#Newspaper House Redevelopment - 6F - Mixed Use - CBD | Complete

[Lydon]

Ingenuity Properties concluded the purchase of the property this week and will take transfer some time in December. The current owner will retain the top three floors, which will leave an additional three floors of office space to let.

The ground floor will be converted into a retail mall opening up into Greenmarket Square and leading through to St. George's Mall. 100 parking bays will also be created.

Occupation can commence within 4 to 6 months. No external changes will be made to the property.

[Urban Rambler]

So the papers are officially moving out?

[Foxyman]

Originally Posted by Urban Rambler

So the papers are officially moving out?

No, its a leasebask deal, they remain on as Tenants in the top 3 floors. The printing of the papers has been outsourced so they are no longer fully utilising the building, and it is the portion used for printing that is being 'redeveloped'

[Mo Rush]

Yip and the cafeteria removed too.

[Marsupalami]

I will miss browsing all the great Photo's in the window displays that give tourists a tantalising glimpse of real life in Cape Town - I used to see many foreign strollers stopped there soaking it in

[Lydon]

image hosted on flickr

[annman]

HAHA! Rendering artist is funny... look at that oke in the middle of the foyer looking all "priestly!"

[Andrew_za]

Hoping for a much better interior!

[Mo Rush]

Originally Posted by Lydon

image hosted on flickr

Thanks. Architect or source?

[Citywalker_CT]

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

[Lydon]

The CBD is on fire So many refurbishments and new builds all over the place!

This one looks very good in white.

Thanks for the timely updates as usual

[Citywalker_CT]

Today:
This is going to look so good. I'm keen to see what kinf of retail tenants they have. The CBD could do with some quality retail injection.
image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

image hosted on flickr

[Lydon]

I love the colour scheme they've chosen!

[RYebreAD]

Very nice and clean! I hope they open up a bit of retail or restaurant space on the St Geroges Mall side..

[Foxyman]

The whole ground floor will be retail, most likely a grocery retailer (e.g. Food Lovers Market) and with the possibility of a gym on the 1st floor

[goliath01]

Man, what a fantastic CBD, nice modern towers going up and old historic buildings getting a nice refurb. Fabulous!!! Love everything.

[James0]

Originally Posted by Foxyman

The whole ground floor will be retail, most likely a grocery retailer (e.g. Food Lovers Market) and with the possibility of a gym on the 1st floor

Walking into my building, just spotted a guy in a hard hat clutching a GMail printout headed "Fruit and Veg". I feel like a secret agent.

[annman]

This is why at SSC, we know everything first. We have our evil-archi-developmental minions EVERYWHERE! *BWAHAHA-HA-HA-BWA-HA!*

[James0]

Would be thrilled if they moved in. When the street traders are closed, there actually aren't that many places in the immediate area to buy basic food and drink things. Also hope they have opening hours in line with places like their Claremont branch, and not their Icon branch. Most places still shut down around here after five and on weekends. Seems like a missed opportunity, given that the handful of places that do stay open seem to do pretty well -- Doppio Zero across the street have the longest hours in the area, and seem acceptably full most of the time.

[Lydon]

Looks like you got your wish Food Lovers Market it is!


Cape Town's Newspaper House gets revamp and new tenants
WEDNESDAY AUG 01, 2012

Renovations to Newspaper House, the home of the Cape Argus in the historic St George's Mall precinct, are almost complete and new tenants will be moving in before the end of the year.


The foyer of Newspaper House in the process of being renovated.

Ingenuity Property Investments (IPI) said the revamp would cost a total of R150 million, with the first phase of the refurbishment coming in at R65 million.

IPI chief executive Arnold Maresky said the new ground floor tenants would be Food Lover's Market on a 10year lease.

"Independent Newspapers will continue to be the major tenant in the building, occupying the top three floors as well as a portion of the third floor, and we have also signed a lease with Groupon South Africa for the second floor for their new offices and call centre," Maresky said.

He said the remaining spacewould be rented to other potential tenants with whom negotiations are under way.

He declined, however, to say who these potential tenants were as deals are still in process.

Newspaper House dates back to 1912.

Architect Dennis Fabian of Fabian Architects said a concerted effort had been made to maintain the architectural and historical integrity and character of the building.

"Wherever possible, we have retained elements of structural steel and old gantries, and have incorporated a number of other historical artefacts from the original building, and blended these with contemporary design elements," said Fabian.

The first phase of the revamp included the lifts and foyers, as well as reconfiguring the ground floor, parts of which used to house the old printing presses.

Fabian said the façade of the building had received an extensive facelift but otherwise remained unchanged except for the ground floor, where a retail element with shopfronts had been introduced.

"The shopfronts enable the building to better interact with the street level, which is an important heritage application," he said.

He added that in keeping with the rest of the building, only teak windows and shopfronts had been used.

In addition, the streetscapes around the building are being upgraded and the kerb space cobbled.

The history of the building had also been captured in interior design elements with lobbies and public areas being covered in wallpaper in a collage of press photographs recording historic events of the past 120 years.

The number of floor levels in the building had been rationalised to enable the introduction of parking levels and a total of 70 parking bays would be provided on site.

Graeme Liebenberg, group property and business development manager for Food Lover's Market, said the group's planned new store followed the tremendous success of their Café concept store and the Food Lover's Market Icon on Lower Long Street.

He said the new outlet was in response to strong market demand from office workers in the central city looking for a lunch spot within walking distance of their workplace.

"We have been investigating various options in the precinct - Newspaper House ticked all the boxes and was an opportunity to link the history of the building and Greenmarket Square with a unique food experience."

Maresky said the refurbishment of the building had started in February this year and was on track to hand over the premises to tenants for fit-out next month, with occupation scheduