By Emily Visser

MORE than 25 000 jobs were created by the City's Expanded Public Works Programme (EPWP) over the last financial year, amounting to almost 800 000 person days of work for the unemployed. This is according to the City's latest EPWP report, for the year ending July 2007.



Not much of a job if it only pays you for 32 days per year...

Construction accounts for one-tenth of Japanese employment. During the stagnant 90s, the government spent trillions of yen on random construction projects all over the country. In South Africa there is a valid need to public works spending on housing, more power plants, roads, hospitals and so on. Since the government has a surplus now, largely due to budgeted funds not being spent, certainly it can afford to go on the spending spree that Japan did in the 90s and employ hundreds of thousands of additional construction workers? Or it can just outsource such work to private companies that will employ the hundreds of thousands? Any other thoughts?

Construction accounts for one-tenth of Japanese employment. During the stagnant 90s, the government spent trillions of yen on random construction projects all over the country. In South Africa there is a valid need to public works spending on housing, more power plants, roads, hospitals and so on. Since the government has a surplus now, largely due to budgeted funds not being spent, certainly it can afford to go on the spending spree that Japan did in the 90s and employ hundreds of thousands of additional construction workers? Or it can just outsource such work to private companies that will employ the hundreds of thousands? Any other thoughts?
cant say im a fan of allocating funds to housing to meet housing targets that are unrealistic, due to an inability to spend funds.

Housing targets that are unrealistic? Well, I wouldn't say so when hundreds of thousands are still living in shacks... what HirakataShi proposes sounds reasonable to me.

Housing targets that are unrealistic? Well, I wouldn't say so when hundreds of thousands are still living in shacks... what HirakataShi proposes sounds reasonable to me.

that sounds like fun building all this labour intensive infrastructure but please spare a thought of all us architects/engineerings who have to look for the materials and figure out the construction methods

Regeneration for Ellis Park precinct

22 August 2007

The Johannesburg Development Agency has begun with the regeneration and renewal projects of the Greater Ellis Park precinct, to make it more accessible and safer for the community and tourists.

It will also include the repairing and widening of the roads in the area.

Amos Masondo, City of Johannesburg executive mayor, said the project was part of their development planning and urban management, which he said was already a resounding success.

The regeneration and renewal of the precinct will also include Doornfontein, Berea and Bertrams, which are regarded as crime- and drug-infested areas of inner Johannesburg.

Ellis Park Stadium, one of the two 2010 World Cup venues in Johannesburg, is also situated in the precinct.

Other sports venues in the precinct are Johannesburg Stadium, Ellis Park swimming pool and Standard Bank Arena.

“The upgrading is great news for the community in this area,” said George Stainton, chief executive of Ellis Park World of Sport.

The one wing, after it miraculously survived demolition.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/turbinehall.jpg

The new Canteen
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/canteen2.jpg

My bad night shot of the new office complex
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/DSC00166.jpg

Oh sure. Let a severely derelict building cheat death and steal life!

^^ Well.. why not let it 'cheat death' and steal life?

It is a gorgeous building from early Johannesburg. Rebuidling it represents the entire ethos of Newtown, which is not to generate something new, but to regenerate something beautiful.

I think they did a magnificent job!

^^
I agree, it's good that in Johannesburg they realise you don't need to mothball every old building to make space for "the future".
The building is special, unique... and local is lekker! :D

Oh sure. Let a severely derelict building cheat death and steal life!


I agree with you. I think they should demolish every old and slightly decripit building (in spite of its rich architectural and historical heritage) and replace them all with lovely grand, sparkling palaces of capitalist lust. Maybe with a tuscan theme, and fake golden balconies.

More Hillbrown news. 7 buildings being upgraded as transition and emergency shelters...
Progress had been made on seven buildings:

The old Perm building in Hillbrow is being handed over to the housing department;
Work on the Chelsea building in Hillbrow is scheduled for completion in November;
The MBV building in Hillbrow is being upgraded in two phases – work on the north wing will be completed by the end of October and work on the south wing will be completed by February 2008;
The Hospital Hill building will be converted into transitional and rental accommodation, with construction expected to begin in November and units available by June 2008;
Santa Monica Court and Noverna Court are being expropriated by the City and converted into accommodation;
Muti House has been attached by the City and an abandonment agreement is being negotiated with the owner; and
Work has started on the refurbishment and conversion of the BG Alexander building, in a venture between the Johannesburg Social Housing Company and the Madulamoho Housing Association.

Wish i bought tickets for this in time...

The Magic Flute
'feels home'
William Kentridge is bringing Mozart's beloved The Magic Flute to Johannesburg, his home town. And the response has been so excellent, tickets sold out months before the opera's run.


August 28, 2007
By Lucille Davie

WHEN asked whether, as a young man, he knew what he wanted to be, acclaimed artist William Kentridge said that when he was 15 he thought he would be a conductor.

"I conducted gramophone records at home with chopsticks; it worked beautifully." But then he discovered the catch - he would have to learn to read music. He tried the clarinet for a year, but gave it up.

But perhaps his dream has come true after all. Kentridge is directing Mozart's opera The Magic Flute, playing in two cities only in the country in September and October, with his animated images projected on to the backdrop.



A scene from the Belgian production of The Magic Flute
(Photo: Johan Jacobs)


Kentridge, always very controlled and unemotional in public, says that "it feels home" to have The Magic Flute play in the country. "It gives a lump in your throat. It's very exciting."

Kentridge, producer Ross Douglas and conductor Piers Maxim, spoke about the opera at a press conference in Sandton on Friday, 24 August.

"In this production (as in all), we ask you to listen to the orchestra, the singers, the spoken text, to watch the singers, to read the surtitles above the stage, and also to watch the projections behind and around all of this. It is clear that this is too much. The best advice I can give is to let your eyes and ears follow as they will, and accept that a part of the production will be missed. This acceptance is better than an anxiety about not taking everything in," Kentridge said.

The great thing about The Magic Flute coming to Joburg is that, besides Joburgers being exposed to the work of an artist of world-class calibre, there will be eight performances of the famous opera for children.

To be conducted by the very user-friendly Richard Cock, an adapted version of the original will have 8 000 lesser-privileged children coming to the theatre to watch opera.

Otherwise, the big people can revel in what promises to be a superb combination of Mozart's classic 1791 two-act opera and Kentridge's evocative charcoal drawings projected on to the stage, to animate the story of Pamino and Tamino, two young people who undergo trials by fire and water before they find happiness together.

But if you haven't bought your tickets yet, you're out of luck – tickets were sold out within weeks of the box office opening in May, a full two months before the production starts in September. Not too different from how things were when it opened in 1791 – it drew huge crowds.

Mozart was delighted. He wrote: "I have this moment returned from the opera, which was as full as ever," records Wikipedia. "But what always gives me the most pleasure is the silent approval! You can see how this opera is becoming more and more esteemed." He went to hear and see the opera "almost every night".

Rehearsals have already begun in Cape Town, the only other city in the country to see the production, and they began in Joburg on the weekend. All the singers are South African, although some are based overseas. The production was originally put together in Brussels. The opera is on at the Nelson Mandela Theatre from 29 September to 21 October.

It has taken two years to bring it to South Africa, with sponsorship provided by Rand Merchant Bank. The production has been possible too because the royalty fee has been reduced from 200 000 euros (about R2-million) to 20 000 euros (about R200 000).


Local singing talent
Kentridge has been knocked out by the local singing talent. "There is an extraordinary renaissance of singing here – very good singers are coming through. We are finding the best voices and the best mix of voices. The best moments in rehearsals are when you see a mousy and ordinary person open their mouth and sing …"
And this is exciting for the South African production. "It is difficult to find new interpretations with old players. There is a definite freshness to the production."

Maxim, who has conducted orchestras in opera houses and theatres throughout Europe, is equally bowled over by the local talent. "The wealth of talent is extraordinary. They just open their mouths and sing."

Maxim says the tempo will be a little faster than usual. "We work to find a tempo which suits the singer."

There'll also be extra instruments in the orchestra – an extra percussionist and small ball trombones - to add to the sounds produced. "It's not Mozart but it enhances the theatricality of the performance."

The Magic Flute has special significance for Maxim. "To be the conductor of any opera is a great privilege, but especially so when it is Die Zauberflöte. It was the first opera I conducted while still a student at university, and since that time I have immersed myself in the text and music, discovering new nuances not only musical but also verbal."

Kentridge's images include dancing rhinoceroses and cardboard lions. The lions were original to the first production in 1791 but will now be MGM lions. Another scene will portray a silent movie scene with voiceless figures, replacing a long dialogue.

Kentridge says he was pleased with how his black and white charcoal images have been adapted and picked up on the costumes, giving them colour, something he doesn't normally give to his art. "The images are monochrome but there is a lot of colour in the production."

Maxim is clearly pleased to be working with Kentridge. "In William Kentridge's production, I find that it is the humanity and integrity of the characters that shine through, with Pamina and Papageno being the focal point of the drama. In each performance, I try to enhance this view with a reading that tries to be true to the spirit of those first collaborators, Mozart and Schikaneder."

I'm going....... :p

I used to have a dog named after one of the chief protagonists in the play.. Papageno. :D

I'm going....... :p

I used to have a dog named after one of the chief protagonists in the play.. Papageno. :D


Im sooooo jealous. About the opera, not the dog. Who names a dog Papageno when you can name him Kabila?

Turning slums into suburbs
30 Aug 2007 - Finweek -

Intro
Asset managers, institutions and listed property funds are starting to include residential property in their investment portfolios as the surge in demand for affordable housing is rapidly turning what was traditionally regarded as a high risk/low return sector into an attractive income play

Most of the investment is flowing to Johannesburg's inner city and surrounds. Industry players say Jo'burg's huge supply of high-rise buildings offers plenty of potential to create large portfolios of rental stock - either through office-to-flat conversions or refurbishment of abandoned/dilapidated Hillbrow and Berea blocks of flats.

Specialist asset management group Futuregrowth recently approved a R50m funding facility to the Trust for Urban Housing Finance (TUHF) through one of its socially responsible investment (SRI) funds. TUHF provides finance for entrepreneurs to buy, refurbish and rent out residential buildings in the inner city.

Futuregrowth investment manager James Howard says that previously low-income housing was generally a loss-making business. So the sector wasn't an ideal place for risk-averse pension funds and institutional investors to be. But Howard says that's changed, with the industry creating a number of innovative products and structures through which affordable housing can now be financed profitably.

He dismisses any suggestion that lending at that end of the housing market could be compared to the sub-prime sector in the United States, where reckless lending has resulted in a large number of mortgage repayment defaults. Howard says SA's mortgage lending model is very different to that, as SA banks and other financiers continue to impose stringent lending criteria to low-income earners or those with dubious credit histories. For investors, the cash-flow risk previously associated with low-income housing has also been reduced significantly through stricter access control (usually fingerprint driven) in buildings and rent collection policies.

Listed property fund ApexHi reports similar demand for inner city rental accommodation. The fund recently entered the housing market through a joint venture with Aengus Property Holdings. Two separate rental portfolios - consisting of 25 buildings in Braamfontein, Berea, Hillbrow and Parktown - were bought for R246m. The units, sized between 25sq m and 35sq m, fetch rents of between R2 500 and R3 000/month. ApexHi CEO Gerald Leissner says its residential portfolio is already proving to be a nice income growth driver. "If we had 10 000 more flats we would rent them out tomorrow."

Who names a dog Papageno when you can name him Kabila?


lol.. and who names a dog after a motorway interchange? ;)

Pride looks like it'll be quite awesumness this year! Pride is indeed slowly coming-of-age, especially with the official sanction of the city and the support of the area in which it is in.

A NEW KIND OF PRIDE
http://www.mambaonline.com/article.asp?artid=1254
Thursday, August 30, 2007

http://img.photojerk.com/joburg/feat_pride_aug07_lrg.jpg

Joburg Pride is set to "come of age" on Saturday 6 October 2007 when the annual event celebrates its 18th anniversary. According to the organisers, the Joburg Gay Pride Festival Company, participants can look forward to a day of smoothly organised celebration and commemoration of South Africa’s constitutional freedoms.

It all takes place at Zoo Lake once again, and may, on the surface at least, seem rather similar to previous events. So what exactly makes this year's outing “a new kind of pride?” Perhaps one of the most important elements is the attempt to professionalise the event through a new set of organisers, many of whom are experts in their field, and who aim to steer away from the chaos of the past.

Tanya Harford, well-known for putting on the massive annual Pick n Pay 94.7 Cycle Challenge, among other significant events, is heading up logistics on the day of the parade. She is excited by the support given to organisers by the City of Joburg and other role players, explaining that “this year we can expect to have a truly cohesive event, which lays the foundation to ensure that Joburg Pride becomes one of the city’s leading annual events.”

Tracey Sandilands, Chair of Joburg Pride, also adds that, “this year we are doing it by the community and for the community. We are putting on numerous community events and providing transport for people from townships who may have problems getting to the parade.”

With regard to the somewhat tainted reputation of Pride thanks to past controversies, Sandilands admits that this was something of a challenge. “We have struggled with sponsorship because of the legacy of the past. We’ve had to overcome the perceptions of previous Prides.”

This year sees Joburg Pride being backed by the City of Joburg, alcohol brand Flex Bender and Dutch funding NGO, Hivos. The Rosebank Business community has also offered a great deal of support to the event. “We did briefly consider moving the Parade to a more accessible area, but Rosebank and Zoo Lake remained the most viable locations because of logistics and, of course, safety,” says Sandilands, hinting at the 2005 incident in which a participant in the CBD parade was struck by a brick thrown from a building.

Among the biggest challenges facing the organisers this year she includes the fact that starting a new organisation wasn’t easy. “The logistics of creating the Section 21 not-for-profit organisation and its board took considerable time, which could gave been used for planning.” She also acknowledges that the journey hasn’t been an easy one for the board, “The board members are all volunteers and everyone has jobs in their own capacity. They’ve put in a huge amount of effort and time with no compensation.”

Nevertheless, Sandilands is proud of what has been achieved in setting up a hopefully sustainable organisation, and notes that the community has welcomed the idea of starting afresh with new organisers: “The overall response to a new form of pride as been fantastic!”

The Parade

The customary colourful parade is scheduled to start at 11am from Zoo Lake Sports Club. Chart-topping electronica band Flash Republic will perform live on stage from 10am, officially kicking off the parade at the end of their set. A minute’s silence will be observed to mark the recent brutal murder of two lesbians in Meadowlands, as well as acknowledging all victims of hate-crimes.

The parade, with over 16 floats confirmed at the time of going to press and more expected to register, will make its way through the streets of Rosebank. For the first time, soft-drink and water points will be provided for marchers, so bring your children and pets to join in the fun. The parade will take a circular route, returning to Zoo Lake Sports Club at around 1pm, when the celebration is set to continue.

“We hope that Pride is not perceived as being exclusive to lesbians and gays,” says Sandilands. “We welcome everyone who believes in a culture of equal rights and personal freedom to take part or to cheer on the marchers and enjoy the fun and spectacle of the day. Bring the family and your friends,” she urges.

A number of top entertainers, including up-and-coming band Running With Scissors, hot new songstress Lira, Afrikaans Idols runner-up Willem Botha, R&B star Tumi and legendary DJ Stuart Hillary have confirmed that they will be performing live at the Joburg Pride “Party in the Park”. More performers will be announced closer to the event date. Entry to the day’s events is free of charge.

There will be plenty of food stalls as well as bars to cater for hungry and thirsty revellers. Community organisations will also be present to answer questions about their activities - and expect to see the much-anticipated “Drag-Race.”

A children’s area with a jumping castle will be provided to entertain the younger Pride-participants. “Gays and lesbians are part of our social fabric; it’s about time that we acknowledge that many of us have children and extended families who should also be welcomed at Pride,” said Sandilands.

The event will end at 5pm and revellers are urged to leave the park by 6pm and head home to prepare for other night-time events held around the city, including the much-hyped Fireman’s Ball. “In order for us to continue to use the fantastic Zoo Lake venue, we must respect the local residents,” explains Harford. There will also be Pride after-parties at Legends in Pretoria, Simply Blue and Ramp Divas.

Pride Week

The 2007 Joburg Pride celebrations officially kick off on Thursday 27 September with a charity screening of the comedy Another Gay Movie at Cinema Nouveau in Rosebank. The R150 tickets will go towards funding Pride and guests will be treated to drinks and snacks. For information on attending this exclusive event, through which you can play a part in supporting Pride, call 082 567 8894 (during office hours only).

The evening will also see the invitation-only launch of Ster Kinekor’s Pride Film Festival, a stand-alone gay and lesbian film festival held during the Pride festivities.

A number of events will also take place across Gauteng in the week preceding the parade. Clubs and entertainment venues in Joburg and Pretoria, such as Sandton’s Swanky, will be hosting parties, expected to draw significant crowds, while community organisations will be presenting seminars on more serious topics at Constitution Hill.

Look out for the Joburg Pride Festival Guide, which will be available at selected venues around the city, or visit www.joburgpride.org in the coming weeks to view the ever-growing list of events scheduled for the week preceding the Pride Parade.

The Joburg Pride Festival Week launches on Thursday 27 September and will conclude on Saturday 6 October with the Parade and ‘Party in the Park’ at Zoo Lake Sports Club. For more information on Joburg Pride 2007, visit the official website at www.joburgpride.org.

Joburg's urban
forest to grow
Already the largest manmade urban forest in the world, Johannesburg is planning to add thousands more trees to its landscape, greening the traditionally neglected townships.

August 30, 2007
By George Matlala

THOUSANDS of trees will be planted across Joburg over the next three years under City Parks's new One tree at a time campaign.

Some 100 000 indigenous trees will planted on the streets of new and developing suburbs under the campaign, which will be launched on Monday, 3 September.

According to Prema Naidoo, the member of the mayoral committee for environment, the campaign is aimed at solving greening problems caused by urbanisation. "There is a collective need to accelerate greening programmes to enhance the quality of life of every resident."

One tree at a time is an appeal to individuals and business to work with the City in building a greener and healthier Johannesburg, says Jenny Moodley, the City Parks spokesperson. The agency will plant 9 500 street trees during Arbor Month to add to the 2 100 already planted. Various completed road island initiatives will also be unveiled.

Arbor Day – when people are encouraged to plant trees - is celebrated nationally on 1 September; in 1999, the government extended the celebration for a week, running from 1 to 7 September. City Parks will run its programmes over the full month.



Celebrating Arbor week


Some R44-million has been set aside for the City Parks campaign. "This is a huge investment in greening and beatifying our city," says Johnny Masinga, the organisational developmental adviser at Equity Aviation, one of the companies that is working with City Parks on One tree at a time. Through supporting the project, companies will have a chance to help fight climate change.

"Residents are reminded that we have a collective responsibility to nurture our greenery, as trees improve air quality, provide a habitat for wildlife and have the potential to increase property values," Moodley adds.

Luther Williamson, the managing director of City Parks, says Arbor Month gives people an opportunity to reflect on the importance of trees. "Tress, with their health, economic and environmental benefits, are the lifelines of our city."


Arbor Month events
City Parks has partnered with a number of companies to plant thousands of trees across Johannesburg.
First off, Executive Mayor Amos Masondo will join hundreds of people at Dorothy Nyembe Park in Dobsonville Soweto on Saturday, 1 September, where 11 000 trees will be handed over to Dobsonville residents.

South African former Formula One world champion Jody Scheckter donated the trees in support of the City's ambitious Greening Soweto project, under which it aims to turn the township into an urban forest before the 2010 Fifa World Cup™. He has partnered with City Parks, Talk Radio 702 and Food and Trees for Africa.

The event will start at 11am.


Alexandra
At River Park in Alexandra, more than 500 people will receive 1 000 tress donated by Equity Aviation on Tuesday, 4 September. The event will start at 10am.

Pikitup
Meanwhile, Pikitup will be planting more than 80 trees in Soweto, Alexandra and Diepsloot.
Under the theme, My tree for 2010 and beyond, a team led by Amanda Buzo, the utility's head of environmental management, will be working with three environmental organisations from these places to promote the role of trees in achieving a healthy environment. Residents will be urged to adopt the trees to ensure that they are maintained.


"We need to reconcile with the environment and realise the importance of trees to us human beings," says Smith Radigoana, the utility's manager of environmental education awareness and community development.

The Department of Water Affairs and Forestry's chosen trees to plant during Arbor Week this year are the Pavetta schumanniana (poison brides bush) and the Rhus pyroides (common wild currant).

Bright future beckons Rosebank taking off
30 Aug 2007 - Finweek -

Intro
The construction of the Gautrain station, major commercial property and transport developments and the "pedestrianisation" of Rosebank are among the exciting projects set to turn the node into a unique, vibrant and cosmopolitan hub, says Democratic Alliance councillor Ian Ollis

As councillor for Ward 90 (which includes Rosebank), Ollis chairs the Rosebank Management District (RMD) security and operations committee. He's been heavily involved in the RMD city improvement districts (of which there are now two in Rosebank), the urban design framework (completed by the RMD) and has worked with the council-appointed consultants currently busy with the nodal design.

Ollis has also given input into the regional spatial development framework for Rosebank and sits on the Rosebank Action Group, the Rosebank Community Policing Forum, Dunkeld Village Association and the Rosebank Community Liaison Forum (Bombela and Gautrain provincial committee).

Through those various initiatives he's managed to improve proposals for the car park at the Rosebank Station, the road diversions, the densification proposals of the city and is currently dealing with the dangerous intersections and crossings in Rosebank and the Gautrain bus routes. He also regularly liaises with all the property developers in the area and sits on the RMD board of executives, which includes all the property owners and role players in Rosebank.

Ollis says that to attract people to use the Gautrain, the City of Johannesburg has increased the densities allowable in Rosebank, particularly those close to the station. Properties on both sides of Oxford Road are allowed very high densities - in the case of residential properties it can go up to 250 dwelling units/ha.

Besides the Gautrain, Rosebank's entire transport system is set to change, requiring a diverse range of transport infrastructure, says Ollis. A new bus system is also on the cards and a major bus route from Soweto, via Rosebank to Sunninghill, is being planned by the city, the idea being that there will be a bus virtually every three minutes to ensure almost a continuous flow of buses from Soweto to Rosebank.

In addition, the Bombela Consortium has been asked to provide 200km of bus routes to connect the various stations, including Rosebank Station, to various suburbs and shopping centres. Those include the Cresta, Hyde Park and Dunkeld West shopping centres, with routes also going through Melrose, Houghton and in and around the Rosebank Box (business centre).
"Hence significant road upgrades - including priority lanes and road widening - will be needed to accommodate all the buses, all of which will affect the Rosebank area as well as adjoining suburbs, such as Melrose, Houghton, Dunkeld, Saxonwold, Parkwood, Parkhurst, Greenside and Parktown North."

That's prompted the City of Johannesburg to redesign the Rosebank node, and subsequently the Rosebank management district (RMD) began with its own urban design framework, paid for by Rosebank's property owners.

Completed at the beginning of the year, the framework suggests, among other things, the upgrading of open space and improving the landscape in and around Rosebank, repaving pavements and removing street furniture to make Rosebank a pedestrian-friendly node.

Meanwhile, the city has appointed consultants to redesign the node and, hopefully, similar principles to those of the RMD to "pedestrianise" Rosebank and to turn the node into a sidewalk café environment with wide pavements. Rooftop and African markets will be incorporated in the framework, which is expected to be tabled within weeks, says Ollis.

Their proposed regional spacial development framework indicates that they want to raise the height restriction for commercial properties in the Rosebank Box to 20 storeys, as requested by Old Mutual. Ollis says that could be controversial, as there's been no community participation. However, a height of 20 storeys supports the city's general plan for Rosebank: namely, to densify both commercial and residential areas.

The lack of parking in the area also causes concern. Ollis says some developers are reluctant to provide sufficient parking due to its cost. "Those developers are being rather disingenuous in trying to reduce the number of parking bays for the shopping malls and office blocks. And there simply is no public parking in Rosebank. People aren't allowed to park on Tyrwhitt, Cradock and Bath Avenues, so it's a huge problem. The requirement throughout the city for business uses is six parking bays per 100 q m - and that should apply to Rosebank as well."

Ollis's other concern is Rosebank's services infrastructure. While the city is currently upgrading the electrical infrastructure, water supply is limited and should be addressed.

Due to the road diversions, it's currently difficult for people to cross the road outside the Rosebank Medi-Clinic, which now is a high-speed road instead of a pedestrian road. There are also no adequate pedestrian crossings at the Oxford road junctions, particularly at the Glenhove/Oxford intersection.

In addition, the east-west routes for the Gautrain buses need to be upgraded and, hopefully, adequate attention will be paid to that in due course so that, when the 2010 Soccer World Cup starts those problems will be something of the past, says Ollis, who intends following transport plans and developments closely in the coming months to ensure they meet Rosebank's growing requirements.

Despite all those factors, Rosebank is certainly taking off and is set to become a vibrant node "completely different" to any other in the city. "As one of the safer city precincts - with the promise of more policing, greater accessibility and a general upgrade - an exciting future beckons," says Ollis.

^^ You know what we need to do? Is create a thread for the mixed-use development going up at Rosebank. I faintly remember a render showing a building of 25 floors.

It is this one...
http://www.property24.com/Property24/Hub/ShowSectionArticles_Full.aspx?articleid=4509

More on the denisification..

Major facelift for Joburg
12 Aug 2007 - Inet Bridge -

By Isaac Mahlangu

One of the biggest urban-planning changes in the city of Joburg's history is looming, with spacious suburbs possibly having to make way for giant apartment and office blocks.

The plans, already preliminarily passed at a council meeting, will see:


Sections of the posh suburbs of Inanda, Sandhurst, Parkmore and Morningside turned into business districts;
The elimination of suburbs such as Melrose, Dunkeld and Atholl and their transformation into high-rise office and apartment blocks;
The erection of 20- storey, mixed-use office and residential blocks in Rosebank and Sandton;
The expansion of the Sandton CBD to include the suburb of Atholl;
The expansion of business nodes in most parts of northern Joburg;
Permission granted to developers to build high-rise buildings along Oxford and Rivonia roads; and
A significant increase in building density in areas such as Parktown North and Killarney.


The plans, tabled in three proposals before the Joburg council late last month, under the Urban Development Framework document, have been put in place to ensure the success of Gautrain and the city's R2-billion Bus Rapid Transport System.

The documents contain the council's vision for Sandton, Rosebank and Marlboro, all of which will have Gautrain stations. The plans, which were passed by the council, will now be subject to a public-participation process at a council sitting on July 26.

Property experts are describing the plans as "major" and "inevitable".

Developer and investor Patrick Flanagan said it would "alleviate traffic congestion, as mixed-used developments reduce residents' reliance on cars".

He added: " Before emotion comes into it, people who own properties in these areas should clearly understand what is proposed.

"People must ... be very mature in understanding what this is in terms of overall town-planning."

But not everybody shares Flanagan's view. Rosebank ward councillor Ian Ollis accused the city of alerting developers to the plans before residents got to look at them. Some of his Dunkeld constituents, he claimed, had already received visits from developers on "shopping sprees" for property in the area. "Before we even knew about the plans, developers were already knocking on doors with offers to buy houses," he said.

On Wednesday, officials from the city's planning department met with councillors of affected areas to brief them on the process. The councillors called for intense involvement by residents.

The Urban Development Framework also calls for the business districts of Rosebank, Marlboro and Sandton to be extended to include Melrose, Dunkeld, Parkmore and parts of Illovo, Sandhurst and Alexandra.

Also on the cards are high- rise buildings near Gautrain stations, as well as a 10-storey average for buildings in Rosebank, with those close to the Gautrain station allowed to be higher.

The document recommended an even higher building density than did the five-year Integrated Development Plan mooted earlier this year, which sparked an uproar and will no longer be applied.

The Urban Development Framework document states that council plans to allow high-rise buildings up to a 15-minute walk away from Gautrain stations.

Property economist Francois Viruly said this would not necessarily cause a decrease in property prices in affected neighbourhoods.

Council spokesman Nthatisi Modingoane said: "I don't want to comment on the details of the current proposals because it might change after the public-participation process."

Neil's new review. I noticed most of what he is talking about. And it is true, the city is just so darn big that it is hard to get an idea of what is going on. There are for example many conversions and upgrades around the metro mall area and Bree street, but I can't get info or pictures concerning them. some are huge! Ah well, there u go...

Inner city review: the year so far
There are pockets of work going on, with upgrades and refurbishments dotted around the inner city. Yet much more can still be done.

September 3, 2007
By Neil Fraser

I HAD to drive through the greater part of the inner city a few times this past week and gained an impression of lots happening and lots about to happen.

The problem is, of course, that the inner city is so large that the activity becomes visually disputed and one has a feeling that not much is happening. So, with two thirds of the year (unbelievable!) having slipped away, here are my general impressions of where we are at this stage – certainly this is not an exhaustive review.


Newtown
Newtown is clearly in a lull but, hopefully, it is a lull before a storm of activity resumes. The conversion of Turbine Hall into Anglo Gold Ashanti's corporate headquarters is coming to an end and the company has moved in. I haven't had a chance to visit the refurbished building yet, but I believe it is quite stunning inside.
The SAB World of Beer has just completed a R20-million upgrade to its facility, which was opened last week. Over the road from it, I see that the crane on the Sci Bono extension site, after a long period of inactivity, is working again.

The Johannesburg Development Agency moved into its new "building within a building" (the Bus Factory) quite some time ago now; the refurbishment of the office block into residential flats in Quinn Street has been completed (now called The Newtown) and, next door, work has begun on the second of the old Premier Millings' office buildings.

The proposed large residential project named The Sidings has not yet started.

I noticed that a hoarding has gone up at a site just southwest of the Brickfields project and the Moving into Dance facility should begin this year, as should a number of other refurbishments and renovations.

Apart from these initiatives, very little seems to be happening on the ground. Absolutely no progress is visible on the Transport House development (although a successful bidder was announced by the Johannesburg Property Company at least a year ago, if not longer), nor is there any movement apparent on the Majestic site (opposite the Market Theatre), but I understand that this project will start in January 2008.
I also hear that a start on the large, mixed-use developments at the Central Place sites, delayed by an investigation into their heritage impact and subsequently re-designed, can be expected. But I doubt that we'll see activity this year.

Chinatown
Although an urban design framework for Chinatown, south of Newtown, was approved a few years back, nothing further is progressing and it seems to have fallen off the radar screen, which is a great pity as the area is quite grotty yet has some excellent potential. Just south of it, work is progressing on the new office block I referred to a few months back and, on Diagonal Street, the refurbishing of 11 Diagonal Street and the AA Building is evidently proceeding, as is the Franklin.
Nothing appears to be happening around the provincial government precinct, the Rissik Street Post Office continues to crumble, the Barbican, diagonally opposite, stands as a continuing sentinel to private sector neglect but at least one hears that it, and the parking areas around it, are to be redeveloped, hopefully next year.

Refurbishing of buildings on the corners of Rissik, Market and Commissioner streets is under way, although nothing is apparently happening at the CAN/Shakespeare House complex opposite. There has been no more news on the probable sale of the Carlton Centre, but I hear that something may still happen this year.


Western end
To the west of the Carlton complex there is a great deal of refurbishment going on, but one tends not to notice it as it is mostly happening internally. The office building that replaced the grand old Colosseum building in the 1980s is about to be refurbished into 400 flats. The sales launch was held on Saturday, 1 September.

Construction will probably start in January with completion due for August or September next year. Another old building diagonally opposite the Carlton has recently been sold and will be converted into residential accommodation.

Buildings on the southern side of Gandhi Square have been upgraded and new fast food and coffee shops reflect the success of this initiative. Behind, ie south of, Gandhi Square is the wreck of the old police barracks I have spoken about before.

In Braamfontein, the Alexander Theatre re-opened a few months ago and new street art has been erected on the Juta Street corner, while the Eland on the corner of Bertha and Ameshoff streets is receiving final touches.

A lot of residential refurbishment of buildings has taken place in Braamies over the past year or so and at least one greenfields project, Bridgeview has recently started construction following the sell-out of its 400 units. I'm sure that one can expect more activity as ApexHi/Aengus gets stuck into its recent acquisition of the Dunwell and Softstone properties.

The new Metro entrance block on the west of the Metro Centre is in its final stages of construction and the restoration of the exterior of the Fort at Constitutional Hill is making progress, as is the construction of light towers over the two western retained sections of the Awaiting Trial block.

I also noticed some new art work under way on the paving at the square in front of the Constitutional Court. Some additional work to ramparts and walkways should begin soon, but sadly, the balance of the work to be done at Constitutional Hill to meet the vision of this becoming a major national and international heritage site has not been started.
In fact, it has not even been agreed, because of an inability of provincial and local politicians to sort out certain issues between their own agencies.


Hillbrow
The bulk of the upgrading work at the Hillbrow health precinct appears to have been completed, although at least one more stage focusing on parking, lighting and landscaping is planned to be completed this year. And a massive effort to upgrade Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville will be launched shortly.
The public environment around the high court (the area known as the legal precinct) is under way, but work is going rather slowly.

And further to the east fashion square, or Fashion Kapitol as it is to be known, is advancing at snail's pace; evidently major problems with heritage and construction difficulties have delayed the completion of the project dramatically.

Fashion Kapitol will eventually house a coffee shop and restaurant and, of course, local fashion designers and manufacturers will sell and display their wares in boutique shops while regular fashion shows will be staged using the outdoor ramp that is being created.

A limited amount of pavement upgrading has taken place, mainly related to the area around Fashion Kapitol. The zig-zag pavement mosaics representing an electric sewing-machine pattern that identified the fashion district have not been repeated in the upgraded pavements, which I personally think is a great pity. It was a unique way to designate a specialist precinct.

A number of residential blocks have been refurbished in the area.


Down south
South of the fashion district, Absa is progressing well on the construction of its massive R1,1-billion block and to the east of the Absa campus, around Main Street, there is further upgrading of the public environment around Jewel City.
This is an R11-million upgrade, the cost of which is being shared between the public and private sectors. There is talk of expanding the nature of Jewel City to include all types of jewellery and precious metals, and residential developers have started investing in this area and to its north.

The Greater Ellis Park area upgrade is well under way, with work on its Northern Gateway and Simert/Sivewright roads progressing and quite a lot still planned in terms of urban environment upgrading. Parts of Bertrams will also become a focus area in the near future.

The Johannesburg Development Agency, which is responsible for the implementation of the Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, also known as Rea Vaya, is calling for a variety of consultants to tender their services on the project.

And the tender documents provide some insight into what is planned and what it will cost. The overall "nett construction value" is reflected as an estimated R1,2-billion with the first phase approximately half that and due for completion by the end February 2009.

This essentially covers Regina Mundi to Sunninghill. The proposed International Transit and Shopping Centre (ITSC) is well advanced in terms of preliminary design and, although there is nothing visual happening at the moment, construction should start this year on partially demolishing one of the Kazerne parking garages to provide a dedicated bus and pedestrian-way linking Queen Elizabeth Bridge and Harrison Street.

The basic idea of the ITSC is to rationalise long-distance and metered taxi ranking but the ultimate objective is to develop a world-class, inter-modal interchange along with mixed-use development - residential, office and retail. This will probably be through a public private partnership.

Still on the transportation aspect, visual evidence shows good progress on the R100-million Gautrain Station, which is going ahead apace.

So much seen and unseen but there is also a great deal more to be done. I obviously didn't cover the full inner city area in my wanderings but, hopefully, will pick up the balance of what's happening in a year-end review.

Regards,
Neil

That was a really informative debate. Such a pity about the snails pace of some developments. Red tape?

I agree with him that there is a lot of unseen stuff, but one must not forget where we have come from. The city really is in the midst of a major blossoming, and I'm not being biased at all (and I go into the city often, especially to court) when I say that you can see it happening in MANY parts of the city.

FNB will do a refurb of AA Life building near the old Stock Exchange. It will now be called FNB Tower. 11F, R22million refurb(not a lot) and the 24000m2 will house 1400 new employees.

Other news. Capello will open its new brand coffee shop, BLACK, with the Mapungubwe apartments and hotel.

That's good news! Drove past Mapungubwe yesterday.. the door looks really good, but I think they should make more of that street. It looks a bit too barren.

I got some news from someone else yesterday..

Fashion Kapitol was supposed to open last friday in time for the Christmas period, but this has been pushed back to February next year because they say they have been having huge problems with the contractor. He is a lazy bum it seems. SHAME on you!

My contact also knows the architect for Transport House, who apprently is looking most despondent about the whole project because the JDA keeps on shifting the goals as to what they want. My contact also reckons that the project is in the wrong place, and that they should rather be focusing on other stuff such as performance venues, since this is what Newtown is all about.

Central Place is also being messed about. Apparently they want to redesign the whole place, and retender the project AGAIN.

Drove past the hotel yesterday, and noticed that the Park Hyatt Johannesburg has been upgraded to a Hyatt Regency. Read today that the hotel is undergoing a 'light' refurbishment. New lighting, new flat screen plasma tv's and iPod docking stations in all rooms. Two floors are to reserved for the 'Regency Club', which will have its own dedicated checkin/-out desks and more.

Drove past the hotel yesterday, and noticed that the Park Hyatt Johannesburg has been upgraded to a Hyatt Regency. Read today that the hotel is undergoing a 'light' refurbishment. New lighting, new flat screen plasma tv's and iPod docking stations in all rooms. Two floors are to reserved for the 'Regency Club', which will have its own dedicated checkin/-out desks and more.

They very much needed that light refurbishment. The TVs in the rooms where absolutely appaling (for a five star). The hotel needs to up its service, I know a lot of people that complain after staying there. Service is horrible. Some people never get their wake-up calls. The upgrade will not fix this, but I hope some manager will give them a kick up the ass. This hotel is in such a great location, and should do better.

The CBD is def on the way up. It differs from CT in terms of attracting middle class tenants - 8K - 10K a month income group. CT central gentrified and became very touristy. So Jozi will always look different from CT CBD, but hey, we aint complaining.

Rentals soar in Johannesburg CBD
2007/09/05

A new breed of young, upwardly mobile tenants are moving into Johannesburg's inner city, with thousands of rental flats starting to come on stream as the office-to-flat conversion and refurbishment trend gains momentum.

Even former no-go areas such as Hillbrow and Berea are starting to lure back middle class residents as more and more investors turn abandoned high-rise blocks of flats into modern rental apartments.

Jozi Housing has over the past four years already converted around 20 buildings in Hillbrow and Berea - most of which were previously hijacked by slumlords - into 1,250 bachelor and one-bedroom flats.

Sandy Barnes, chief executive of Jozi Housing, says rentals vary between R1,600 and R2,300 per month. Most of their tenants earn a monthly income of between R8k and R10k.

Barnes says there's such a desperate shortage of inner city accommodation priced below R3k per month that their buildings are all fully let. They don't even keep waiting lists as demand far outstrips supply.

For instance, when Jozi Housing launched a 96-unit refurbished building in Hillbrow a few months ago, 600 prospective tenants applied. Barnes believes that the most important factor for inner city tenants is security.

The Affordable Housing Company (Afhco), which is 50% owned by the Old Mutual Infrastructure, Development & Environmental Assets (Ideas) Fund, is also involved in a number of inner city housing projects. Afhco will eventually create around 4,000 rental units in New Doornfontein, the Jeppe Street area and the so-called fashion precinct north-east of the city.

Sean Friend, Ideas Fund spokesman, says the young workforce now starting to move into the inner city is bringing a new sense of community to downtown Jo'burg. The key driver for many of these tenants is to live closer to work, which allows them to save on transport costs.

Friend agrees with Barnes that tenants' priorities are safety and cleanliness. As such, Afhco's blocks of flats are access-controlled, with a turnstile and biometrics in the form of a thumbprint scanner and a system where visitor access is strictly controlled by security guards.

Friend says tenants like the rigidity of the system and the peace of mind it brings. "The extra investment pays off. We've found that the tenants actively support these controls rather than railing against them. We've also found that the nicer the buildings are architecturally, the better they will let.'

Listed property fund ApexHi, who recently entered the inner city housing market through a joint venture with Aengus Property Holdings, own a rental portfolio of 25 buildings in Braamfontein, Berea, Hillbrow and Parktown. These bachelor and one-bedroom flats fetch monthly rentals of between R2,500 and R3k.

ApexHi CEO Gerald Leissner says if they had 10,000 more flats in the Johannesburg CBD they would rent them out tomorrow. - Joan Muller

Tom, you were saying something about city re-mix... Here is a great article!

Yeoville's art
deco blooms again

An entrepreneurial property developer is putting the gloss back on Yeoville, building by building. And he is boosting property rentals and building values.


September 4, 2007
By Lucille Davie

WHILE the City and developers are hamstrung by having to find alternative accommodation for tenants when they wish to refurbish buildings, one man has found a solution: he creates alternative accommodation.

Property entrepreneur Graham Pieterse, the chief executive of City Re-mix, says he has created 18 "bachelor communals" from four flats in Yeoville's Athol Court. A "bachelor communal" is a single room of some 24m² with a small kitchenette, a basin, a built-in bedroom cupboard and sufficient space for a double bed. Communal bathrooms cater for the 18 flats.

"We just took advantage of the status quo," Pieterse says. "We didn't fight the system." People are already renting single rooms in three-bedroomed flats or houses, so he has simply taken the idea and upgraded the room, giving it basic cooking capabilities and storage capacity, and then rented it out.

"It's been a major success, and is affordable at R1 400 to R1 800 a month. Athol Court has become a five-star hostel."

Only two people per room are allowed, and inspections are carried out to ensure this rule is maintained. And the security in the building has been upgraded as part of the deal.

Pieterse has converted four other buildings in Yeoville and Bellevue to bachelor communals, and has bought a further 38 properties in Yeoville, Bellevue and Bellevue East, most of them in the immediate vicinity of Rockey Street, to be renovated as flats. Another 14 buildings are being registered.

Art deco buildings
Pieterse particularly likes Yeoville because of its profusion of art deco buildings. He plans to restore the ones he owns to their former splendour and so help to regain the distinctive cosmopolitan feel of Yeoville. "I don't want a Melrose Arch or Sandton – I want the bohemian feel, I want to promote African culture. We want to work with cultures we've got there, like Zimbabweans and Nigerians."
Yeoville has come a long way. Declared in 1891, with scattered houses with attractive features like turrets, chimneys and Victorian verandas, these days the suburb is an interesting mix of single- and double-storey homes interspersed with residential blocks no taller than five storeys. The only other suburbs in Joburg dominated by blocks of flats are Killarney and Hillbrow, the latter with particularly tall blocks.

All building in the neighbourhood stopped during the depression of 1929, but resumed again in 1933, at the height of the art deco craze that was gripping the world. The suburb has over two dozen art deco residential blocks, some quite quirky but most true to the style of portholes, symmetrical lines, rounded corners and balconies, but with modernist touches.

The architects of the times took up the challenges of Yeoville's hills and dales with relish – the blocks curve imaginatively around corners, adding style to the suburb.

At first it was an English upper-middle class suburb, with a large Jewish community - there are seven synagogues in Yeoville - and a Portuguese section. "It was a happy, mixed community," says Flo Bird, the chairperson of the Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust, a body championing the heritage of the city.

Gradually, through the 1990s, the nature of the suburb changed – Nigerians, Congolese and Zimbabweans moved in and other languages were heard on the streets. The nightclubs and bars that line Rockey and Raleigh streets attracted drug dealers, and the suburb became rough around the edges.

Overcrowding added to this roughness and, by the late 1990s, Yeoville was looking decidedly jaded.

Changing fortunes
But its fortunes have turned in the past few years. In line with Johannesburg's desire to revitalise the inner city, of which Yeoville is a suburb, the Yeoville park was revamped in 2006 and re-opened in May this year, providing a necessary green lung.
"We are proud to have played a role in the revitalising of the park," the chief executive of the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), Lael Bethlehem, said at the time.

In addition, over the next year the agency will spend R12-million on a revitalisation programme in the suburb.

There have also been several clean-up campaigns in the past year. Pikitup has placed 200 swivel bins and 1 500 240-litre bins in Yeoville and Bellevue, and has supplied residential blocks with more wheelie bins. Several large underground bins are being considered.

In late 2004, a Yeoville resident, Gabrielle Ozynski, tiled the entrance to the Yeoville swimming pool with mosaic, uplifting that corner of Raleigh Street. She said she had hoped to change "something worthless into an attractive corner".

The Rockey/Raleigh Street City Improvement District (CID) is in the early stages of establishment. It will run from Joe Slovo Drive in the west to De La Rey Street in the east. Business owners will contribute to the improvement of the street by means of levies, which will pay for guards and cleaners.


Rent-a-Painter and Rent-a-Builder
Pieterse started off in the painting business in the northern suburbs of Greenside, Parkhurst and Parkview. His business, Rent-a-Painter, soon grew to include Rent-a-Builder.
But he came to feel that his customers were taking advantage of him – he would paint a house and never receive the final payment, with the owner raising petty complaints about the work, and it wasn't worth his while to take them to court. He found his patience running short with these "white collar criminals" and felt he needed a new strategy.

And so he bought Astonia Mansions in Braamfontein, converting it into single-room student accommodation. From there Pieterse shifted his focus to Yeoville. He bought buildings taken over by building hijackers and endured death threats while negotiating to get prostitutes and drug dealers out.

He could raise debt finance to buy the buildings, but not equity finance to turn them around, he explains, and turned to the Trust for Urban Housing Finance (TUHF). Pieterse ascribes the move as the "reason for his success".

"We went out with faith, saw a bargain and bought it," he says. "Luck plays a big part, our timing was very good. We just bought and bought and bought."

TUHF is a development finance company that provides short- and medium-term loans for buying and improving residential properties, particularly in inner city areas. It finances projects from R50 000 to R10-million. The company began in June 2003 and is based in Joburg, but has recently spread its wings to Durban and East London.

TUHF's strategy is to concentrate on small areas, thereby creating buoyant residential property markets within specific neighbourhoods. It makes loans on the basis of companies having yearly targets of acquisitions; they are penalised if they don't buy properties.

Rentals
Within six months, because of rapid growth, Pieterse could refinance the business. "We went out on a limb; we raised the bar for rental prices."
People said that he wouldn't get decent rentals in Yeoville - he wanted to charge R3 500. He has proved them wrong; he gets that rental for two-bedroomed flats in the suburb and R4 500 for three-bedroomed flats.

What he offered for that price was secure and safe buildings - and more. Where people previously would have caught two or three taxis to work, spending hours on the road, Pieterse offered them a place to stay close to their places of work and a decent place to live.

"I actually prefer tenants in the UDZ [urban development zone – the CBD and surrounds]. They are so appreciative," he says.

He compares this with the four houses he owns and rents out in Greenside and Roosevelt Park. Here he gets "grudge rental", with tenants complaining frequently about little things.

Of course, a big factor in achieving the rentals he wants is selecting tenants carefully. They are properly screened; they are interviewed and references are checked. And there are strict rules at the student accommodation in Braamfontein – they have a 10pm curfew and have fingerprinting access control into the building.

He has converted one building into sectional title. Three years ago flats were selling for between R25 000 to R40 000, now they fetch prices in the R150 000 to R180 000 bracket.

Beacon Royal
One of Pieterse's most successful refurbishments is Beacon Royal, on the corner of Louis Botha Avenue and Grafton Road, in Yeoville.
Bird describes the building: "It is a fine art deco building designed by Obel and Obel (of Astor Mansions and Circle Court). But it became very dilapidated and was taken over by hijackers. Even they despaired and actually sold the building that they didn't own!"

The Beacon Royal before its refurb
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/beaconroyal.jpg

Pieterse bought it for R450 000 in 2004, and refurbished it for R2-million. He estimates that its value now is R4-million, achieved in just two and a half years.

The renovated Beacon Royal, back to its former splendour
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/beaconroyal2.jpg

Built in 1934, the splendid building had become very rundown and by 2002 it looked like a "dumping site". Windows were broken, paint was peeling, water damage was evident, toilets were not functioning, electricity had been cut off, and tenants were using candles and primus stoves, Bird says.

City authorities said it was too dangerous for an inspector to enter the building. "There seemed no hope it would survive," she adds.

When Pieterse bought it, he had to obtain a court order to evict the hijackers, who threatened him. The City's taskforce finally cleared the hijackers, however, and in October 2005 refurbishment began.

"What had been a cesspit is now an attractive and happy block of flats again, with its original architectural beauty again apparent," Bird adds.

Rockey Street acquisitions
City Re-mix's investments haven't stopped at residential acquisitions. Pieterse says there seems to be no sense in improving people's living standards without offering them better places to shop and socialise.
So the next move was to look at the shops and businesses along Rockey Street. His company has bought 13 commercial properties along the busy street, or 10 percent of the commercial area.

He expects transfer in six to nine months and plans to refurbish the shops, with a view to attracting retailers like Woolworths and restaurant chains like News Café.

A return of 25 to 35 percent is not enough to get excited about, he says, adding that returns of over 200 percent are being achieved.

"There has been a big buying boom in the past year – a mushrooming of refurbishment overnight. There is such a great demand."

And although he has a need for more equity finance, he is not daunted. "In my soul I am confident it's going to happen."

Pieterse says the market value of his investments is R59-million.

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/artdeco001.jpg

http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa259/granova/glentoncourt.jpg

Drove past the hotel yesterday, and noticed that the Park Hyatt Johannesburg has been upgraded to a Hyatt Regency. Read today that the hotel is undergoing a 'light' refurbishment. New lighting, new flat screen plasma tv's and iPod docking stations in all rooms. Two floors are to reserved for the 'Regency Club', which will have its own dedicated checkin/-out desks and more.

I would not consider the conversion to a Hyatt Regency to be an upgrade but rather a downgrade as the Park Hyatt brand is the exclusive brand for Hyatt and Park Hyatt hotels are like designer hotels with personalised service while the Hyatt Regency is like Hilton or Sheraton, the core brand of the group. I think that while the hotel is being revamped as it hasn't really been since it opened in 1996, it's profile has not kept up with other Park Hyatts such as the ones in Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo, hence the realignment of the Johannesburg hotel with the main Regency brand. The hotel may also be facing competition from the Melrose Arch Hotel which took the designer clientele from the Hyatt.

Where does the Grand Hyatt sit on the scale?
I would agree with you that the Hyatt Regency in Joburg is more along the lines of the Sheraton and the Hilton. It isn't a boutique hotel at all!

Where does the Grand Hyatt sit on the scale?
I would agree with you that the Hyatt Regency in Joburg is more along the lines of the Sheraton and the Hilton. It isn't a boutique hotel at all!

Grand Hyatts are 1,000 rooms or more like the one in Cairo.

I went to see Rent last night at the newly opened Alexander Theatre in Braamfontein. They have done a REALLY good job in making it looks spick and span! The only element missing was a supporting nightlife scene, as there are only a few cafes in Braamfontein and they're all closed at night. Which is a pity, since the area seemed safer to me than other areas such as Melville.

It would be nice if Siemends Street (where the Alexander is) was developed into a viable entertainment strip. The police station is right there, and at the top of Siemends one can find the Civic Theatre complex and park.

Grand Hyatts are 1,000 rooms or more like the one in Cairo.

not nessisarily, I stay regularly at the Grand Hyatt in Paris which is next to my office and it has 86 keys.

as for Cairo, another one I stay at regulary and it has 712 keys. Im actually using the ID cosultants who did Cairo for my Cairo hotel.

Grand is just the middle 5* grading name for Hyatt, below Grand is Regency and above is Park. Grands are typically the flagship (as they are typically bigger than regency or Park) and was the first of the Hyatt sub brands so its more established and you will find more of them

I would not consider the conversion to a Hyatt Regency to be an upgrade but rather a downgrade as the Park Hyatt brand is the exclusive brand for Hyatt and Park Hyatt hotels are like designer hotels with personalised service while the Hyatt Regency is like Hilton or Sheraton, the core brand of the group. I think that while the hotel is being revamped as it hasn't really been since it opened in 1996, it's profile has not kept up with other Park Hyatts such as the ones in Sydney, Melbourne and Tokyo, hence the realignment of the Johannesburg hotel with the main Regency brand. The hotel may also be facing competition from the Melrose Arch Hotel which took the designer clientele from the Hyatt.

Mosi I agree completly, I work very closely with Hyatt people and my contact is a South Africa chick in Chicago. Anyways its deffinalty a down grade as apposed to an upgrade and it drops to the lowest of the Hyatt sub brands.
Hotels need minor refub every 5 years and a major every 10. This seems to be the reason that Hyatt have downgraded the property as the owner has not fullfilled their responsibilties with relation to continued investment in the property

On the topic of Hyatt... I wonder what ever happened to the rumours about 2 years ago about a Hyatt opening on Constitution Hill... Hmmmm

On the topic of Hyatt... I wonder what ever happened to the rumours about 2 years ago about a Hyatt opening on Constitution Hill... Hmmmm

There is so much fighting going on between blueiq and the jda that the constitution hill site is not attracting all the visitors it should be, and not developing fast enough. Some want to build a bowling alley. Others an aquarium! They will get moving soon though. I know a hotel will be a part of the development. A Hyatt? Im not sure. As far as Im concerned, the one in rosebank is rather ugh, with nothing to get excited about. Im not sure whether it is doing to well... I can see a smaller, boutique hotel fitting into CH development. Not a Hyatt though.

To be honest, I think the only thing really keeping the Hyatt going is the fact that quite a few airlines use them for their crew.

To be honest, I think the only thing really keeping the Hyatt going is the fact that quite a few airlines use them for their crew.

I think that does make up a rather large part of their business. We have had international delegates staying there, and they were not happy. Bad service, unfriendly staff, crap ameneties in the rooms. One of our most senior researchers was moved three times within a period of 8days, because of messups with room bookings downstairs! He was standing around for 30minutes to be booked in. When he got to his room (by 3 in the afternoon) it was not made up yet! Disgraceful.

They need to get their act together. A new boutique hotel is opening down the road. Another hotel is under construction, the Rosebank is under refurbishment and the Grace is awesome as always. The Hyatt might work itself out of the market by being this laid-back.

Hyatt are not happy with it and are activly looking at other options in SA. Keen on the V&A and Sandton at the momnet

On the topic of Hyatt... I wonder what ever happened to the rumours about 2 years ago about a Hyatt opening on Constitution Hill... Hmmmm


I'll ask my contact.. :)
But I think it has to do with the JDA and their seemingly slow progress in getting things done. I think they're held back by lots of red tape.

Either that, or Hyatt pulled out. There is no retail or entertainment in the immediate vicinity, and there is still a very dodgy part of Hillbrow a few blocks away from Con Hill, so I don't know how clever they would have been opening there...

Hyatt are not happy with it and are activly looking at other options in SA. Keen on the V&A and Sandton at the momnet


Why don't they just kick the manager's ass? They would be stupid to let go of that position. It's PRIME property!

It all starts with management. Rosebank is prime property, and they would be stupid to let it go to waste. Its safer than Sandton, in my view much more vibrant as well.

We have funky toilets! We have funky toilets! And funky as in funky and not as in funky... if you know what I mean.

'Toilets play a very important role'

September 06 2007 at 09:44AM

Public toilets in Johannesburg have always been a stinky subject and the butt of many jokes.

But, all 33 inner-city toilets have been revamped and now resemble something out of an interior design magazine, fully tiled with drop lights over bordered mirrors, with soap dispensers and hand dryers, The Star reported on Thursday.

The toilets now have a team of permanent cleaners stationed there the whole day, whose job is to keep the ablutions clean.

The importance of public toilets is finally being recognised, said Jay Sunker, director of City of Johannesburg corporate services and facilities management and maintenance.

"Toilets play a very important role in any city. Over the past few years our toilets were in a terrible condition. They were not being cleaned regularly.

"We slowly started upgrading them all and have completed the last one. We have constant spot checks throughout the day and we can confidently say that 99 percent of the time the toilets are spotless."
One of the problems experienced was vandalism, but it had dropped dramatically since the upgrades, said Sunker.

"We have used as much vandal-proof materials as we could."

The theft of toilet seats remains a problem but because the cleaners are there all the time and can see what is going on through one-way glass(ARE THEY WATCHING US?), the incidence of vandalism had dropped, said Sunker.

Another problem was that people were breaking into the toilets at night to sleep or to store goods in.

The ablutions have now all been secured with fencing and lighting.

There are two bathhouses for the homeless and for those living in blocks of flats where the water has been cut off in Esselen Street, Hillbrow, and one in the city centre in Albert Street. People can shower and do their washing in an outside area, the report said. - Sapa

Hyatt are not happy with it and are activly looking at other options in SA. Keen on the V&A and Sandton at the momnet

That may be true but they have a disadvantage compared to other groups.

I think that does make up a rather large part of their business. We have had international delegates staying there, and they were not happy. Bad service, unfriendly staff, crap ameneties in the rooms. One of our most senior researchers was moved three times within a period of 8days, because of messups with room bookings downstairs! He was standing around for 30minutes to be booked in. When he got to his room (by 3 in the afternoon) it was not made up yet! Disgraceful.

They need to get their act together. A new boutique hotel is opening down the road. Another hotel is under construction, the Rosebank is under refurbishment and the Grace is awesome as always. The Hyatt might work itself out of the market by being this laid-back.

I agree. The hotel has struggled since it opened. Originally it was going to be a Regency when they announced entry into SA in Sept 1993 and with the euphoria after the 1994 election and the tourist boom they revised the plan to a Park Hyatt at a time when there were only two other five star hotels in the city.

Hyatt are not happy with it and are activly looking at other options in SA. Keen on the V&A and Sandton at the momnet

Hyatt has been looking at the V&A Waterfront for the past 15 years but never moved while they kept just one small hotel in Rosebank.

Mosi I agree completly, I work very closely with Hyatt people and my contact is a South Africa chick in Chicago. Anyways its deffinalty a down grade as apposed to an upgrade and it drops to the lowest of the Hyatt sub brands.
Hotels need minor refub every 5 years and a major every 10. This seems to be the reason that Hyatt have downgraded the property as the owner has not fullfilled their responsibilties with relation to continued investment in the property

To be honest I never really cared for the Hyatt in Rosebank as it looks like a drab colourless building designed in the 1970s and looks like a mausoleum with it's tiny windows that were made small apparently to make it look safe due to crime. The Hyatt lags well behind the Michaelangelo and even the Sandton Sun. I wouldn't even compare it to the Grace in Rosebank which is consistently ranked as the top hotel in Jozi by the international travel magazines followed by the Michaelangelo and the Westcliff while the Hyatt has never featured.

The Johannesburg Sun and Towers are two buildings that operated as a hotel until 2002. the 40-story tower could possibly be the tallest vacant building in Africa. The towers should be converted to something else because they are a failure as a hotel.

That may be true but they have a disadvantage compared to other groups.

Not really Mosi, Hyatt are the best run brand by a long shot. They have the best technical services and management principles and are culling older hotels to create a better brand from with in. In SA not many people can afford to develop the 2 best Hotel brands (Hyatt and Four Seasons) so they only appeal to institutional investors and developers (typically Kingdom or IFA mainl;y Asian and Middle Eastern) developers. You can build 4 Souther Suns or Proteas etc for 1 Hyatt so you wont find a Hyatt on every corner and SA may only supprt 3 max properties for them,Remember that Hayy is a business focused (yes they have leisure properties) but make money out of being in the right business location so Sa really only has 2 core Hyatt areas of the V&A and Sandton/Rosebank etc

Hi all! Give me your opinions.... If you had only two days to show someone around Joburg.... what would you show them? I have a friend from Belgium coming past, and will only have two days to show her what Joburg has to offer....

Thanks!

Would go to constitutional court for a quick visit - in my view much better if you have time constraints (compared to apartheid museum). And you also get a nice view of the city and hillbrow. It depends if she is interested in the history of course.

Lunch at moyos Zoo Lake is perfect this time of year. Awesome vibe, good food, music etc. And hectic, any of those restaurants in greenside, parkhurst etc. would be perfect for another lunch date.

Melville for a night out. Go pub crawling. Ja, its sounds done, but in my experience all of our international students had immense fun in melllies.

Maybe spend the day at goldreef? I know it sounds kitch, but it is actually a lot of fun... plus it gives you a good overview of the history of the city. The tower of terror...

Rosebank african craft market - always a hit. I like rosebank more than sandton - and if she is here on a sunday the rosebank market is a lot of fun.

So I would start day one at Con Hill, move on to Zoo Lake for lunch. Then go on to the African Craft market, and party the night away in melville?

I would add to that a trip around town: park around Gandhi square, go for lunch at one of the restaurants there, then walk through town and head up the Carlton Centre. You get a great sense of being in an African city and also get a good perspective of one from the top of the Carlton.

And it's only R7,50 to go up... ridiculously cheap, really.

Thanks guys! She actually did ask about the Apartheid Museum... but i think maybe 'tis better to do the Court. And I still think Gold Reef is lotsa fun. Definitely do lunch at Moyo's at the Lake. YAY I'm so excited!

i agree tom... the CBD is avoided by most tourists, and actually there is quite a lot to see. Its african, it has european roots etc. Places to go? Capello's, Nino's, Pino's (my favorite...). Or go to sophiatown in newtown. Also quite hot.

For the apartheid museum you need time. if she really wants to do this it is worth while. In my view one of the best museums. Just do something fun afterwards, because it can be very depressing.

Another option? Have breakfast somewhere in Greenside, then go to rosebank market. After this you can spend the afternoon at the museum and slowly make your way back north. Even Moyo's in Melrose will be awesome at night if they have live music.

And Roka in 44 Stanley is fun too if you go on the right night.
Also try the Fuel Cafe in Newtown. It's gawwwgeous.

Also a trip to Soweto would be fun too. Even just a drive by is usually enough for most tourists to just get an appreciation of what the place they have heard so much about really looks like.

Also a trip to Soweto would be fun too. Even just a drive by is usually enough for most tourists to just get an appreciation of what the place they have heard so much about really looks like.

Great idea kulani...

gawwwgeous, Tommy? Watching a lot of little britain recently?

Dont think we will really be able to do any 'partying' or so... she will be here over Sunday/Monday/Tuesday...

Waltjie, what time will she be here and what time is she leaving on tuesday?

And where will you be driving from?

I once had to show someone around in 2 days and I covered plenty of places. I guess Melville and Zoo Lake are the ones that will consume much of your time but I guess that if she is in for seeing Joburg more tha spending time relaxing, i might have an idea of what you can show her.

First thing make sue that the both of you have got your DIGITAL cameras in hand and you should be on the road at about 09:00, that's if she will arrive early. If she comes a bit later, then you will have to cut your times.

************** Sunday ***************

1. On Sunday take a drive from North on M1, show her Sandton skyline but do not drive there yet then head straight to Gold Reef City and try by all means not to have eats or drinks
so that you spend less than an hour. There's a Helicopter ride fo which you gonna have to spend R400 for a fly over Gol Reef and the City Centre.

2. From Gold Reef city back on M1 north and take Empire road to Melville and on your way show her SABC head offices and then drive into Melville's 7 Street. Spend less than 3 hours and
here visit at least 2 joints where in one you eat and the other have drinks. In all these places have very light meals.

3. On your way back, i guess it will be after 12:00 go drive back to Empire road and then take Jan Smuts road into Braamfontein then got drive over Mandela Bridge to Newtown. As you pass
by the taxi rank, don't forget to tell her about the taxi recapitalization. Also tell her how taxis are important to the growth of our economy.

4. In Newtown, go to Shivava, even if you can have 2 drinks. That will give her a great African feel and don't mind to park your car there and take a walk to Sophiatown Pub, Capello etc.
Take her to Market Theatre as they selling small African Cratf outside, may be you can spoil her with a necklace. Don't spend much time there as it’s not as vibey as in a friday or saturday.

5. From Newtown take a drive back to Braamfontein and take Smith Street to hillbrow. That street will make you pass Gautrain Construction site and manouvre inside hillbrow and then straight to Ellis Park Stadium so that she can see Ponte, Johannesburg and Ellis Park Stadium but you then gonna have to turn back so that you go take Jan Smuts to Zoo Lake where you will have to take a rest and enjoy the sounds of birds and Moyo resturant. Here you can leave after 19:00 but do not drink too much.

6. You will then have to head back to M1 North and take her to Melrose Arch for a night chill.



************** End of Sunday**********




************* Monday ****************

1. At about 09:00, take N1 South, Bloemfontein, and take Nasrec off ramp and go show her FNB Stadium then go on M1 North and head to Jozi City Centre. Use Sauer Street to get into the city and from there turn into Main Street and take her for breakfast at Ninos. After breakfast leave your car parked there and take a walk to Ghandi Square with your camera. I assure you its safe.
Then take her to Carlton Centre Centre's 50th floor just for viewing Joburg and taking pics.From there go back to your car and drive on main street and turn left so that you can drive straight to Braamfontein.

2. In Braamfontein take a turn into Constitution Hill and spend not more than an hour.

3. Then drive to Rosebank for lunch and from there you take her to Sandton but don't spend too much time.

4. From here drive her to Zoo in Pretoria, then to Union Building and then to one fo the pubs around Pretoria.


PS - Try by all means to drive into Soweto so that she can go see Mandela's House, Hector Peterson Museum etc and it will be good before you go to FNB Stadium.

************** End of Sunday**********



I hope gents will add or even edit, but I tried to cover as much as I can. Try to see if you can fit in Lion King, if there's a space and Umoja. You must also take her to Monte Casino and ride on a balloon with her and do birds watching.

WOW! Thanks so much for taking so much of you time to write this for me! I really do appreciate it!! I have lots of ideas now... I will be sure to give you guys feedback on what we end up doing.

Thanks again everyone! :)

So who has a bicycle?

On Friday night (at dusk) a team of die-hard Joburgers who met on facebook are getting together to cycle through the city and 'take back the streets of Jozi.'

The event is called Critical Mass, and if you're interested, you can find the group of facebook called 'Critical Mass (Johannesburg).'

Of course.. for those of you not on facebook.. eish, sorrie 4 u. ;)

Rent has been extended for another month.

Ya'll should totally go see it because...

1. The theatre rocks
2. It's in Braamfontein
3. The theatre rocks
4. the show is MAGNIFICENT
5. the voices are top-class
6. the theatre rocks
7. the acting is superb
8. the theatre rocks (it has pretty lights outside)
9. the music is fun and bouncey
10. the theatre rocks

:-)

A review from represent.co.za

Seems like RENT at the recently refurbished Alexandra Theatre in Braamies has been extended an extra month - till the end of October - lucky Jozi peeps - make sure NOT to miss out on a fabulous show and if you’re in CT - get booking. John caught the show:

Wow! I felt like a pirate finding buried treasure ! The Alexandra theatre was recently renovated and re-opened and what a gem. The place is beautiful, situated in Braamfontein, and reminded me of the golden days of theatre in Johannesburg.

It has a different feel than the Market and a fabulously big theatre and new bar.

Enough about the venue ! RENT was fabulous ! The cast is young and full of energy. It had some familiar faces like Ilse Klink (Isidingo - who knew she could sing this well??) and Aubrey Poo (Muvhango). The pace is fast and energetic and the vocals are strong and solid.

The story revolves around a group of friends living in a rundown building in New York during the eighties. One of their friends inherits a lot of dough and wants to turn the building into a cyber studio (what ever that is…) and wants to throw them out – they cannot pay their rent (hence the name). The tenants owe rent for the previous year and struggle to eat – the place is cold and damp – everyone is trying to make it in entertainment, tv, music and the like.

The piece had two sections making it quite a long play – almost three hours – but it is well worth it. The songs ranged from deep and touching to beautifully crafted vocals, to outright fun and games. The story is more complicated than the usual political piece or pantomime – but left us sad at times – I even developed a bit of a flu nose at one point – and laughed out loud at other times.

This production is big – the set is beautiful and sports a corner where a five piece band sits producing all the music “live” for the show. What a band ! The sound was brilliant allowing the musician’s talents to shine. Music director Bryan Schimmel impressed with some stunning music from which looked like a young band. The dance sequences were good as well with some filling the complete stage with cast members.

The cast is big – the main characters make up about half and the rest are street people. The whole thing is done in “American” which turned out much better than I expected.

This is quality stuff. Everyone will find something here. I wish we had more professional productions like this.

Go watch it ! You’ll miss out if you don’t.

So who has a bicycle?

On Friday night (at dusk) a team of die-hard Joburgers who met on facebook are getting together to cycle through the city and 'take back the streets of Jozi.'

The event is called Critical Mass, and if you're interested, you can find the group of facebook called 'Critical Mass (Johannesburg).'

Of course.. for those of you not on facebook.. eish, sorrie 4 u. ;)

Wow! What a BOLD move!!! I sure hope this gets a lot of exposure!!!

Hi Joburgers. Quick note about the opening match in JHB last night. In short, it was amazing. Not just for the cricket, but because of the amazing vibe and atmosphere created by the crowd. I kept wishing I was there. What a difference from the dismal atmosphere at the cricket WC in the West Indies a few months ago.

I think the JHB crowd has now set the benchmark against which the crowds for the rest of the T20 tournament must be measured. Last night's atmosphere can only encourage and inspire crowds elsewhere. If this was the vibe in the opening match, I can only imagine what the final in JHB will be like. Good going guys and keep it up!

Yep i've been to a few provincial T20 games, and all i can say is wow.. It's an absolute jol, Wanderer's is always packed to capacity even if it's not the most important game, ppl just go cos they know they gonna have an awesome time. I would seriously recommend going to the finals if you have the chance, it should be insane

I think the fact that it's one big slog of 6's and 4's really helps matters.

And YAY for the Zimbos beating the Aussies last night!!!!! :)

Revised naming policy approved

September 13, 2007
By Ndaba Dlamini

A REVISED policy on the naming and renaming of streets and other public places has been approved by the City of Johannesburg.

The initial policy was drafted and approved in 2001; the revised document seeks to regulate and standardise the processes involved in the naming and renaming of streets, parks and municipal buildings. It also seeks to inform and influence the types of names that are chosen for various features as well as spell out the naming and renaming procedures that should be followed.

The policy covers three areas - the naming of unnamed features, the renaming of currently named features and naming as part of township establishment.

Council spokesperson Virgil James explains that it is revised every four years "to keep up with the times".

"[Following] its approval in 2001, the policy was first revised in 2004. The revisions are mainly made to maintain the relevance of the policy because there are a lot of changes that take place within the City and the community."

In the recent second revision, comprehensive principles that have to be adhered to in the naming and renaming process have been introduced. Two sections have been added - street naming as part of township establishment and naming and renaming of private streets.

Place making

According to the revised policy, the City recognises the naming and renaming of streets and other public places as being an integral part of place making. This includes the creation of places that people can relate to and in which they can take pride.

"Naming is also an important element of service delivery as it promotes legibility and facilitates the effective delivery of services such as policing, emergency services and billing for services consumed," it states.

The City has jurisdiction over the naming of features such as streets, municipal buildings, squares, parks and cemeteries that are under its control. But the policy also guides the naming of private features such as streets and buildings.

The naming of suburbs, highways, railway stations and government dams is the responsibility of the national government, and they are not included in the policy.

Certain criteria have to be followed when naming and renaming streets, public open spaces and public buildings and the decision to name or rename must first go through the council.

Famous names

Proposed names should be under themes, like flora and fauna. Only in exceptional cases should people's names be used, and submissions or petitions to name something after a person must be motivated, indicating why that specific person is worthy of the honour. A detailed profile of the person should also be included.

In the rare instances that features are named after a person, the full name and surname must be used; for example, it must be Joe Slovo Drive and not Joe Drive or Slovo Drive.

For religious and cultural reasons, cemeteries cannot be named after people, but can be named for the geographical areas in which they are located.

The policy lists criteria for the identification and allocation of names, including the stipulation that names cannot be duplicated and that there cannot be any confusingly similar names; there also cannot be names of which the spelling or pronunciation may cause confusion because of a correlation with existing names. Names of well-known places in other countries and the names of other countries should be avoided.

Features cannot be named after people who are still alive, although there are exceptional cases, like Miriam Makeba and Noria Mabasa streets in Newtown. These streets were named after mayoral committee decisions were taken.

Renaming

Renaming features needs strong motivation - names can be changed if the existing name is considered offensive, historically irrelevant or where the name change "is desirable to promote the goodwill of people now living in the new South Africa" reads the policy.

Examples are Hendrik Verwoerd and Hans Strijdom drives in Randburg. These were recently renamed Braam Fischer and Malibongwe drives, respectively. According to the City, renaming the streets was motivated by a drive to revitalise the area.

Any ideas, proposals or requests to rename features should be submitted to the office of the executive director in the development planning and urban management unit and should include the proposed name and the reasons for the name change.

The executive director and the City's naming/renaming committee may then submit a report to the council for a decision. If the council decides to go ahead with the renaming, the executive director will inform the ward councillor or councillors of that particular area, to begin the public participation.

If the features that are being renamed are local roads or facilities, the executive director and the ward councillor will discuss the issue. Public notices will be placed on site and at prominent and strategic places, such as at schools, clinics and libraries, calling for public comment.

In some instances, meetings with residents and other relevant stakeholders will be held. Once the public and the ward councillor have given their views, a report will be submitted to the mayoral committee for approval. Once the new name is approved, the responsible authority will put up notices on site and in public places.

Unnamed features

Naming unnamed features follows almost the same procedure. But it must be undertaken as part of a township development or establishment and for public open spaces and other facilities as part of their initial development.
Not all the streets in Johannesburg are public streets; some, especially in housing estates, are private property. The City does not have the authority to name or rename these private streets, but there does need to be some regulation. The policy recommends that the owner of a private street who wants to name or rename it, make a submission to the executive director in the development planning and urban management unit. The submission should include:

Proof of ownership;
A locality map;
Motivation for the renaming;
Proposed new name; and
A signed petition confirming that the majority of residents on the street support the proposed new name.
Once approved, the applicant must erect new signage according to the standards specified by the Johannesburg Road Agency.

Gents, please go check out this thread. I will be glad if you can start CT and Durbs threads.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=15375046#post15375046

Sunday Times' LIFESTYLE to day.

"South Africa sells the third-largest number of Aston Martin outside the UK and the US".


Developments in Sandton

1. 75 on Maude - 40 floors - Under-C, Is it the Seers?
2. Sandton Boulevard 1 - 31 floors - Proposed
3. Raddison SAS Hotel - 27 floors - Under-C
4. Sandton Boulevard 2 - 22 floors - Under-C
5. Nedbank Towers - 20 floors - Proposed, Head Office extension

Gents, please go check out this thread. I will be glad if you can start CT and Durbs threads.

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?p=#post

Pule, we have started similar threads before on skylines and cityscapes for Joburg, Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town. See below

Joburg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=442500

Durban
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=449999

Cape Town
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=310410

Pretoria
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=451479

Developments in Sandton

1. 75 on Maude - 40 floors - Under-C, Is it the Seers?
2. Sandton Boulevard 1 - 31 floors - Proposed
3. Raddison SAS Hotel - 27 floors - Under-C
4. Sandton Boulevard 2 - 22 floors - Under-C
5. Nedbank Towers - 20 floors - Proposed, Head Office extension


WOW P! Where did you get this information from? I think 75 on Maude must be Seers on Maude if it's already under construction.

But Sandton Boulevard 2 and the Nedbank Extension?? I'm creamin here.. :)

Top brands at Soweto's new mall
17 Sep 2007 - Inet Bridge -

Poppie Mphuthing

The Maponya Mall, due to open at the end of the month in Soweto, has attracted exclusive and international concept-driven retail outlets.

International Italian shoe company Geox, which entered the South African market through sole distribution in Spitz stores last month, will open its first concept store in sub-Saharan Africa at Maponya.

Geox founder and chairman Mario Polegato described the Geox concept store as “designed to be relaxed, friendly and approachable to shoppers”.

Polegato said: “South Africa is the most important country in Africa as far as marketing a product like luxury footwear is concerned. We chose Maponya Mall in Soweto as it is going to be one of the top malls in the country.

“The Maponya Mall represents the fastest-growing consumer group in the country who also have the biggest impact on the economy — Black Diamonds who are worth R180bn, 28% of South African spending power.”

International company Vlisco closed down its boutique store in Rosebank Mall in favour of opening Woodin Le Créateur, a mid-segment-price “one brand concept store” at Maponya as part of a new strategy. The group’s Ghana -based Africa retail manager, Addy van Veggel, said Woodin presented a “lifestyle brand” in the same vein as international brands Diesel, Guess and Nike.

Other labels that are opening stores include Guess, Levi’s, Aldo and Kurt Geiger. Pick ’n Pay and fast-food outlet McDonald’s are opening flagship branches.

Business Day

Pule, we have started similar threads before on skylines and cityscapes for Joburg, Durban, Pretoria and Cape Town. See below

Joburg
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=442500

Durban
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=449999

Cape Town
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=310410

Pretoria
http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=451479

Thanks Kuls, but its always good to tell if there's a thread like those.

Somehow I think Joburgers would be positively pissed off about kicking the library out and putting them somewhere else...

Virgin fancies Sandton Library
Published: Apr 03, 2007
Simpiwe Piliso

Friday August 11, 2006 10:27 - (SA)

Virgin, the international brand of British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson, wants to replace the Sandton Library, north of Johannesburg, with a mega retail store.

The Virgin Group, which has successful Virgin Megastores in Europe, now plans to roll out its international expansion to South Africa.

This week Virgin Mobile SA chief executive Sajeed Sacranie announced that the music- to-airlines group has plans to launch a regional low-cost airline and four flagship music and entertainment Virgin Megastores in SA.

Sacrine’s announcement on Tuesday comes almost two months after he first casually proposed it to Branson onboard a private learjet from Johannesburg to Cape Town.

Branson and Sacranie were on a national roadshow to launch Virgin Mobile, the group’s cellular network.

Shortly after briefing Sunday Times on the group’s cellular network roll-out plan onboard the plane, Sacranie told Branson that there was a market for Virgin Megastores in the country.

He said he had a "vision" of building one of the stores on Mandela Square in Sandton, north of Johannesburg.


“Right opposite the Nelson Mandela statue is the Sandton Library ... and I want to convert that into a Virgin Megastore. It’s the perfect place and we’d offer them a library somewhere else obviously. That’s the most fantastic location in South Africa ... so something like that would be brilliant,” said Sacranie.

Other Virgin Megastores would be launched in Pretoria, Cape Town and Durban.

The four-storey Sandton Library, overlooking Nelson Mandela Square, has been at its present location for the past 10 years after relocating from the neighbouring Sandton Civic Building.

Sacranie also suggested to Branson that a low cost airline would be a welcome addition to Branson’s Virgin empire.

“Prices people pay to go to Lusaka, Angola, Mozambique and Malawi are expensive ... you pay more than you pay for a flight to London,” Sacranie told the Virgin Group billionaire.

Branson asked Sacranie to submit a business plan to their London headquarters. “... And, seriously, send me a copy as well,” said Branson.

Sacranie told his boss that he and a Virgin Group senior executive had initially had their sights on taking over no- frills airline 1Time.

“At the time it [1Time] was small and had just taken off ... but it’s doing so well now,” he said.

The local low cost carriers, kulula.com and 1time, have reportedly stolen about 20% of the domestic market from SAA, whose market share had dropped from 70% to less than 50%.

Sacranie said Virgin’s low cost airline would link SA with several southern and central African countries.

Branson said he’d leave Sacranie to investigate the possibilities of the two ventures.

“But you’re going to cost me a lot of money,” he said.

The Virgin Group already has several operations in South Africa, including several upmarket gyms, its cellular business, a credit card joint venture with Absa and an exclusive game lodge.

Sunday Times Online

Well, they have a point. I love the library, but maybe they should move to more peaceful pastures...

Well, they have a point. I love the library, but maybe they should move to more peaceful pastures...

Yeah, they have a good point, it would be nice having a virgin megastore there. I can only imagine how difficult it is to pretend to be reading from that library with all the distractions. So let them move it elsewhere conducive to reading and use that place for more bling.

I agree entirely with you both. It would look awesome there, and it would open up that side of the Square to a lot more people.

It would be nice to see Doornfontein becoming full of industrial-chic apartments.. :)

Doornfontein Revival Starts
Business Day (Johannesburg)
19 September 2007
Posted to the web 19 September 2007

Nick Wilson
Johannesburg

AMDEC Property Development and its partners are redeveloping the 47000m' old Nedbank office block in Doornfontein, creating 924 affordable apartments and a 6000m' shopping centre .

James Wilson is CEO of Amdec, which owns 50% of the company that owns Johannesburg's mixed-use precinct Melrose Arch. He says Amdec is a partner in the redevelopment of 120 End Street in Doornfontein with Affordable Housing Company (AFHCO) and Chelsea Manhattan, a commercial property brokerage.

"We are led to believe that it is the single biggest affordable housing project housed in one building. We are developing it as rental stock," says Wilson.

Monthly r entals will vary from R1800 to R3000 . The total cost of the development is R240m. Construction has already begun and the first phase will be completed by the middle of next year.

Wilson says the 2010 Soccer World Cup was one of the considerations influencing the decision to invest in Doornfontein.

"It has to be also seen in the light of our general optimism towards the Johannesburg central business district and fringe CBD areas such as Doornfontein and outlying suburbs."

He says the World Cup will add "massive value and focus" on areas such as Bertrams and Doornfontein because of the predominance of stadiums in these areas.

"One of our motivations is that responsible property developers must be involved in supplying affordable housing. We need to relieve the housing shortage . Our belief is that all stable, great societies are built upon a strong middle class, and the bedrock of somebody in the middle class is home ownership. The knock-on effects of people owning their own house or living in an affordable house are unlimited. "

Wilson has not yet seen any significant increases in values in areas such as Doornfontein. "This is based on the fact that these suburbs have vast numbers of derelict and vacant buildings that need to be upgraded."

Amdec and AFHCO are also setting up a city improvement district with the intention of getting all property owners in Doornfontein to "upgrade or uplift their properties".

"Once we've achieved that we believe that will see significant property price growth."

Joburg Theatre continues to blossom... I'm going to go see the boy who fell from the roof on Saturday.

The Civic Theatre Complex - The Nelson Mandela Theatre

The Soweto Gospel Choir presents its new show, African Spirit. The theme of the show is a spiritual journey and the songs explore different aspects of the human spirit - love for one another, living together as a nation and love of life.

The show is on until 23 September and is followed by Mozart's Magic Flute, directed by William Kentridge.

It is a unique production intertwining live opera with animated film sequences on gauzes and screens. It tells the story of Pamino and Tamino who undergo trails by fire and water before they can be joined together forever.

Presented by Rand Merchant Bank, the opera runs from 29 September to 21 October.

The Civic Theatre Complex - Tesson Theatre

Jozi Dance Company is a mixture of seasoned pieces and new, commissioned works featuring Anton van Niekerk, Sifiso Kweyama, Songezo Mcilizeli, Mari-Louise Basson and emerging choreographers.

It is on from 24 October until 4 November.

Then, Groet Die Grotman is back by popular demand. This Afrikaans production of the hilarious comedy Defending the Caveman, runs from 20 November to 1 December. Written by Rob Becker, it explores the differences between the sexes and how those differences cause so much misunderstanding.

The Civic Theatre Complex - People's Theatre

The Frog Prince, a stage adaptation of the classic fairytale, tells of a young beautiful princess who lives in a castle with her six sisters. One day while playing outside, her ball falls into a pond. A frog offers to help her get the ball if she lets it eat with her and sleep on her pillow for three nights.
The princess reluctantly agrees but runs off after getting back her ball, without saying a word to the frog.

It visits the castle and insists the princess keeps her side of the bargain. The show is on until 13 October and is staged and directed by Keith Smith and Gill Girard, with costumes by Vanessa Sham and set by Marius Boshoff.

The Market Theatre Complex - The Laager Theatre

Techni-Coloured is a new solo venture by Stuart Taylor, who has blended stand-up comedy, sketch comedy and his signature magic. Taylor acts as tour guide through his personal identity crisis and paranoia while destroying the myths of preconceived stereotypes.
It is on until 30 September.

Next up is Grimm Tales, a funny, magical, cruel and wondrous collaboration of classic tales directed by Craig Higginson and dramatised by Tim Supple. The show is on from 18 October until 16 December.

Higginson uses a company of six actors and two musicians to recreate the magic of the classics, which appeal to young and old alike.

The Market Theatre Complex - The Barney Simon Theatre

Written by Lara Foot Newton and directed by Clare Stopford, Reach is set in a small town near Port Alfred in the Eastern Cape in 2009.
The play tells the story of a middle-aged woman, Marion Banning, who lives alone following the sudden death of her son some years before. A young man starts to visit her and a friendship develops, which provides them both with an opportunity for renewal and growth.

Reach runs until 21 October.

The Market Theatre Complex - Main Theatre

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, written by Edward Albee and directed by Janice Honeyman, runs until 30 September.

It is a caustic and humorous portrayal of love and marriage. Honeyman tackles this complex but entertaining black comedy with a formidable foursome - Fiona Ramsay and Sean Taylor are the bitter but erudite older couple; Nicholas Pauling and Erica Wessels play the unsuspecting young couple.

Who's Afraid of Viginia Woolf, at the Market Theatre, is a caustic and humorous portrayal of love in a marriage

Following that is Joe Barber 4, which runs from 11 October to 25 November. It is a sequel to the hugely successful Joe Barber 3. Starring Oscar Petersen and David Issacs, the play is a hilarious and creative comedy.

It is directed by Heinrich Reisenhofer.

Main Theatre - Montecasino

Montecasino's Main Theatre opened in December 2000, with seating for more than 300 people

Comedian Ennio Marchetto's The Living Cartoon is a unique and extraordinary visual play in which Marchetto uses the art of origami to create theatrical magic.
The Living Cartoon is on until 23 September.

Studio Theatre - Montecasino

The more intimate Studio Theatre opened in July 2003, with seating for 150 people.

A tribute to the legendary musician Jacques Brel, Kissed by Brel examines the themes of love, war, adventure, broken dreams, youth, growing old and death.

Claire Watling performs, accompanied by Godfrey Johnson. The show runs until 30 September.

Teatro Montecasino

The internationally acclaimed musical The Lion King is being performed in South Africa until 2 December.

South Africa is the tenth country to host a production of the show, which follows the adventures of a lion cub, Simba, who is driven into exile after the death of his father, the king.

He returns after struggling with the responsibilities of manhood and his future role, to overthrow his wicked uncle and reclaim the kingdom.

Most of the music is by Grammy Award winning composer and producer Lebo M. Sello Maake Ka-Ncube plays Mufasa; other actors are Buyisile Zama, Mark Rayment and Andile Gumbi, among many more.

Barnyard Broadacres Theatre

Address: Broadacres Shopping Centre, Cnr Cedar Avenue and Valley Road, Fourways
Tel: 011 467 6983
Website: www.barnyardtheatres.co.za
A nine-piece band performs Rock Around The Clock, a non-stop nostalgic show that takes you back to a decade of innocence and an age of discovery, when people enjoyed life to the full and rocked like there was no tomorrow.

The show is on until 7 October.

Following that is a tribute to the king of pop, Elvis Presley. Walking in Memphis features some of his hits songs, including Heartbreak Hotel, My Baby Left Me and Hound Dog.

It is on from 9 to 14 October.

Barnyard Cresta Theatre

Address: Cresta Shopping Centre, Beyers Naude Drive, Randburg
Tel: 011 280 4370
Website: www.barnyardtheatres.co.za
Boogie the night away with Tonight's the Night, a tribute to some of the most popular male singers of all time, including Joe Cocker, Chris de Burgh, Elvis Presley, Barry Manilow, Cliff Richard, Tom Jones, Rod Stewart, Roy Orbison, Chris de Burgh, Elton John, Paul McCartney and Stevie Wonder. The show is on until 30 September.

Following that is the New York Underground Comedy Festival, featuring international comedians Tony Woods from the US, The Ninja from US, Australian Julia Wilson and local favourites Trevor Noah, Malcolm Ferreira and Vittorio Leonardi. The show is on from 3 to 5 October.

Straight after the comedy festival, Surfing Safari comes to life with the ultimate beach party. Sip exotic cocktails while a 10-piece band plays music by the Beach Boys, Cliff Richard, UB40, Simon and Garfunkel, Sheryl Crow, Blondie, Ricky Martin and Santana.

Surfing Safari runs from 9 October until 31 December.

Theatre On The Square

The theatre has been running for over seven years and has received over 25 Naledi nominations and has won several awards for theatre excellence.
Address: 121 Nelson Mandela Square, Sandton City
Tel: 011 883 8606
Website: www.artslink.co.za/tots

The life and untimely death of a boy called Simon is the subject of The Boy Who Fell from the Roof. With his best friend Georgina, our hero falls into the cold waters of homosexuality, race, love, death and growing up in contemporary Cape Town.

The play, on until 13 October, explores the themes of trust and friendship.

Globe Theatre (Actually they got this wrong - the new theatre is the Lyric Theatre. Globe Theatre is now a more intimate venue for VIP gamblers)

Johannesburg's Globe Theatre opened in the early 1890s and was later renamed the Empire Palace of Varieties. It hosted the first moving picture shows. This replica opened with the world premiere of Richard Loring's African Footprint in 2000.

Address: Gold Reef City Casino, Northern Parkway, Ormonde
Tel: 011 248 5168
Website: http://www.goldreefcity.co.za

Various aspects of the theatre world, such as comedy, music and rhythm, are brought to life in the musical, Hairspray. The show features well-known personalities, musicians and actors such as Mara Louw, Harry Sideropolous, Mike Huff and Kate Normington.

A 12-piece orchestra led by Charl Johan Lingenfelder provides the tunes. Hairspray runs from 9 October until 5 January 2008.

The Sound Stage Theatre

This vibey dinner-theatre was founded in 1989 by Richard Loring and seats about 300 people.
Address: 239 Old Pretoria Road, Constantia Park, Midrand
Tel: 011 315 5084
Website: www.soundstage.co.za

Girl Talk 007 features 10 multi-talented women who sing, dance, play instruments and act. The show caters for the young and old with songs from international stars such as Christina Aguilera, KT Tunstall, Kelly Clarkson, Faith Hill, the Dixie Chicks, Madonna and Shania Twain, and local musicians such as Brenda Fassie, TK and Lebo Mathosa.

It is on until 31 December.

National Children's Theatre

Originally known as the Johannesburg Youth Theatre, the company was established in 1990 with Joyce Levinsohn as director. Four times a year it presents plays based on well-known classics.
Address: 3 Junction Avenue, Parktown.
Tel: 011 484 1584
Website: www.jyt.co.za

Take a fun-filled journey around the world with Puss in Boots and Other Tails. Travel from Persia to Japan, Africa, Australia and the desert sands of The Couscous Pot.

The show, on until 13 October, features a variety of popular fairytales produced by multi-award winning director Levinsohn.

Victory Theatre

The newly opened theatre was purpose-built as a home for the smash hit, Umoja: The Spirit of Togetherness. It will also put on other shows.
Address: 105 Louis Botha Avenue, Houghton Estate, Houghton
Tel: 011 728 9603
Website: www.umojatheshow.com

Black South Africa is portrayed in Umoja: The Spirit of Togetherness, which uses music, drums and dance to depict rural, city and township lives.

Music is used to express people's joys and sorrows, ranging from love songs and lullabies to gospel and contemporary jazz.

The show is on until 31 December.

And then David Kau is back by popular demand with his show David Kau – Reloaded. The one-man comedy tackles politicians, cabinet members, celebrities and even common folk.

"The Madiba jokes, the Always ultra pads, female condoms and chakalaka, the Zimbabwean currency, Swaziland's potholes, sex in eleven official languages, the weather, Americans, black people this black people that, Indian people this Indian people that, coloured people this coloured people that, white people this white people that … [and] other jokes I can remember since I first started doing stand-up comedy in October 1998, I'll be doing them for the last time and I will not repeat them again," Kau has said.

The show runs from 28 to 30 September.

The Alexander Theatre

Recently refurbished by Adam Levin (i think). Looks fantastic.

Current production of Rent (which rocks) has been extended for another month.

Jozi is all about theatre! How many other sa cities have this much going on?

The best way to encourage investment and development in any area is to tidy up. Keep it clean.

Spring blitzes
air out inner city
In the first of many clean-ups, long-forgotten corners of the inner city are being swept and old buildings aired out as part of an intensive make-over plan for the next five years.


September 21, 2007
By Emily Visser

DUST was flying in the inner city, but it had little to do with the usual September berg winds. Instead, the bustle was caused by City entities and departments undertaking a week-long urban management campaign in the first week of September.


Their aim was to get the face of the inner city clean and shiny and to keep it that way. They will not be leaving soon, either.

All City units worked together to spruce up the area as part of a five-year regeneration plan, said Keith Swanepoel, the urban management manager and co-ordinator of the event. "We work according to a programme, doing a lot of the big stuff, getting the basics right."

The campaign falls under the commitments made in the Inner City Regeneration Charter and there will be monthly clean-ups, with regular checks by urban inspectors in all four quadrants. Faults will be logged and brought to the attention of the specific municipal entity, and will be followed up each month to check on progress.

Spring clean
From early morning to late afternoon, groups from Pikitup, City Parks, Johannesburg Roads Agency, metro police and other municipal entities were out on the streets of central Johannesburg. Trees were trimmed, paving was tidied, litter hotspots were cleaned up, illegal traders were issued with fines and goods were confiscated.

The Department of Home Affairs joined the drive, undertaking stop-and-search checks on passers-by to clamp down on illegal aliens.

Common problems were missing manhole and meter covers, and missing water valves. The metal covers are stolen and sold to scrap dealers, but will be replaced with concrete or fibreglass covers. There was urban decay in some areas, caused by illegal traders, homeless people and squatting.

Specific sites within the four inner city quadrants were identified because of the concentration of problems in these parts. Monday's drive focused on the Fordsburg area. "The area is not too bad," confirmed Rajash Seejarim, quadrant four leader after the clean-up.

Water leaks, illegal trading and a lack of road signs were the biggest problems.

Quadrant leaders focused on the Hillbrow area on Wednesday, 5 September; Ellis Park precinct on Thursday, and on Friday the central part of Joburg was targeted, in the blocks between Bree and Commissioner and Mooi and End streets.

Ellis Park
Quadrant one leader Sarel Ras said the Ellis Park precinct as a whole was not in as bad a shape as people would like to believe. The biggest headache was the number of invaded buildings and absentee landlords.

"Fortunately we have big developers buying properties in the area."

A number of the heritage houses in Judith's Paarl and Bertrams were in such bad shape "they wobble on their legs", he said. These buildings are protected by the Provincial Heritage Resources Agency and the South African Heritage Resources Agency, with both unwilling to demolish any of the properties.

Owen Mhlanga is the quadrant two leader; his area includes Berea. Quadrant two is the hotspot of hotspots, an area spilling out of its seams and noted for a variety of criminal activities, including illegal dumping, loitering, drug trading and trafficking, prostitution and more.

Mhlanga was happy with the strong role the municipal entities played during the campaign and the improvements, which were already noticeable. "We will stay in this area until all the problems have been dealt with," he promised.

Esther Dipale, the councillor for the CBD, said the biggest problem was dealing with the hundreds of homeless people. She hoped that some relief would be found in the transitional housing the City had promised for delivery in late 2008.

The clean-up campaign works on the Gantt Chart, which illustrates a project schedule with clear, obtainable goals and target dates for each quadrant in the inner city. The department of urban management will this month report to the urban management section 79 committee on findings and future direction for the campaign.

And yet another theatre had a make-over!

Concert explores music from the movies
A revamped theatre and a new corporate identity will be launched at Magic and Emotion, a concert exploring classical music in the movies.


September 21, 2007
By JoNews Reporter

JOBURG PRO MUSICA will launch its new identity, along with its upgraded theatre, at a special concert this weekend.


Magic and Emotion will feature several renowned classical music pieces that have been used in Hollywood movies. It is on 22, 23 and 28 September at the company's newly revamped theatre in Florida Park, in the west of Joburg.

Formerly known as Pro Musica Productions, the concert will be used to launch its new corporate identity, which displays "the valuable past of this organisation and represents the vision for the future", according to conductor Weiss Doubell, the company's artistic director.

The Pro Musica Orchestra and Opera Chorus will perform. Soloists include Etienne Malan on clarinet and pianist Johan Botes. Doubell, Eddie Clayton and Petros Mofokeng will conduct.

Pieces to be performed include Richard Strauss's Also Sprach Zarathustra, used in 2001: A Space Odyssey; the intermezzo from Pietro Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana, which was used in the movie Godfather III; the adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto, used in Out of Africa; Vangelis's Conquest of Paradise, from 1492; Andante from Mozart's Piano Concerto No 21, featured in the movie Elvira Madigan; Va Pensiero from Verdi's Nabucco, used in the movie The Colour of Money; and the overture from Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach, used in the films Gulag and Peter's Friends.

"This programme consists of jewels from the movies and the classical music genre and is something which we have wanted to do for such a long time," Doubell says on the company's website.

Speaking about the changes, he says it is with utmost confidence that Joburg Pro Musica goes into the future with its new challenges and questions of relativity, cost and governance, "because something of beauty remains a joy forever". He adds, "We are diversifying our presentations, but music will remain at the core."

Performances are on Saturday, 22 September at 8pm; Sunday, 23 September at 3.30pm; and Friday, 28 September at 8pm. Booking is through Computicket outlets, on 083 915 8000 or online on the Computicket website. Tickets are R125, R150 and R175, and include food and sparkling wine.

Joburg Pro Musica houses an opera company, orchestra, opera chorus and undertakes tuition schemes. It is funded by the City.

The theatre is on Christiaan de Wet Road in Florida Park, Roodepoort, in western Johannesburg. For more information or assistance with bookings contact the organisation on 011 674 1357/8, visit the Joburg Pro Musica website, or SMS the word "Promusica" to 34664.

Soccerex!

Soccerex heads
for Joburg corner
As forerunner to the 2010 Fifa World Cup™, over the next three years Johannesburg will host the world's biggest soccer exhibition and convention.


September 20, 2007
By Emily Visser

JOBURG is expected to gain handsomely from the world's biggest business-to-business soccer convention, Soccerex, which kicks off on 25 November at the Sandton Convention Centre.

The four-day event would inject more than R7-billion into the Gauteng economy, said Paul Mashatile, the Gauteng MEC for finance and economic affairs. What's more, Soccerex would take place in Sandton for the three years leading up to the Fifa World Cup, which kicks off in June 2010.

"To us as the Gauteng government, this is not just about football, this is also about the economy," Mashatile confirmed at a press briefing at the Sandton Convention Centre on Wednesday, 19 September.

It was held to mark the 66-day countdown to Soccerex and was attended by the Soccerex chief executive, Duncan Revie; Lucas Radebe, the Soccerex ambassador; and the MEC for sports, arts, culture and recreation, Barbara Creecy, among others.


Kick-off
The international convention is in its eleventh year and indications are that it will be double the size of last year's event, held in Dubai, when over 350 exhibitors took part.
The programme starts with a football festival between African Legends, led by Lucas Radebe and Mark Fish, and Asia Select, led by Ali Daei. Manchester United's Bryan Robson and Liverpool's Phil Thompson and John Barnes will play for Asia Select.

A football exhibition spanning three floors and an international football conference over three days will bring the beautiful game closer to Joburg than ever before. Among the key speakers will be delegates from the Premier League and Uefa, and teams Everton, Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam. Topics will include discovering brilliant youngsters, focusing on the World Cup and leaving a legacy.

Soccerex would be used as a "forerunner to the World Cup", Revie reiterated.

Local Organising Committee (LOC) member Tim Modise spoke on behalf of his chief executive, Danny Jordaan. "Soccerex ties in well with the whole 2010 project."



The Soccerex delegation briefs the press on the latest developments


Apart from staging the best World Cup, the LOC would like to promote the country as a tourist destination and grow the business of football, he said.

Of the 7,3 million visitors to South Africa last year, almost 50 percent spent their time in Gauteng. With up to 5 000 football delegates expected and 204 soccer associations in the country at the time, Soccerex will give a further boost to the province's position as a destination of choice.

The convention, to be opened by Fifa president Seph Blatter, coincides with the World Cup draw, which takes place in Durban on 25 November.


Sport for development
Soccerex not only focused on networking and business. Revie stressed that it was also about giving out a message to South African communities about learning and fun.
And the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) will partner Soccerex to showcase its Sport for Development programme at this year's exhibition, seeking to engage delegates in the development of children through sport.

Unicef has pledged to improve conditions at 585 of the most vulnerable schools in South Africa, identified by the national Department of Education.

Soccerex will also build a legacy park and sod turning is scheduled for the second week of November. The exact location is still to be finalised. The pitch will be built in February 2008.

Creecy confirmed that her department would focus strongly on the social investment opportunities provided by Soccerex. "We will use the entire Soccerex convention to promote niche arts and culture products of Gauteng."

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is coming to the Victory next year in February. This is great cos...

a) i've always wanted to see it
b) the Victory was the theatre where the Rocky Horror was always shown
c) it proves that Joburg rox

:)

The best way to encourage investment and development in any area is to tidy up. Keep it clean.

Spring blitzes
air out inner city
In the first of many clean-ups, long-forgotten corners of the inner city are being swept and old buildings aired out as part of an intensive make-over plan for the next five years.


September 21, 2007
By Emily Visser

DUST was flying in the inner city, but it had little to do with the usual September berg winds. Instead, the bustle was caused by City entities and departments undertaking a week-long urban management campaign in the first week of September.


Their aim was to get the face of the inner city clean and shiny and to keep it that way. They will not be leaving soon, either.

All City units worked together to spruce up the area as part of a five-year regeneration plan, said Keith Swanepoel, the urban management manager and co-ordinator of the event. "We work according to a programme, doing a lot of the big stuff, getting the basics right."

The campaign falls under the commitments made in the Inner City Regeneration Charter and there will be monthly clean-ups, with regular checks by urban inspectors in all four quadrants. Faults will be logged and brought to the attention of the specific municipal entity, and will be followed up each month to check on progress.

Spring clean
From early morning to late afternoon, groups from Pikitup, City Parks, Johannesburg Roads Agency, metro police and other municipal entities were out on the streets of central Johannesburg. Trees were trimmed, paving was tidied, litter hotspots were cleaned up, illegal traders were issued with fines and goods were confiscated.

The Department of Home Affairs joined the drive, undertaking stop-and-search checks on passers-by to clamp down on illegal aliens.

Common problems were missing manhole and meter covers, and missing water valves. The metal covers are stolen and sold to scrap dealers, but will be replaced with concrete or fibreglass covers. There was urban decay in some areas, caused by illegal traders, homeless people and squatting.

Specific sites within the four inner city quadrants were identified because of the concentration of problems in these parts. Monday's drive focused on the Fordsburg area. "The area is not too bad," confirmed Rajash Seejarim, quadrant four leader after the clean-up.

Water leaks, illegal trading and a lack of road signs were the biggest problems.

Quadrant leaders focused on the Hillbrow area on Wednesday, 5 September; Ellis Park precinct on Thursday, and on Friday the central part of Joburg was targeted, in the blocks between Bree and Commissioner and Mooi and End streets.

Ellis Park
Quadrant one leader Sarel Ras said the Ellis Park precinct as a whole was not in as bad a shape as people would like to believe. The biggest headache was the number of invaded buildings and absentee landlords.

"Fortunately we have big developers buying properties in the area."

A number of the heritage houses in Judith's Paarl and Bertrams were in such bad shape "they wobble on their legs", he said. These buildings are protected by the Provincial Heritage Resources Agency and the South African Heritage Resources Agency, with both unwilling to demolish any of the properties.

Owen Mhlanga is the quadrant two leader; his area includes Berea. Quadrant two is the hotspot of hotspots, an area spilling out of its seams and noted for a variety of criminal activities, including illegal dumping, loitering, drug trading and trafficking, prostitution and more.

Mhlanga was happy with the strong role the municipal entities played during the campaign and the improvements, which were already noticeable. "We will stay in this area until all the problems have been dealt with," he promised.

Esther Dipale, the councillor for the CBD, said the biggest problem was dealing with the hundreds of homeless people. She hoped that some relief would be found in the transitional housing the City had promised for delivery in late 2008.

The clean-up campaign works on the Gantt Chart, which illustrates a project schedule with clear, obtainable goals and target dates for each quadrant in the inner city. The department of urban management will this month report to the urban management section 79 committee on findings and future direction for the campaign.

These are good news but one thing I know is that Metro Police does a lot of talk and less action, instead they target the law-abiding-tax-paying citizens of Jozi. A couple of weeks ago they were talking on 702 that they have started with their program to clamp down on the guys selling at our major intersection and they did for a day and that was all. They were asked if they doing it for that day and they said that its an ongoing thing, but they following day they had let the guys to continue with what they do best.

Artistic Fence
lights up gallery
A fence has been installed to light the way to the Johannesburg Art Gallery, adding to the safety of patrons.


September 21, 2007
By George Matlala

THE Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG) has been enclosed in light; a fence made with light fittings has been installed around it, lighting up the area in the dark.


Constructed by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA), the project forms part of Joburg's Inner City Regeneration Charter. The charter is aimed at delivering infrastructural programmes to rejuvenate the area.


http://www.joburg-archive.co.za/images_2007/sep/fence1.jpg
The Artistic Fence at Johannesburg Art Gallery illuminates the building and provides light for pedestrians.

According to Rooksana Moola, the acting chief executive of the agency, the erection of the Artistic Fence was a commitment to enhance public spaces and art; that promise is enshrined in the charter.

Speaking at the fence's official launch on Thursday, 20 September, Moola said, "The JDA's intervention was to ensure that the park is secured and easily accessible to the public."

The JAG is located in Joubert Park, in Hillbrow and Berea.

Designed by Ikemeleng Architects, the fence is made up of podiums, vertical steel poles and an illuminated steel tower at the entrance. Its striking design created a dynamic entrance to the gallery, she added.

It lit up the gallery for pedestrians and secured it from the vagrants who roamed around the area. "We hope it will encourage the community in the area to use the gallery."

Her words were echoed by Clive Kellner, the head of the JAG. "The fence has increased visibility, allowing for access and providing additional parking to accommodate more visitors."

It had improved the precinct's image and increased the number of visitors, he noted. "Museums play a significant role in galvanising communities … defining identity, collecting society's heritage and cultural heritage and offering a space for open exchange."

Situated in the heart of Johannesburg, the JAG was established in 1910 by Lady Florence Phillips, the wife of mining magnate Sir Lionel Phillips. She wanted to use it to identify and promote talented young artists, while offering a cultural centre for Johannesburg society.

Phillips collected paintings, sculptures and other works for the gallery, which was first known as the Municipal Gallery of Modern Art. Today, it is a national monument housed in a three-storey building boasting 15 exhibition halls and some sculptures on the grounds of Joubert Park.

This year, the JAG was voted the best gallery in Johannesburg by readers of The Star newspaper in its Choice Awards and by readers of Caxton newspapers in its Leisure Options Readers' Choice Awards, Kellner said.

Exhibitions such as Dungamanzi and Africa Remix had profiled Joburg as a world-class city, he added.

The Johannesburg Art Gallery is in Joubert Park, on the corner of Klein and King George streets. It can be contacted on 011 725 3130.

Those look goooood!

Fabric of the city

Nechama Brodie meets Rees Mann, the southern-suburbs-bred entrepreneur who is championing Joburg’s embryonic fashion district

http://www.thetimes.co.za/thumbnail.aspx?type=img&id=59124

There are a lot of people who think Joburg town died some time between democracy and the millennium; as if the absence of white people, fled for the suburbs, had left some kind of vacuum.

The Carlton Hotel closed down. The stock exchange moved to Sandton. Eloff Street, once Joburg’s fanciest shopping venue, got bumped off the Monopoly board a nd all that was left behind was space: hundreds and thousands of square metres of offices and apartments, unwanted or unvalued, boarded up or neglected.

There’s a certain voodoo about Joburg, this city of gold. Even when you think there’s nothing left but a corpse, it re-animates. In the cracks and gaps of the central business district, new life asserted itself: squatters, immigrants, families, workers, shoppers, hawkers and wholesalers. “But it’s got no heart,” people wailed. They were wrong; the heartbeat was just very faint, almost impossible to hear unless you were very, very quiet, and turned off your cellphone.

In the early ’90s, just when all the “smart” people were getting out of town, Rees Mann, a boy from the south of Joburg, decided to open for business in Pritchard Street.

“I thought a new democracy would create new opportunities. Fashion is bigger than any political power,” he explains.

In the ’40s the eastern part of the city formed the heart of Joburg’s rag trade, and it was here that Mann spent much of his childhood in the ’60s, at his family’s business, Mannettes, which made “ladies’ coats, suits and dresses”.

Mann says his “earliest memory is playing with sewing thread cobbs”. During school holidays he learnt how to sew (Mann can sew on any industrial machine), make patterns, make markers, cut and lay up fabric. By the time he was a teenager, Mann was expected to be able to sew as proficiently as anybody on his father’s factory floor.

When the inner city fashion district started to crumble in the late ’80s and early ’90s, instead of getting despondent, Mann got smart: he bought sewing machines and equipment in bulk, selling them to the new entrepreneurial class of informal manufacturers who’d moved into the CBD.

Then he spotted another gap — garment accessories (ribbons, buttons, beads and thread) — and decided to open his own outlet, the Johannesburg Sewing Centre, in a previously empty building at 109 Pritchard Street.

Ten years ago it would have been easy to peg Mann as a well-meaning but small-time optimist. As luck would have it, Mann had more than just his heart in the right place: by the time he’d reached his early 30s, he had accumulated a more than respectable amount of business acumen .

The 1994 elections proved a watershed for Mann for a number of reasons, not all political.

“The inauguration of Madiba was the biggest fashion show in SA history,” he comments, “and we were the worst-dressed”.

For Mann, who is deadly serious about the business of fashion (although this does not extend to his own wardrobe), it was a sign that something needed to be done.

It would be several years before the seeds of good ideas would form a cohesive plan, but 109 Pritchard became the cornerstone of what would later evolve into the city’s formal fashion district, one of the specially targeted Urban Development Zones .

Today, the building houses the Sewing Centre, Studio 109 Fabrics, the Sewtech Superstore, the Fashion Café (an unpretentious collection of three tables and a coffee machine in the back of the store, where designers and students can meet up) and a business called Pleat It. Across the road, at number 136, is the SewAfrica building, probably Mann’s most important achievement to date, where he helped create a training centre that enabled individuals to gain accredited skills and provided a hub for new and young designers, with shared access to facilities and equipment that would have been prohibitively expensive otherwise.

SewAfrica is about much more than just sewing classes; the courses include business skills lessons — another initiative Mann seems to be spearheading.

Mann’s goal is to create a pan- African fashion district. Already the CBD is a hub of cross-border consumer traffic: it’s the Dubai of the south, where thousands of Africans travel to buy everything from TVs and car parts to toiletries.

And Mann’s vision for the fashion district will get a significant boost later this year with the establishment of the Fashion Kapitol, where 30 fashion designers will showcase designs and products.

Mann calls himself a “fashionada”, a patron of the art and craft of clothing design. He is also the magic ingredient that connects people to zips, buttons and belts. — © Nechama Brodie

Massive uptake for Fashion Lofts in Johannesburg city centre

25 Sep 2007 - Aengus Property Management -

Describing the response as ‘phenomenal,’ Aengus Property Management’s marketing director Simon Rubin said they had over 1 100 potential tenants apply for tenancy, well before the conversion of the 223 apartments in the block had been completed. “I’ve never seen anything like it. All our previous residential conversions have been fully let or sold shortly after release, but this demonstrated a new level of demand.”

The overwhelming response clearly indicated the shortfall in affordable quality accommodation in the city centre, he added. “It’s also a stamp of approval for our accommodation and property management model – which is obviously delivering what residents and investors are looking for.”

Aengus Property Management’s (APM) stringent screening process for tenant selection has meant that only a small number of suitable applicants have been approved for Fashion Lofts. “It is interesting to note how many young professional female tenants we have” said Rubin. This he attributed this to the safety and security of the building as well as the area as a whole. Fashion Lofts is managed by APM, which has earned a reputation for its innovative, effective approach to issues such as security and access control, majority control of bodies corporate, building cleaning and maintenance as well as an enviable track record of zero arrears.

Situated in Pritchard Street, the 15-storey Fashion Lofts block sits at the heart of the upcoming fashion district, which has been earmarked as the hub of South Africa’s growing fashion industry. “The trend-setting apartments were built and finished to exacting standards and offer residents a beguiling blend of form, function and fashion,” Rubin said. “Fashion Lofts is Aengus’ finest product to date – and the market clearly recognised its inherent value.”

yay... more malls..

Maponya Mall: 'Everything I want under one roof'

Isaac Mangena | Soweto, South Africa

25 September 2007 09:17

Soweto, the vast township that was synonymous with neglect and revolt during apartheid, will become home to one of South Africa's largest shopping malls this week when one of the country's original black entrepreneurs fulfils a three-decade long dream.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony at Maponya Mall on Thursday will finally enable residents to shop at stores such as Toys 'R' Us and Woolworths that had previously been confined to the malls of Johannesburg.

The mall is the brainchild of Richard Maponya, who made his first fortune by running a clothing business at a time when Soweto was little more than a place to sleep for the low-paid black workers who provided the labour force for the whites-only apartheid regime's economy in Johannesburg.

"It has been a long journey. I never stopped that dream because I knew that one day, one day, the people of Soweto will own what is theirs," said the 82-year-old Maponya.

"I was convinced the people really needed a mall ... I never stopped."

Around 200 stores will be crammed into the 65 000-square-metre mall that has been erected at a cost of around R650-million.

The investment represents a huge vote of confidence in an area that, while still suffering from high rates of crime, is also experiencing a property boom thanks to the emergence of a black middle class.

Soweto is also seen as the heartbeat of a black South Africa that was confined to the margins during the apartheid era, which finally ended in 1994.

"Soweto has set trends in music, clothes, theatre with many artists staying here," said Phillip Nkomo, owner of the Reliable Music Warehouse, which is one of the stores based in the mall.

According to Nkomo, the residents of Soweto now have considerable spending power but that money has to date been spent in the stores of downtown Johannesburg, which is a 30-minute journey from the township.

"They have to travel long distances to buy their own products at the malls. Even tourists who come here see and hear some of the artists perform have to go to town to buy their product," he said.

Long-time Soweto resident Tommy-Leigh Isaak said he was delighted that he would be able to buy brand names on his doorstep rather than facing the choice between substandard goods or a trip into town.

"Finally this will save us from long travelling to town and the suburbs to do the shopping," he said.

"Now I can just walk and get everything I want under one roof. And when I am tired, I can enjoy a movie before going back home. It will save lots of our travelling money."

The complex includes an eight-screen cinema, takeaway restaurants such as McDonald's and even a self-styled "coordinated lifestyle store".

It's all a long way from the Sixties and Seventies when Soweto was the hotbed of opposition to the apartheid regime, gaining international recognition as the scene of the 1976 Soweto uprising.

Its history, however, will be commemorated in the mall with a statue greeting visitors of Hector Petersen, a 12-year-old boy who was shot dead by the apartheid security forces during the 1976 student riots.

Maponya, dubbed the "father of black retail", said he kept his faith of a brighter future even at the height of apartheid.

"Soweto is my home, the people have supported me all their lives ... I've always wanted to give back and my goal is to create job opportunities at a bigger scale than what I was doing before," he added. - AFP

Great news!

Check out the website: www.maponyamall.co.za

Can we see a thread made for these Fashion Lofts? They sound interesting!

Here's an exterior image. Nothing amazing done to the outside, but atleast it has that edgy industrial look!!!

http://www.platinumwizards.co.za/property_details.aspx?p_id=4692

Thanks for that link Andrew! Have never seen Fashion Lofts from that perspective before!

You're right about the building not being amazing, but it's in a fantastic location as it's inbetween both the Fashion Precinct and the High Court Precinct.

And yup.. we do need to create threads... not only for this, but also for Lofts @66 and TriBeCa Lofts. And for all the precincts too.

Hey guys... check this link out...

"The Joburg World Parade"

http://www.joburgworldparade.com

The background is soooo kewl. And the event sounds awesome too...

JOBURG WORLD PARADE 2008! (March)

An international event which is an annual fixture on the City of Johannesburg calendar.

This is a first of its kind in Africa and is set to grow in magnitude over the years following other major world parades.

The purpose of this project is to bring people together from all over the world uniting people through music, showcasing superstar artists and creating a platform for new talent. The parade will also allow for other areas of Arts & Culture to be developed. All this gives us a huge opportunity to give back to the community and to assist selected charities.

Build up to the Joburg World Parade event:

Sat 20 October 2007
TIESTO 'Elements of Life' World Tour concert!
Mary Fitzgerald Square, Newtown, Joburg

according to the star, the pretorianews, eprop (note that they all are from the same agency) the maponya mall is now the largest mall in the southern hemisphere, with 65000m2. That is big... But as far as I know still not the largest mall in SA.

Anyone with facts concerning this? Another fact: The mall cost R650million. Menlyn's upgrade 8years ago cost R800million.

plus the new mall planned for polokwane is 75000m2. So it seems that a few journalists got their facts wrong...

Amdec fully lets office space at 28 Harrison Street
21 Sep 2007 - Amdec -

Intro
Amdec Property Development has successfully tenanted all offices at 28 Harrison Street, one of a portfolio of commercial properties it recently acquired with Property Partners in the heart of Johannesburg’s financial district.

Amdec Property Development, the leading property development, investment and project management specialist which currently manages property developments with a market value in excess of R4,5 billion,has turned this property around in just over a year from taking ownership. At the time of transfer in May 2006, the 19,500m2 building had vacancies of 12,500m2.

Tertius van Dijk, Investment Manager of Amdec, explains that rentals have been achieved at a satisfactory R55/m2 to R60/m2, with most leases for periods of three to five years at average escalations of 9%.

“To achieve a fully let building at market-related rentals, in such a short space of time and coming from such a low base, is quite an achievement. In line with our commitment to the rejuvenation of the Johannesburg CBD, Amdec has further investment plans for this property, including introducing a state-of-the-art security system with fingerprint recognition,” says van Dijk.

In addition to 28 Harrison Street, Amdec co-owns 88 Fox Street, Consolidated Building and Drummond Garage (a 450-bay parkade) in the same area with all buildings located within a three-block area. All were acquired from JCI late last year.

New key lease agreements concluded for the 14-storey 28 Harrison Street building will see British call centre company, The Dialogue Group, occupying four floors, comprising a total of 5,500 m2, on a five-year lease agreement. The CCMA has concluded a five-year lease agreement to occupy three floors, comprising 4,100m2, and the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) have committed to occupying two floors, spanning 2,800 m2 for a three-year period. The lease agreement includes 17 parking bays at 28 Harrison Street and 36 bays at Drummond Garage.

Other 28 Harrison Street tenants include Capitec Bank, Ombudsman for Banking, JCI, the Department of Social Development and Tshikululu Social Investments. The building includes 169 parking bays on two basement levels.

28 Harrison Street is ideally situated on a block south of the declared “Government precinct”, which is located largely within a two block vicinity of the Gauteng Legislature building. As arguably the youngest “A” grade building in the Johannesburg CBD having been completed in the mid-1990s, its aesthetics and finishes, including exquisite marble, are of the highest quality found in the CBD.

Amdec aims to establish 28 Harrison Street as the city’s premier business location with 24-hour security and sophisticated access control, making it ideal for call centres and other businesses which function around-the-clock. The building also offers occupants access to an independently operated shuttle service travelling between the property and nearby Drummond Garage, adding to the safety of the location.

Amdec proves Drummond Garage to be a solid investment
20 Sep 2007 - Amdec -

Intro
Drummond Garage in the Johannesburg CBD, which was recently acquired by Amdec Property Development and Property Partners, is proving popular with car-owning staff of nearby companies

Amdec maintains that it cannot accommodate the flood of requests for parking leases it is currently receiving on the garage.

Amdec is the leading property development, investment and project management specialist which currently manages national property developments with a market value in excess of R4,5 billion.

Major tenants of security and access-controlled Drummond Garage include ABSA, with 100 of the 450 single parking bays, as well as Standard Bank. The parkade is serviced by an independently operated dedicated shuttle service.

In addition to Drummond Garage, Amdec and Property Partners own 88 Fox Street, Consolidated Building and 28 Harrison Street in the same area. All buildings are located within a three-block area and were acquired from JCI late last year.

Parking is a vital commodity for many companies when selecting premises and it is for this reason that Amdec is retaining a number of bays in Drummond Garage as draw cards for the leasing of their office and retail property assets in the area. Amdec is also considering extending the parkade.

“It is well accepted that parking is generally at a premium in city centres, and older, established business districts. In the States, for example, there are Real Estate Investment Trusts (REITS) that are able to invest predominantly or exclusively in parkades as a result of the demand for parking space. This however, is still a largely unexplored area of property investment in South Africa,” explains Tertius van Dijk, Investment Manager of Amdec.

Drummond Garage is well situated in Johannesburg’s financial district, just south of the declared “Government precinct”, which is located largely within a two block vicinity of the Gauteng Legislature building.

joburg central




'Oscars' to celebrate inner city change
There are three tenets to the awards:

Encouraging extraordinary effort: recognising exceptional effort which breaks new ground in urban regeneration, advancing sustainable economic growth, community well-being and quality of life for Joburg residents;

Fostering originality: recognising pioneering programmes and innovative projects initiated by investors whose passion has encouraged new horizons in decaying areas;

Encouraging participation, equality and inclusivity: recognising commitment and dedication to fostering partnerships, initiating joint programmes and catalysing sustainable development, thereby promoting social harmony.

There will be five categories of awards.

Living Joburg. This category has two sub-categories: lower income residential developments, where projects provide inclusionary and affordable housing based on the phrase "not houses but homes". The second sub-category is upper income residential projects which increase property values, and add to the "overall appeal and marketability of the inner city".

Working and buying Joburg. Again two sub-categories: retail and commercial developments encapsulating the theme "creating a business destination". The retail developments are ones that stimulate inner city shopping and the exchange of professional services. The commercial investments are those that consist of "significant capital infrastructure injections to refurbish derelict buildings into vibrant office space and other commercial uses".

Relaxing and playing Joburg. With the theme of "the recreation destination", there are also two categories. The first recognises ground-breaking uses of public space, urban art, sport and recreation facilities, entertainment environments like gyms, theatres and museums, restaurants, and entertainment areas. The second acknowledges art, culture and sports areas.

Caring Joburg. With the sub-theme of "supporting Joburg's citizens", this category seeks to recognise selfless and community-minded individuals, volunteers and organisations intent on creating the "caring heart" of the inner city and making sure these services and facilities are available to all residents.

Believing in Joburg. This category has two sub-categories and is themed "Joburg, the home of innovators, investors and implementers". The first sub-category recognises the stalwarts of the inner city "who have always retained hope in the future and given their full support in the past, keeping the heartbeat of Joburg alive and healthy through investments, advocacy and their general presence". The second sub-category consists of "true believers", who have maintained a belief in the life of the inner city when no one else did.

Projects submitted for the awards will be confined to the inner city, or Region F, which runs from Bellevue in the north to Ferreirasdorp in the south, Vrededorp and Pageview in the west to Benrose Extension in the east.

The projects must have made a substantial difference to the City's regeneration mandate, with a bias towards projects undertaken in the last 10 years. The projects must be operational on the closing date for entries, 13 November.

Nomination forms will be available on the City's and the JDA's websites From Monday, 17 September, and also in hard copy at the JDA offices at the Bus Factory in President Street, Newtown.

A panel of "very esteemed individuals" will be appointed as adjudicators. The award ceremony will take place towards the end of November or the first week of December.

The prize will be an "upmarket, glossy coffee-table book with all the rigorous case studies documented", as well as the award – an artwork which epitomises the rejuvenation of the inner city.

Says Bethlehem: "We are indeed proud to be recognising pioneering programmes and innovative projects initiated by audacious thinkers whose passion has opened new horizons in decaying areas. Halala Joburg!"

Your art can help the homeless

Night of a 1000 drawings is launching again this year. This is your chance to contribute to your city, while having fun and utilising the creative genius that is alive in all of us. Dubbed ‘The Night of a 1000 Drawings’ this is a unique fundraising exhibition, where drawings donated by anyone and everyone are collected and sold to the public. Drawings/ photographs need to be in A5 format (only restriction) and will be sold for R100.00 in order to raise funds for Paballo ya Batho that has fed over 500 inner-city homeless people in Johannesburg every Wednesday night over the past 18 years. This one night exhibition will take place in November this year, at a building in the heart of Joburg’s CBD. Details will be confirmed soon. Sponsors and volunteers are desperately required. Any involvement is highly appreciated. Contact Paballo for more information.

David: david@1000drawings.co.za or Felix: felix@1000drawings.co.za

Check out the blog.

Innovative underground waste system

Pikitup are in the process of installing an underground skip on the corner of Rissik and Kerk Street in the Retail Improvement District. The underground skip will allow for larger volumes of waste to be stored away from the public eye. The location of the new skip bin is ideal as traders in the busy Kerk Street Mall dispose of packaging and over ripe produce on a daily basis. When the system comes in to use the management of the RID expect to see a marked difference in the cleanliness of the Kerk Street Mall.

Gents, what do you think of this. I think its cool for Newtown. When me and my friends stopped there to take pictures, a minibus with chinese and other tourists arrived and they ttok pics of these magnificent art.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040602-1.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040604.jpg

Abseiling down Ponte? Anyone? Hmmm?

Invitation to Abseil or Rap Jump down Ponte City!

The Johannesburg Development Agency and Investagain property developers would like to invite you to a once in a lifetime opportunity to abseil or ‘rap jump’ down the side of the tallest residential building in the southern Hemisphere!.

On Saturday October 6th, 2007, from 10h00-17h00, you will have the opportunity to be taken to the top of Ponte City and released- face first or feet first- down, down, down the side of the building. A number of ropes and several well-trained, qualified professionals will assist you on the descent- so it’s all perfectly safe and…whoooooosh, what a rush!

Refreshments, music and kiddies entertainment will be on offer while your family watches breathlessly as you make your way down the 173 metre high building. There is also secure underground parking and signage so you won’t get lost.

Even better than knowing you’ll have an unrivalled experience is the fact that this is a charity event. The R500 fee for each jump will go to the Creative Inner City Initiative, a fantastic organization that works to develop artists in the inner-city. You may have already seen some of their work – the mosaic balls in Harrow road, the Faraday taxi rank mosaic, and the graphics at Drill Hall. The CICI is also the initiators of the Hillbrow carnival and runs a number of art programmes for children in Joubert Park.

The event also serves to hi-light a number of new developments happening in the inner-city. This area is being revitalized at an incredible pace- from the conversion of Ponte City into upmarket luxury apartments (see www.newponte.co.za), to the Ellis Park Precinct Development which aims to regenerate the Greater Ellis Park into a secure, safe, vibrant and sustainable leading destination of choice for sports and recreation within Johannesburg. Other great new projects in the environs, includes the new Alhambra theatre, not to mention a plethora of initiatives by the City of Johannesburg including the newly approved JDA-led Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville Public Environment Upgrade.

On the day, we’ll be taking people on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. But we’ll be doing jumps throughout the day so everyone will have a chance. You’ll also get a sneak preview of the much talked about new Ponte City, currently being completely revamped.

For more information, phone Charlotte Maponyane or Ngaire Blankenberg at Space Marketing: 011-339-6131 or e-mail charlotte@spacemarketing.co.za.

how crazy is that!?

Biggest in southern africa - 65,000sqm!? Do these idiots attempt to research anything?

Suprised they didnt say its the first mall in SA, or maybe the first one with electricity?

--------------------
Giant Soweto shopping mall opens

There was a last minute rush to get the centre ready
Former South African President Nelson Mandela has opened the largest shopping centre in southern Africa in Soweto.
The Maponya Mall marks a transformation for the Johannesburg township, once an impoverished centre in the struggle against apartheid.

The complex covers 65,000 sq m and has 200 stores and an eight-screen cinema.

It is the brainchild of 82-year-old entrepreneur Richard Maponya, who began in business by opening a dairy in Soweto in the 1950s.

Today I deliver to you my dream of 28 years

Entrepreneur Richard Maponya


Upmarket Soweto shopping
Soweto marks centenary

"I have been one of the sons of this town for a very long time. I have seen it grow," Mr Maponya said at the opening.

Standing close to the iconic statue of Hector Pieterson, the youngest victim of the 1976 Soweto student uprising against apartheid, he described how he struggled to get access to finance during his career as a black entrepreneur but kept persevering.

"Today I deliver to you my dream of 28 years," he said.

Fully fledged city

Mr Mandela, who has not made a public appearance in Soweto for some years, opened the mall by cutting a gold ribbon.


It is Mr Mandela's first public appearance in Soweto for a while

"With this action, we declare the mall open," he said to cheers.

The BBC's Peter Biles says the first rains of the summer fell outside, which people believe is a blessing for the new shopping centre.

Mr Mandela, 89, sat alongside Mr Maponya as they listened to singers performing at the ceremony.

Mr Maponya said the complex belonged to the one million residents of Soweto and Johannesburg's Mayor Amos Masondo said this was not just a facelift for the township but a radical reconstruction.

Within an hour of the opening, thousands of Soweto residents poured into the shopping centre, snapping up first-day bargains.

Our correspondent says that Soweto has become the site of massive development.

Property prices are rising and international tourists visit Mr Mandela's former family home.

Last year, Soweto marked the 30th anniversary of the 1976 uprising when students rebelled against the white apartheid state in a protest over the use of Afrikaans as the medium of instruction in schools.

But many black South Africans have chosen to move from the townships to the former white suburbs in cities like Johannesburg.

Our reporters says the new shopping centre is designed to generate both wealth and jobs.

And he says Soweto is now looking forward to the day when it can become a fully fledged twin city of Johannesburg, rather than just a dormitory town.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7016050.stm

Here are some of Artist impressions of Maponya Mall

http://www.joburg-archive.co.za/images_2007/sep/maponyamall000.jpg

http://www.joburg-archive.co.za/images_2007/sep/maponyamall001.jpg

By: Christy van der Merwe
Published: 28 Sep 07 - 8:00

The world’s largest conversion of office space to apartments is under way in the Johannesburg central business district at 120 End street, and is expected to be complete in early 2009.

This will make available a further 924 residential units for the affordable housing market, and will be a significant boost for regeneration in the Johannesburg inner city.

A 6 000-m2 shopping centre will occupy the ground floor of the 26-storey building, which also has a swimming pool because it was originally built as a hotel. Above the shopping centre level will be a 500-m2 gym, with a 400-m jogging track. A joint-venture (JV) company, consisting of Amdec Property Development, Affordable Housing Company (Afhco), and Chelsea Manhattan, is responsible for the conversion.

The JV brings together an impressive collection of skills, which have significant experience in the rental housing market, and have thought out inventive solutions for many of the problems faced by those in the housing delivery industry, namely lack of skills, soaring costs of building materials, and lack of appropriate space for affordable housing.

To combat the competition for skills and contain the costs of roll-out and delivery of housing, Afhco has established an in-house construction company, Afhco Projects, which has attracted highly skilled people from across the board. Afhco Projects allows the development to be fast-tracked, and in a building that has the capacity to generate about R2,5-million a month in rental, there is significant incentive to finish the project early and start gathering income sooner.

The internal demolition of the building took place earlier this year, and the rebuilding of the walls on all floors in both the high-rise and low-rise portions of the building is complete.

“Considering the shortage of building materials, which is expected to worsen, we have made use of innovative high-quality walling, instead of bricks and mortar, which are difficult to procure at times, cumbersome to move throughout a high-rise building, and represent inefficient use of space on the floor plan,” explains Afhco Projects director Rodney McLoughlin.

The lightweight walling is filled with a cement and vermiculite mix. It has undergone thorough testing and meets all safety standards, and is soundproof and waterproof. Although this type of walling is more expensive, and is often used in upmarket developments, the logistical and time savings serve to counterbalance the overall costs.



“There should be little difference between affluent housing and affordable housing except the size,” says Amdec Gauteng regional director Nicholas Stopforth. “In South Africa there is a huge shortage of quality housing for the low-income market. The provision of housing is the bedrock of a stable society,” he adds.

Number 120 End street will also be fitted out with the latest technology, such as biometric access-control points, only allowing tenants who have been fingerprinted into the building. This is done for security reasons, as well as to ensure that there will be no overcrowding, which could compromise safety.

A 24-m2 bachelor show unit has been completed on the twenty-sixth floor, and displays the resourceful use of space and high- quality robust finish- ings that will be present throughout the apartment block. Although smaller in size than the average low-cost house, which is usually at least 36 m2, the limited space is used in the best way possible.

Not stopping at the building itself, the company is on a mission to improve the surrounding area, and is also entering into a JV with City Parks, with a long-term management agreement over the neighbouring, currently derelict, municipal park. It will upgrade and secure the park for use by the public as well as by residents.

The developer is also in the process of establishing the area as a city improvement district (CID), which means that landlords in the area will contribute funds towards stepping up visible security, as well as employing more cleaners to improve the environment. CIDs have been implemented in areas such as Newtown and Braamfontein, where impressive results have been realised.

“I love this city and am proud to be a part of its regeneration. Our aim is to supply dignified housing solutions that people living in the city can be proud of. “Number 120 End street will increase the amount of housing available in the city, and will be a sparkling example to the rest of the affordable housing industry,” affirms Afhco CEO Wayne Plit.

Edited by: Martin Zhuwakinyu

so this building went from hotel to office to resi?

24m2 units??
that shouldent be allowed by law, min space a human can live in has to be around 35m2 otherwise you have the kitchn and bathroom in one-Yuk

The construction happening on south-west side of the city next to the Johannesburg Court is offices for Zurich Investment Company, I will get the name of the architects as the board is now up but doesn't show the design of the building.

Oh WOW that's awesome that a major corporate is moving in there!

Here's hoping that they go high....

I'm hoping so as well. Neil Fraser's got info about these development but he has being told not to release it. If there's a person who is good at convincing, please try to twist his arm, even if he can just tell us the height.

R2bn to be spent on new Joburg bus system
Buses leaving stations every five minutes... a dream?

Dikatso Mametse
31 Aug 2007 09:33

In just two years Johannesburg would have completed the first phase of the R2bn Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system. This is a fast and comfortable transport system and is also planned for Tshwane and other 2010 Fifa World Cup host cities.

The Johannesburg version will run from Lenasia to Sunninghill. There will also be routes leaving from Dobsonville (Soweto), Bruma towards the city centre, and from Alexandra.

Bob Stanway, executive director transportation for the City of Johannesburg says that the BRT is like a train or metro system on the road. Buses will have their own dedicated lanes in the middle of the road and to make this possible, R2bn will be spent on infrastructure.

At the end of the project, Johannesburg will have a 330km dedicated bus route. To start with though, 48 stations and a 40km route will be ready by 2009 for the Confederations Cup. By 2010, there will be 102 stations and an 86km route ready for the Fifa World Cup. Three years later, this will be extended to 150 stations and a 130km route.

Stanway says that there will be a station for every 2km.

Nthatisi Modingoane, a spokesperson for the City of Johannesburg said that there would be a bus available every three to five minutes during peak times, and 10 to 15 minutes during off peak times.

The project is at an advanced stage, Modingoane, a feasibility study has been done and currently the environmental impact assessment is being concluded.

Stanway says that construction has already begun around Ellis Park and Soccer City.

"The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and the Johannesburg Roads Agency (JRA) are handling the project," he said.

Modingoane said that there are opportunities for current bus operators to form consortium to run and respond to tenders to operate this systems. Future bus operators will also include existing taxi operators, he said.

^^ This news is SO old? Why on earth haven't they implemented it yet? I have yet to see a Rea Vaya bus/taxi on our roads, and the pilot projects is supposed to be in place already..

So right now, alas, it seemingly is still a dream..

Large parts of Jhb complex repaired
2007/10/02

As part of its full-scale renovation, large sections of Royal St Mary's complex were handed over ahead of the twelve month completion date.

The building consists of two office blocks of twelve and eight storeys respectively, rising out of a podium block on a site bounded by Church, Eloff and Pritchard Streets in downtown Johannesburg. Beneath the buildings are five levels of parking.

The building had been out of action for some years prior to this contract. Old Mutual and City Property were encouraged to convert one block to apartments and upgrade the second smaller office block by using the new tax incentive which assists developers involved in CBD upgrades. To qualify for this the apartments have to be rented initially for several years before they are sold.

In the twelve storey block Vuselela will soon have 162 affordable apartments available for letting. These units range in size from compact studio apartments to two-bedroom flats with separate kitchens and living areas. Floors five to twelve are now ready for handover and the remainder are on schedule for handover by the stipulated completion date of 8 December 2007.

The external façades on both blocks have been cleaned and in some areas windows have been replaced. In the ground floor retail area, shops with a combined size of approximately 2,900sq m have already been handed over for tenant installations. On the façade of the podium, pre-cast cladding panels were trimmed to allow more light into the building.

Eben Meyburgh, managing director of GV&K's Gauteng operation, said the brisk pace of progress on this R35m contract was achieved by splitting the project into three sections, each with its own construction management team consisting of a manager, foreman and leading hand.

Trades were sequenced so that they followed closely on each other and considerable finishing work was done in the early stages, after which completed areas were locked up.

I agree with you Joburg, but the Minister said it first phase will be do ne in 2009 and the second phase will be done in 2010.

The 46664 Concert is going to be held for this first time in Joburg this year. Here's hoping we get some great artists! I'm also really glad that the concert is being held at Ellis Park, and not at the Dome. Ellis Park will no doubt have far more atmosphere!

46664 concert for Johannesburg

The City of Johannesburg will for the first time stage a 46664 HIV and Aids awareness concert on World Aids Day, former president Nelson Mandela announced on Monday.

Speaking at the Nelson Mandela Foundation in Houghton, Mandela said the concert, which will take place on December 1 at Ellis Park stadium, will be supported by various international and local artists.

"Johannesburg has long asked for a concert to be held here; we look forward to be joined by the artists," Mandela said.

The concert would be supported by the City of Johannesburg, the SABC and Highveld Stereo.

"Together with a strong support 46664 will continue to use celebrities to speak to the youth about the Aids pandemic... and breaking the stigmas and silence around HIV and Aids. I hope to see all of you at Ellis Park," Mandela said.

Mandela was accompanied by Johannesburg Mayor, Amos Masondo.

"I feel honoured to be in the presence of the mayor," Mandela remarked.

Masondo said Johannesburg was a city in which the former president had spent a lot of time, and was happy that he [Mandela] had seen it fit to hold such a concert.

"...This concert will indeed reach out to humanity... The Johannesburg Aids Council works together with non-governmental organisations, and continues to raise funds," Masondo said.

The concert will be broadcast on SABC 2 and SABC Africa, and will also be available to international broadcasters.

"We want to show the world 46664, and will channel the proceeds towards the project," said even organiser Tim Massey.

The line-up included between 30 to 35 local and international artists, representing various types of music genres.

"This concert is going to be very different and will be the biggest one to date. The key to making this a success is with you," Massey said.

He said previous 46664 concerts had raised in excess of R20 million.

The line-up of artists will be announced on October 15, and a full programme on October 29.

Tickets for the Golden Circle are on sale from Computicket. Prices range from R120 - R450. - Sapa

Its good that its coming to Jozi, but there too much construction around Ellis Park. I just hope that they are gonna use park and ride.

Huge boost for Joburg's heritage
Anna Cox
September 21 2007 at 12:25PM

The area close to the Johannesburg magistrates' court is to receive a massive boost with the development of a new multi-million rand office park called Main Square, which is expected to uplift the whole precinct.

The surrounding area is rich in heritage but many historic sites lie in tatters while Joburg residents remain oblivious to their existence.

The Johannesburg Land Company (JLC) has been purchasing several buildings in the area and intends demolishing some and preserving others.

JLC deputy chairperson John Dewar said that side of the city had been neglected for many years.

"We are putting up a huge 44 000sq m office park and have already been digging the basements, which are three levels deep. We expect to develop retail shopping facilities in the vicinity and already we have had several expressions of interest. I predict that this whole area will be very different in about two years' time," he said.

One of the sites of historical interest is next to the Westgate taxi rank, where Ignatius Ferreria, the resident commissioner for the South African Republic, parked his wagon while digging for gold.

This was the start of the first residential area of Johannesburg, which became known as Ferreira's Camp.

Around the corner, in Anderson Street, is the St Alban's Mission Church, built in 1898, which was used by the local coloured community until they were forcibly removed in 1960.

A little further along, on the corner of Marshall Street, is the city's first cinema which is still intact with its pressed ceilings.

It is being used as a furniture factory. The building dates to 1899 and was first used as a church.

In 1951 it was converted into a bioscope called Casino Theatre, catering initially for the Indian community.

In 1960, special permission was obtained for blacks to be allowed to attend.

Dewar said the building would be restored and turned into a museum.

Around the corner, in Alexander Street, lie the remains of the city's first mosque, which has been walled off and retained as sacred ground by the Mia family.

Dewar said he was in discussion with the family as to how to commemorate the site.

"This is an area steeped in history which no one knows about.

"We, as business, are doing what we can to upgrade the area and we are investing heavily in it, as we have done in the Hollard Street financial district. But the city needs to come to the party as well," he said.

OK well it's sucky that it won't be high, but great news that it's another NEW development for the city! We now have both ABSA's new HQ as well as this Main Square!

Do you want to make a thread for it Pule, so that we can keep track of it's progress?

An unusual view of Joburg is on offer – adventurous spirits have been invited to abseil down Ponte City, the famous round building in Berea.


October 1, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi

IN a matter of days adventurous Joburgers who are not intimidated by heights will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to abseil down the side of Ponte City, the tallest building in the southern hemisphere.

At 173 metres high, abseiling down the famous round building is reserved for people with nerves of steel and brave hearts. And their opportunity comes on Saturday, 6 October.

The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and Investagain, Ponte's developers, sponsored this once-off initiative, which aims to raise awareness of the current developments in and around the city.

"This is indeed a unique awareness-raising event," said Ngaire Blankenberg, the director of Space Market, the organisers. "We want people to be confident in their city. There is a lot happening in the city but people have very little knowledge about these projects [which] are turning their city into a world-class African city."



A view of the inner core of Ponte


The public generally lacked awareness about the many projects under way in the inner city, such as renovating Ponte City into upmarket residential units by Investagain; revamping the Ellis Park precinct; and public environment upgrades in Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville, all run by the JDA.

"All the money raised at the event will go to the Creative Inner City Initiative," she said. This is a non-profitable organisation in Hillbrow that trains and develops local artists. Blankenberg said that the organisation dealt with a wide range of artworks, such as mosaics.

Participants are expected to pay R500 for the abseiling privilege. "We are not too specific about age, but 16 years and older participants are most welcome. Judgment will be done by the safety officer on board. His main focus will be the body weight and height of the participant."

Candidates will have to sign an indemnity form for medical and insurance purposes. The fundraiser will start at 10am and run until 5pm at Ponte City, 1 Lily Avenue, Berea. There will be refreshments, music and kids' entertainment.

"Friends and family can are welcome to come along with their children. The kids will have their faces painted and music will be played to entertain the visitors," she said.

Payment to abseil can be made on the day.

OK well it's sucky that it won't be high, but great news that it's another NEW development for the city! We now have both ABSA's new HQ as well as this Main Square!

Do you want to make a thread for it Pule, so that we can keep track of it's progress?


I thought that I must try to get concrete info before creating a thread.

By the way architects are Portal TPS Architects, I tried to google them but I can't get info.

Unused Jhb CBD buildings revamped
2007/10/02

Innovative developers in the Johannesburg CBD and its surrounding areas are giving old unused office buildings a new lease of life.

In the latest conversion in Braamfontein, The Stratosphere, a plush all-encompassing lifestyle package is offered at a relatively reasonable price.

The package entails a compact unit which is designed with luxurious finishes, while underfloor heating, a washing machine and tumble drier combination, fridge, plasma-screen TV, microwave, and Internet access come standard in every unit.

Hence, the buyer or tenant can move in without any large expenses to furnish the unit.

The Stratosphere, across from the Civic Centre in Jorissen Street, is developed by Afhco, who have been developing and managing affordable housing in the CBD and its surrounding areas for the last 14 years. Afhco is a private company in which Old Mutual has a 50% interest.

Wayne Plit, CEO of Afhco, says the full lifestyle package is a new concept in Braamfontein and is largely aimed at the rich and famous. He says it is aimed at, amongst others, young modern couples or singles working in Braamfontein and investors in the buy-to-let market.

The 13-storey building offers 117 luxurious units, which comprise studio and one-bedroom apartments. The price of a studio unit spanning 37sq m starts at R450k and one-bedroom units covering 55,5sq m sell at R955k. To ensure the unit is yours a deposit of R15k is required. There are nine units on each floor, of which five are north-facing and four south-facing.

Kevin Fine, director of Altec Projects, the sales and marketing team for Stratosphere, says 25 units were sold during the launch over the weekend. Half of these buyers are investors and the other half owners/occupiers. He estimates that the expected rent for a studio unit will be between R3k and R3,500.

The building will include a gym and Plit says negotiations are underway with a coffee shop chain group for space on the ground floor.

He says Afhco acquired the office building a while ago and two options are being investigated: to either retain it as a commercial building or to convert it into residential units. He says the residential market in the CBD and the surrounding areas are enjoying a wave of prosperity, which is driven by an urban lifestyle with people wanting to live near their workplaces.

The units will be ready for occupation in 2009 and will be managed by Afhco. – Elma Kloppers, Sake24

These was from Neil Fraser's From Randlord mansion
to uptown lofts article dated July, 2006 on joburg.org.za.


"The area where this is taking place is developing into a precinct of great activity.
Directly to the north of these two buildings, Anglo American Corporation is building its new 1 000-bay parking garage. Adjacent, on the eastern edge of this parking garage is Mapumgubwe, an Atterbury conversion of the previous French House building into "128 luxury apartments". Slightly further east, another Atterbury conversion of 84 Marshall Street into Isibaya House, will offer a further 101 apartments.
I understand that the building housing the CCMA, also in this area, has been sold and is due for refurbishment for residential apartments. To the south of 6 and 10 Anderson, the Johannesburg Land Company is looking at the redevelopment of Westend Centre and, to the east of this, the previous Price Forbes Group House is leased to Standard Bank and now links into the Standard Bank Superblock via an over-road bridge. The only blot in the cityscape here seems to be the slum-lorded 16 Frederick Street.
This entire precinct in the south-western quadrant of the CBD is set to be dramatically upgraded and will provide an excellent new residential node in the inner city. With this amount of residential accommodation coming on stream, we can anticipate commercial service-retail to follow. "


Do you perhaps know as to what's happening to CCMA building. This area will be buzzing next year.

Yup.. when Fraser puts it like that, it makes perfect sense for retail and commercial to follow, as we are already seeing with Zurich Investments and AngloGold Ashanti. Both companies a few years would without question have moved into Sandton.

Yarrick.. do we have any renders for the Stratosphere? We have to make a thread for it. And the same with the CCMA building when we get more info.

WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS NEWS TO DISAPPEAR INTO THE ABYSS THAT IS THE JOHANNESBURG DISCUSSION THREAD!

The abyss? haha... sad but true. For some odd reason we fail to keep track of all the developments.

Somehow its not our fault as we have to drive around and check where the developments or refurbishments are and that's bad. Why don't they just post them on joburg.org.za?

There AFHCO boards on delapidated builngs in the city centre, by the way I just came from the drive around the city. The problem is that everytime I try taking pictures security guys chase me away and they are everywhere.

I saw a couple of develoments in the city centre and oe in Hillbrow. As Jacko said previously almost every building is being refurbed.

I drove past Stratosphere just now. It is the building located between Joburg Civic Theatre and Parktonian Protea hotel and again when i took pictures the security guys warned me.

I will post a couple of pics that I have taken today and over the weekend around Jozi.

I wonder why the security guys are so nervous... Mind you, I have never had problems with them before - although I did get very strange looks from people in the street! Especially eloff street - I guess the only whitey taking pics would draw some attention!

I think crime caused all these problems, even at places with CCTV cameras they still stop people from taking pics.

With regards to Elloff, i think the street traders are the ones giving you that look as they think that you are part of the team that wants to chase them away as their days are number, LOL.

But I have realised that there are plenty of people taking pics in the city. Today I drove past a bus full of tourists taking pictures in Hillbrow and thank goodness work is progressing well and the place is clean even though some places still need serious attention.

Mariston hotel have got its won shuttles, I'm just impressed with that hotel as they running it very professionally.

Here's what I got in regards to Zurich Investment Company's head office. Maybe you can take these further if you know these companies.

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040840.jpg



http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040841.jpg



http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1040839-1.jpg

will try to get more info!

^^ Awesome! Well spotted Pule!

Next time the security guards chase you away, ask them on what basis are they doing this, considering you're not on private property and you're perfectly entitled to take photographs of whatever the hell you please.

I can't find ANYTHING on TPS architects either.

The closest I can find is a reference to them being involved in Anglo Gold Ashanti's headquarters in Newtown. See http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx?articleid=317081&area=/insight/insight__national/

I've also looked for information under the other parties involved, but can't find much either.

how hectic have the Wits riots been?

I was chased out on two occasions on wednesday, and I even got a video of them jumping on the desks in the library and acting like complete baboons.

I suppose that's mob mentality like you. Act like a baboon and something will get done. :)

I read the first reports yesterday - they were saying that the poor protesting students were thrown violently out of classes... which it became obvious later to be untrue. We had the same thing at UP in 2005.

Well it wasn't that far from the truth...

I know people who were grabbed by the collar and told to get the fuck out. And if you have someone jumping on the desk in front of you threatening to bash your dictaphone, you tend to succumb to their wishes and get the fuck out. hehe.

As a result, Wits was a bit of a ghost town yesterday.. (except for the rioters of course.. who were rah-rahing themselves all over campus)

I was standing on the steps of SW Engineering yesterday at about 11 when an entire mob came past. They seemed to pretty well behaved but then I chatted to a couple of mates who were chucked out of lectures yesertday afternoon twice. I have no problem with the protests excpet for the destruction of property and violent threats (as joburg said 'mob mentality') which are totally unacceptable.

If people fail to see your sound of the argument - scream louder? Doesn't make any sense - and we are becoming a nation that fails to express itself other than in voilent terms.

haha the wits rights were great while some were dodging police rubber bullets i was dodging class good a excuses to get some extra sleep .....oh also managed it get some of it on video the trashed 1 of our lectures on wednesday

lol yeah.... And some members of the SRC were arrested too. I suppose that Wits has never really been a quiet university.. we've always had to have an issue with something. I think that there have been riots almost every year that I have been at Wits since 2003. And we're in/famous for being the liberal anti-apartheid pro-transformation university.

lol yeah.... And some members of the SRC were arrested too. I suppose that Wits has never really been a quiet university.. we've always had to have an issue with something. I think that there have been riots almost every year that I have been at Wits since 2003. And we're in/famous for being the liberal anti-apartheid pro-transformation university.


I thought UP and Potch were the bastions of the anti-apartheid struggle? grin... did you know they still have racially segregated residences at Kovsies in Bloem?

And this all relates to construction etc. in Johannesburg HOW??? Im sure you guys can discuss this stuff in the Shebeen or something.

oh puh-lease bitch... joburg discussion is ten times more vibier than the shebeen!

Today I parked my car outside Joubert Park and took a walk passing through the park. The project to rehabilitate the is going pritty nice, i think I'm gonna like it but security need to be tightened a lot there.

Jeppestown offers buyers potential
05 Oct 2007 - Inet Bridge -

Intro
Six buildings covering half a block in New Doornfontein and factory premises in Wynberg were among the frontrunners at the Park Village property auction in Johannesburg last week

By Madden Cole

Six buildings covering half a block in New Doornfontein and factory premises in Wynberg were among the frontrunners at the Park Village property auction in Johannesburg last week .

There were no offers for a former factory in Droste Park Extension I, and there was no interest in the liquidation sale of three buildings in Marlboro South/Wynberg, but this was offset by other lots sold and confirmed at the fall of the hammer.

The six buildings cover half a block bordering on 9th, Voorhout and Upper Railway Streets, New Doornfontein.

The complex provides a total lettable area of 3842m² and a net income of R388680 a year. A hammer price of R3,15m was achieved.

The auction began with the sale of a commercial building in Bertrams Road, Bertrams. Tenants of the one storey pre-war building include a pharmacy, grocery shop and motor spares dealer, bringing in an income of R137 280 a year. A final bid of R910000 was accepted.

Another interesting old single- storey building, harking back to the 1920s, fetched R225000 . The building houses three shops on Jules Street, Jeppestown.

Jeppestown featured again with a three-storey building offering a total lettable area of 2300m². A hammer price of R2,75m was achieved.

Auctioneer Clive Lazarus said Jeppestown had the potential to be the next suburb to be upgraded after Doornfontein.

Described as “very lettable”, a four-storey building with 1700m² space on each floor on Durban and Meikle Steets, City & Suburban, received a signed offer of R3m before the auction. No higher bids were received. A furniture factory occupies three floors of the building.

A factory building over two stands in Ophirton sold for R2,3m. The building has a total lettable area of 2700m² and an income of R228800.

Also attracting interest was a six-storey vacant building on Nugget and Pritchard Streets. It sold for R3,1m.

Two million rand was paid for a light industrial building on the corner of Main, End and Marshall Streets, City & Suburban. As it is close to the highway, it is suitable to be used for advertising space.

The building on Pretoria Main Road offers triple volume space and was sold for R5m. It is described as an “exceptionally clean” building and is being used as a factory.


Business Day

Today I parked my car outside Joubert Park and took a walk passing through the park. The project to rehabilitate the is going pritty nice, i think I'm gonna like it but security need to be tightened a lot there.


Did you see the 'artistic fence?'

http://www.jda.co.za/2007/fence1.jpg

http://www.jda.co.za/2007/sep21_fence.stm

Yeah very lovely, I have laso seen it during the night. Fantastic, I wish JDA could revitalise the whole area.

I really need to get my ass to the JAG. I've never been. Travesty!

apparently there is a huge storm heading our way... Expect thunder, lightning and wind. And a sudden drop of 10degrees in less than an hour!

National Warning - Issued on Monday, 8 October 2007 at 06.00

Very cold conditions are expected to persist over the highground areas of Western and Northern Cape, as well as over the northern mountains of Eastern Cape and south-western and western interior of KwaZulu-Natal.
Heavy falls of rain are expected over northern KwaZulu-Natal, north-eastern Free State as well as the eastern highveld of Mpumalanga and Gauteng. Severe thunderstorms, asssociated with strong, damaging surface winds are expected in late afternoon and evening over the eastern highveld, Gauteng, the southern highveld of Mpumalanga and extreme northern Free State.

lol yeah everyone has been talking about it. Seemingly OR Tambo is currently being hailed in!

it is very dramatic, many joburg companies sent there people home already! But these reports are dramatised, and really exaggerated to the extreme. Heavy thunderstorms are quite normal this time of year. Don't know what the fuss is about. And people are definately taking this way too seriously. ah well, summer in gauteng. Its green. Its raining constantly. Yippee!

Hmm having alternating periods of sunshine then heavy drizzle in Sandton every 5 min. Weird.

Same here in Observatory. I quite love big storms so I'm rather disappointed that... er... nothing has happened. I was expecting a whipping and gnashing of teeth..

:lol:... we're all such a bunch of drama queens it seems..

A storm's a-comin', but it won't be a tornado

Zahira Kharsany and Riaan Wolmarans | Johannesburg, South Africa
08 October 2007 02:15

Emails suggesting that a severe storm with a tornado was to hit Johannesburg and surrounds on Monday afternoon were "greatly exaggerated", the South African Weather Service (SAWS) said.

An email received by the Mail & Guardian Online on Monday read: "Please take this serious. A weather warning has just been issued by Netcare 911. Within the next hour we will have a temperature drop of 10 degrees. And we will have a severe storm early this afternoon ... Please be careful as a tornado dropped in Randfontein on Saturday and is expected today."

"There will not be any tornadoes in the Gauteng region," Mark Todd, a forecaster at the service's national forecast centre, told the M&G Online.

The SAWS did, however, issue a statement warning of a possibility of severe storms on Monday afternoon for the region.

"Wild SMS and email rumours are doing the rounds that Gauteng will be hit by severe thunderstorms and/or tornadoes this afternoon and evening. These rumours are wildly exaggerated," the weather service's statement read.

It said thunderstorms were expected to develop over Gauteng later on Monday afternoon. One or two of the storms may become severe, generating strong surface winds and heavy rainfall in some places.

The warning was issued for Gauteng, the southern highveld of Mpumalanga and the extreme northern Free State. The exact areas that will be affected can only be identified using weather radar once the storm has started developing. Such areas can be only be listed within an hour prior to the occurrence of a severe thunderstorm.

"However, this is only a risk that one or two storms may become severe, and certainly no guarantee. Also note that the South African Weather Service has said nothing about tornadoes and hurricanes!" Todd said.

On Saturday, heavy thunderstorms brought down trees in several areas of Johannesburg, including the Golden Highway, south of Johannesburg.

Johannesburg metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said strong winds accompanied by heavy rains also caused a tree to fall on a taxi on Jan Smuts Avenue, towards Braamfontein. Nobody was injured in this incident, but a man was killed by falling branches in Lenasia's extension 13.

Weather forecaster Kevin Rae told News24 the SAWS planned to send meteorologists to the far West Rand on Monday to try to determine the kind of storm that struck the area on Saturday. "We can't say with any uncertainty if there were several mini-tornadoes, but one thing is clear: it was a highly unusual storm," he was quoted as saying.

On Monday, the South African Press Association (Sapa) reported Johannesburg companies sending employees home early to avoid the feared storm. It was understood staff of a Johannesburg newspaper fled their offices, leaving only a handful of sub-editors to man the fort, Sapa said.

Sapa's switchboard was inundated with calls from people wanting to know if the tornado threats were true. Radio stations resorted to broadcasting updates in an attempt to calm the public.

Some roofs went flying in Gezina, Pretoria. For the most part everyone were just stuck in traffic. Because most offices closed at 2:30. We are drama queens, I agree.

HAHA, read this, it is a perfect tribute to yesterday's chaos!

YOUR STORY
Apocalypse later
09/10/2007 08:42 - (SA)

Brandon Faber, News24 User

I love the smell of pandemonium in the morning, don't you? The hysteria, the panic, the gullibility of mankind.

First it was a storm warning, then it turned into a typhoon (which is strange since we don't live in Asia); it quickly morphed into a tornado, no, a hurricane, no, the end of civilization as we know it...

The four horsemen of the apocalypse were on their way and they were pissed off, coming with purpose, swinging from the hip to deliver unto us the fatal blow.

If the countless smses, blog entries, phone calls, e-mails and panic-stricken messenger-pigeons were anything to go by, you'd have been forgiven for thinking that Jo'burg was staring down the barrel of a "global killer"; a storm so perfectly hideous that even George Clooney wouldn't dare venture outside...

All hope disappeared as the clouds started rolling in. Traffic was backed-up from 14:00 as panicked parents raced home to say their final goodbyes, to be with their family, to hold hands and ramble down prayers and promises to live better lives from that day forward - should the Big Chief spare their souls.

Please turn off the lights

The worst parts from the Book of Revelations played out a morbid production of piss-poor character, as wide-eyed men and women from all walks of life jumped on the "end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it" bandwagon. The first crack of lightning, the first roll of thunder bringing with it visions of the next coming. No doubt that dude in Vanderbijlpark who sold everything in '99 in preparation for an immortal future felt thoroughly vindicated. albeit nearly eight years late.

Around the city, cult members gathered around their fearless leaders for final words of wisdom before embarking on "The Journey", leaving behind the sinful-souls of planet earth to join ET and his friends in paradise - 17.576 light-years north of Jupiter. . .

"They are expecting our arrival."

While chaos was unfolding in front of our very eyes and our roads groaned under the pressure of the great pilgrimage into a future unknown, the rest of us continued our duties until the bitter end, waving the flag for humanity, making sure critical documents were saved, information backed-up, that our office cups were washed and primed for that glorious day when the sun would, once again, bring life to this desolate place.

Afterwards, those of us who did not heed early warnings enjoyed spending 2.5 hours getting home - past deserted cars and the smoking embers of sidewalk fires - bearing silent witness to the world that was.

I looked around me at the final moments of civilisation and realised once again how bloody daft we are.

Next time some non-descript SMS tells you that Osama bin Laden is selling poisoned samoosas in the Makro parking lot, that Superman drank evil pills and is, as we speak, dragging five comets into earth's orbit, or that Elvis has returned on a banana-shaped-spaceship - feel free to give me a call.

I'll gladly give you a lift to the edge of the earth...

If we don't get stuck in traffic, that is.

hehe ^^

lol yeah.... And some members of the SRC were arrested too. I suppose that Wits has never really been a quiet university.. we've always had to have an issue with something. I think that there have been riots almost every year that I have been at Wits since 2003. And we're in/famous for being the liberal anti-apartheid pro-transformation university.

Her Royal Heiness Teresa Heinz Kerry attended Wits and participated in some of those protests back in the 50s.

Please post under the Franklin thread

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^^ How I would love to get hold of that Victorian arcade! It's really hot! It would make for such a kewl boutique hotel. And yes, that would gentrify the whole place... but, oh well. :)

The victorian arcade belongs to urban ocean... and it is the next phase of redevelopment for the franklin.

Ahhh. Well in that case I'm guessing we'll see it's redevelopment in the year 2053.

don't be nasty tommy... but I agree. Urban might have been a bit too ambitious with their plans. IMO, you need to get the middle class working people in before you get the yuppies. you cant build a glam building in the middle of mordor and expect the yuppies to come rushing!

Yeah I shouldn't be.. Maybe I was just expecting too much too quickly. But still.. big ups to them for being the leaders in inner city renewal!

Did you see the 'artistic fence?'

http://www.jda.co.za/2007/fence1.jpg

http://www.jda.co.za/2007/sep21_fence.stm

LOVE that fence

Consortium brings R23m Holiday Inn to Soweto
October 10, 2007

By Sibongile Khumalo

Johannesburg - The spotlight on township development will shift soon to the new Soweto Holiday Inn, which will open its doors on November 1.

The R23.4 million development by black-owned consortium Zuka Africa Tourism and Investment Corporation (Zatic) will become the first township-based Holiday Inn franchise.

Strategically situated in the historic Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, the new hotel will have 48 rooms, two suites and two executive boardrooms.

Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo, the chief executive of Zatic, said that in 2005 the Johannesburg Development Agency issued a tender for the development of a hotel establishment in Soweto.

The agency spent R450 million on the development of the Kliptown precinct, which consists of museum, retail and conference space.

Sammy Mafu, the spokesperson for the Johannesburg Development Agency, said the hotel was part of the agency's broader plan on urban regeneration for 2010 and beyond.

"Soweto is a booming market. Therefore, it is befitting to have such an infrastructure to further enhance its position as a historic place. Other urban regeneration plans involve engaging the private sector to embrace similar developments in the inner city," Mafu said.

Zatic got R20 million in funding from the Industrial Development Corporation and R3 million was raised by three other shareholders of the consortium.



Sangweni-Siddo said the hotel was targeting international visitors who wanted to see sights in the township, but had no place to sleep over.

"We are expecting 70 percent of our guests to be overseas visitors, but that does not mean that we rule out the possibility of local visitors. We believe SA Tourism initiatives to promote local tourism will be felt by our business."

Sangweni-Siddo, who has more than 10 years of experience in the hospitality industry, was quick to dismiss concerns that the hotel would take away business from the bed & breakfast entrepreneurs mushrooming in Soweto.

"The hotel will only bring a variety to the people and increase proficiency. Travellers will choose the establishments that they are accustomed to, or that suit their lifestyles and pockets."

The hotel will create about 34 permanent jobs, and procurement services for small, medium and micro enterprises (SMMEs).

"Building from an existing structure helped reduced the cost. Eighty percent of the workforce came from Soweto-based SMMEs. R14 million has been spent on the construction, and 50 percent of this amount has been paid to local subcontractors and labour," said Sangweni-Siddo.

Thanks for that Pule. Wow, this is great great news, good for job creation etc.

There is a world record-breaking housing project underway in Johannesburg's CBD. Click here to read more http://www.theworldedition.com/housing/johannesburg.php

Joburg cops strike back

17 October 2007, 06:39

Street gangs of smash-and-grabbers, muggers, pickpockets and armed robbers have laid siege to the Joburg city centre with a wave of attacks on motorists and pedestrians.

Now, after a series of incidents and an expose by The Star on a smash-and-grab robber operating on Queen Elizabeth Bridge, the metro police are fighting back and have formed a crack undercover unit to deal with these crimes.

According to Elias Phasha, the head of the unit, its formation was in direct response to the spike in common robberies in the city.

"We were getting so many complaints of these types of robberies that it was decided we needed to do something about it and fight these criminals head-on," he said.

The two-week-old crime prevention unit comprises 20 handpicked men and women, whose aim is to target street muggers, smash-and-grab thugs and hijackers by blending in with them.

Since the unit took to the streets on October 4 they have arrested 17 suspects, recovered two unlicensed firearms and seized several bags of dagga. Incidents of muggings and hijackings have reportedly also taken a dip since the unit began its operations.

On Monday, while The Star accompanied the unit on a patrol, undercover officers nabbed two men mugging a woman on the corner of Bree and Delvers streets.

The Star has reported on several incidents of smash-and-grab attacks against motorists as they leave the city centre through one of its main arteries along Sauer Street.

Recently, robbers have brazenly approached motorists stuck in traffic either along Sauer or Harrison streets with the threat: "I don't want to shoot you, so just give me your cellphone."

The Joburg city centre previously had a crime prevention team but the unit was disbanded when its members were moved into other units to serve in a crime-blitz campaign named Operation Token Days.

Token Days

Launched in October 2004, Token Days was a 500-day blitz by both the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the metro police aimed at clamping down on wanted fugitives, illegal firearms, illegal shebeens and enforcing the city's by-laws.

But, while metro police said Token Days was a success, the disbandment of the Crime Prevention Unit caused a gap in policing in the inner city, which meant that there were no undercover policemen monitoring the hotspots.

Criminals moved in, and police received reports of at least one attack a day in the city over the past few weeks, prompting metro police management to redeploy the unit.

Phasha, who has 17 years' experience with the metro police, was asked a few weeks ago to set up the unit.

"I went through the records of all the officers who had previously applied to join this unit (and) took the 20 guys who had the highest arrest rates. There are guys in the metro police who are good at writing tickets, but who are not necessarily good at arresting criminals. We needed guys who were brave and were willing to take on the most hardened criminals."

Phasha said the unit's main goal was to drive out criminals, not only in the city centre, but in areas stretching from Fordsburg in the west to Kensington in the east and from Glenvista in the south to Houghton in the north.

"We sit in meetings with the police and other stakeholders on a weekly basis, where we get reports of crime trends. From these trends we can see where our unit is needed and we can deploy it effectively."

Before the unit was established, Phasha said, they were getting weekly reports of up to 30 incidents in Braamfontein alone, but this figure had since come down to two.

"Our main goal is to make the city centre crime-free by 2010. We want people who come into the city to feel free and unafraid. The criminals are our enemies and I can assure the public that it is our mission to drive them out," he said.

Siphiwe Nzimande, CEO of Business Against Crime, said the organisation was concerned by the spike in crime in the inner city but welcomed the metro police's initiative.

"The police have to go out there and be visible to act against these out-of-control incidents. Crime needs to be quelled, and as long as the police continue to act, we can stamp it out," he said.

What's news in Joburg mingas? Been in Cape Town for the past 5 days so i thought i'd be missing out on what's potting in Joburg but seemingly nothing much has happened! hehe

Yarrick where you hiding?

Safety campaign
heads to Norwood
City officials will take to the streets of Norwood this weekend to spread the safety message to businesses and residents.


October 17, 2007
By Millicent Kgowedi

THE City's safety awareness campaign is moving north - Norwood's popular Grant Avenue will be the focus this weekend, when City officials will visit businesses operating along the restaurant strip on Friday, 19 October.

Residents will be targeted on Saturday. The campaign kicked off in Soweto in September, with City officials preaching the safety message to church ministers.

Jabu Dhlamini, the co-ordinator of the City's safety awareness campaign, said that pamphlets would be handed to businesses that contained safety tips relevant to their trade. "We will have short presentations about safety issues inside the restaurants and stores along Grant Avenue. [But] business will be as normal for them."

It starts at 9am and will finish at 12pm.

The campaign coincides with national car free day, which is part of Public Transport Month, on Saturday, 20 October. On this day, a portion of Grant Avenue, from Dorothy to Ivy roads, will be closed to cars. This will allow restaurants to set tables out and pedestrians to stroll along the avenue, enjoying the sights and sounds.

"The avenue will still be used by restaurants and members of the public for walking and cycling, among other things," Dhlamini said. Officials would also conduct safety awareness along the roads, giving safety tips to the public.

They would also focus on crime in the area, including business robberies and hijackings, and would talk about way to ensure the general safety of the community.

Partners in the campaign include the South African Police Service in Norwood, Johannesburg metro police, emergency management services, the Gauteng department of community safety and the Norwood Community Policing Forum

What's news in Joburg mingas? Been in Cape Town for the past 5 days so i thought i'd be missing out on what's potting in Joburg but seemingly nothing much has happened! hehe

Yarrick where you hiding?

You haven't missed much, just a few tornado's and tsunami's.. Nothing special

Awww sad times... I quite enjoy our tornados!

Pritachard street renovations are being accelerated.

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What's news in Joburg mingas? Been in Cape Town for the past 5 days so i thought i'd be missing out on what's potting in Joburg but seemingly nothing much has happened! hehe

Yarrick where you hiding?

well clearly without you joburg gets lazy
http://www.thetimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=589652

Gauteng Warehouse Projects by Old Mutual Top R230 Million
18 Oct 2007 - Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments -

Intro
Developments by Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments in Jet Park, a prime Johannesburg industrial and commercial township near OR Tambo International Airport, have topped the R230 million mark

This comes with the announcement of a R141 million project.

The 30 299m² warehouse is to be built for Supply Chain Services on an Old Mutual site which runs between Rudo Nel and Yaldwin Streets in Jet Park.

Supply Chain Services which already occupy a 25 000m² warehouse in Rudo Nel Street, will lease the property for 10 years, says Thys van Heerden, the development originator at Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI).

The building, which is scheduled for completion next year, has been designed for maximum flexibility. It has a large hardstand for truck parking and manoeuvrability.

Van Heerden says the Supply Chain project follows the start of construction of a R93 million warehouse development on Rudo Nel Street.

“The development, for leasing on the open market, will comprise two units of
10 000m² each which could be further divided for letting flexibility. The shortage of good industrial property, coupled with a scarcity of land in popular areas and a buoyant economy, has led to a growth in rentals,” says Van Heerden

This development which will feature 8,5m eaves heights for high stacking, large areas of hardstanding and offices, is due to completed by mid-2008.

It is the fourth development to be undertaken by Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments over the last year in response to strong demand for quality warehousing.

“The demand is reflected in the rapid take-up of space at additions to Phumelela Park , Cape Town, and at the new Mahogany Ridge Industrial Park at Pinetown, Durban,” says Brent Wiltshire, business development executive at Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments.

Wiltshire says Old Mutual is able to address demand for space through having vacant land in key areas of the major cities.

Ellis Park Stadium and Precinct
Final design

http://www.mmaarch.co.za/images/projects/urban/ellispark_01.jpg
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^^ Looks good... but they must keep it like that after the event too! Also they need to do something about Troyeville and Bertrams, and nothing is seemingly being done about it. It looks dodge...

And that article is right about joburg municipal services.. distinctly lacking in some areas! Cape Town on the other hand is spotless.

^^ Looks good... but they must keep it like that after the event too! Also they need to do something about Troyeville and Bertrams, and nothing is seemingly being done about it. It looks dodge...

And that article is right about joburg municipal services.. distinctly lacking in some areas! Cape Town on the other hand is spotless.

spotless? in terms of litter? i remember that topic of dicussion

yup.. joburgers irritate the shit out of me the way we litter.

But all cities have their faults and strengths i guess!

Good news that we finally have something concrete happening with the BRT!

Joburg to roll out R2bn bus rapid transit project
Published: 19 Oct 07 - 15:11

Johannesburg Mayor Amos Masondo will on Tuesday launch the rollout of the city’s R2-billion Rea Vaya rapid bus transport system (BRT).

The 94-km bus system will make use of dedicated median lanes (as opposed to kerbside lanes) on current roads, City of Johannesburg executive director: transportation Bob Stanway told Engineering News earlier this year.

Congestion in the city is becoming worse owing to urbanisation, growing prosperity and dissatisfaction with existing public transport.

“The BRT will provide commuters with faster, cheaper and safer public transport and a reliable alternative to the passenger car,” the city of Johannesburg said in a statement on Friday.

The city is aiming to have the system up and running by 2009, in time to carry visitors to the 2010 FIFA soccer World Cup.

The first phase of the Rea Vaya BRT system consists of routes from Nasrec to Ellis Park through Newtown; Dobsonville to Troyeville through the CBD; Lenasia to Sunninghill; Randburg to the CBD; Alexandra to Regina Mundi; Braamfontein to the CBD and a central inner-city route.

Masondo will also be signing a Memorandum of Understanding between the city and the taxi industry on various issues with regards to the future of public transport in the city.

The agreement was the result of “ a lengthy process of consultation” the city said.

Lack of power halts Randburg revamp
23 Oct 2007 - Inet Bridge -

Intro
Vagrants move into new developments without electricity

By Amukelani Chauke

Plans to upgrade Randburg’s central business district and enable more people to move into the area have ground to a halt.

Developers of upmarket townhouses in the neighbourhood are furious that Joburg Council cannot give them power.

Joburg council’s Spatial Development Framework of 2003 outlined plans to approve high-density residential developments in Randburg’s CBD and surrounding suburbs to allow 3000 more families to live closer to where they work.

Now those housing developments are lying vacant — except for squatters.

A petition signed by 40 property developers has been handed to City Power officials.

Attorneys for the developers have extracted a promise from senior City Power staff that the problem will be resolved — but at the end of next year at the earliest.

Area ward councillor Alison van der Molen, who attended the meeting, said the lack of available electricity had “hindered development and economic growth” and potential development had been “chased away by the lack of power”.

Now residents say vagrants have moved into vacant buildings — some of which have been empty for over four years — worsening the urban decay that council is trying to prevent with its Randburg CBD rejuvenation plan.

Maria Ferreira, head of the Ferndale East Residents’ Forum, said unoccupied developments in her neighbourhood were a “complete mess”.

Johnnie Louw, a lawyer and property developer , said that “at least 10 properties in Ferndale are on the waiting list for electricity and are currently occupied by vagrants living in bad conditions”.

Louw said he had lost an estimated R700000 a year in rates, taxes and escalation costs on his 88- unit Surrey Avenue development . “If City Power supplies electricity, then we are all winners,” he said.

Another developer, Marius Meyer, bought a stand in Ferndale last February. The council sent him a letter, a copy of which is in Metro’s possession, saying his rezoning application would be approved and that City Power could supply him with electricity.

Two months later, Meyer was told the letter was “an error” and his rezoning application was declined as there was not enough power available.

Meyer said that e very month; he wastes R36000 in taxes, rates and escalation costs.

He also has another stand in Ferndale that he bought for R1.65- million in 2005 which has still not received electricity as there is none available. On that development he forks out over R22000 monthly and “there is no end in sight”.

City Power spokesman Sol Masolo said the company was “not a generator of electricity, but a distributor”.

He said City Power had held a meeting with businesses in the Randburg, Sandton and other northern suburbs areas to inform them of electricity upgrades.



Sunday Times

Bicycle lanes
open in Soweto
Bicycles are being touted as an answer to traffic jams and air pollution from car exhausts. To make cycling safer and easier, special cycle lanes have been opened in Soweto.


October 24, 2007
By George Matlala

NON-MOTORISED transport was hailed as a solution to road congestion and traffic jams at the official opening of cycle lanes constructed along Old Potch Road in Soweto.

An initiative of the Johannesburg Roads Agency, the 750m lanes stretch from Vista University in Pimville to Modjadji Street. They were opened to cycling on Tuesday, 23 October.


At least 24 kids from Elias Motswaledi Pre-school in Pimville were the first people to ride on the lanes, with their bicycles – sporting training wheels – sponsored by the City's roads agency.

The project formed part of Public Transport Month, during which the government encourages citizens to use public transport to cut down congestion on the roads and so fight global warming.

Dignitaries at the launch included Rehana Moosajee, the member of the mayoral committee for transport; Bafana Sithole, the council's Chief Whip; and Duduzile Maseko, the managing director of the Johannesburg Roads Agency.

According to Moosajee, non-motorised transport, such as bicycles, would help to cut down congestion and emissions from car exhausts. "Transport can change the lives of people," she added.

The City wanted to build a culture of cycling in Johannesburg. "We encourage everyone to cycle," she said, adding that cyclists and pedestrians were as important as motorists.

Although the government was pouring millions of rands into public transport infrastructure, a lot still had to be done to make public transport efficient. "There is lot of work to be done to improve public transport," she noted.

Residents were also urged to use the lanes for the purpose for which they were built – cycling.

Maseko said more cycle lanes would be constructed along busy roads in Soweto. "The whole of Soweto should have cycle lanes."

The City wanted to create an integrated public transport system, which would enable people to park their bicycles at the side of the road and hop on buses, taxis and trains.

Themba Hlatswayo, the Ward 25 councillor, noted that the lanes were not built for walking, but for cycling. They were working with residents to ensure that the lanes were used for their purpose and maintained.


"We want to dispel the perception that these things belong to municipalities; people should take ownership [of them]."

That's a fantastic development! They should try encourage the use of bicycles within the city too...

I agree with you Joburg and I think there's a plan in the pipiline for that. Today 702 annoounced that a study contacted shows that more and more people are using bycles in the inner city to avoid traffic. Some park their cars at appropriate destinations and then cycle to work.

If the facilities were there, such as special lanes etc, I would defo do it. I am one of the lucky people who live close enough to the office to do this, but it is just to dangerous most of the time.

I am back after a two week break to tanzania, zanzibar and durban...

Tell us about your trip Jakes and please post pics.

Will try to do. I have a million emails to attend to. So for a couple of days I will be out of commission due to the catching up that needs to be done.

Not a problem, but will keep waiting.

Any body knowing amyting about this development on R24. I tried to check on Balwin website but still nothing for this development. If you got an info please create a thread for this development. It is just next to Gilloys off ramp

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Also Murray and Roberts are busy with this. Its a renovation

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f119/Puleza/P1050222.jpg

Yeah that's in Bedfordview, hey?

Dunno what it is hey. I'm thinking it's just apartments though.

Oh!!! did I see a Seat León??? :) I had no idea you guys had Seat in SA... cool!

i was also "nice car!"

Oh!!! did I see a Seat León??? :) I had no idea you guys had Seat in SA... cool!

Yip, we do. We even now have some ugly cars from China. Here's a list of manufactures you can find in South Africa -

1. Alfa Romeo
2. Audi
3. Bentley, saw 2 of them at Mandela Sqauer over the weekend
4. BMW
5. Cadillac
6. Chana
7. Chevrolet
8. Chrysler
9. Citroen
10. Daewoo
11. Daihatsu
12. Dodge
13. Ferrari, I'm not a fanetic but the latest on in yellow is a killer
14. Fiat
15. Ford
16. Honda
17. Hummer
18. Hyundai
19. Isuzu
20. Jaguar
21. Jeep
22. Kia
23. Land Rover
24. Lexus
25. Lotus
26. Mahindra
27. Maserati
28. Mazda
29. Mercedes
30. MG
31. Mini
32. Mitsubishi
33. Nissan
34. Opel
35. Peugeot
36. Porsche
37. Proton
38. Renault, I love my Megane Shake it
39. Rover
40. Saab
41. Seat
42. SsangYong
43. Subaru
44. Suzuki
45. Tata
46. Toyota
47. Volkswagen
48. Volvo

and Lamborghini, I love it, love it, love it

Environment Impact Study is being performed on Hillbrow's Telkom Tower. Let's cross our fingers, it might be open to the public.

That's interesting! Where did you hear that from?

If an EIA is being conducted then some developer definitely has an interest in it. Also it must be a pretty substantial development. Maybe that's why Telkom has been turned off... And maybe the developer wants to put your restaurant up top Pule! ;)

That's interesting! Where did you hear that from?

If an EIA is being conducted then some developer definitely has an interest in it. Also it must be a pretty substantial development. Maybe that's why Telkom has been turned off... And maybe the developer wants to put your restaurant up top Pule! ;)

I just heard that from one of the Telkom Managers on 702. They are broadcasting from that tower. The responses from callers and those who sent sms's was amazing, you can hear that people are emmitionally attached to the tower. If the callers calls had anything to go by, then Telkom must really think of relocating, people just love that tower.

As I was listerning I thought of the area and what does it look like currently. Its not in good shape but its not the baddest part of Hillbrow. Its less than 10 minutes walk fron the police station and less than 5 minutes drive from Constitution hill, about 5 minutes drive to Killarney Mall and M1. About 5 minutes drive to Ellis Park precinct. All ideas came to my mind of what the JDA can do to improve movement and connect all those areas.

I've never actually been to the base of the Hillbrow Tower, so not sure exactly where it is. But it's interesting that Louis Botha basically forms an invisible border between Parktown (which is not such a bad area) and Hillbrow (which is a mess!). The two areas are like chalk and cheese.

I once had to drop someone off in the middle of Hillbrow (I think it was Pretorius Street?) at night, and it was really kinda interesting. The area looked dodgy as hell, but the place was packed with people. It definitely still is a 24-hour suburb, just a suburb that's still unsafe and unclean.

Environment Impact Study is being performed on Hillbrow's Telkom Tower. Let's cross our fingers, it might be open to the public.

OMG!!! That is my BIGGEST wish ever... always has been.... I can only pray and hope this can happen sometime soon!!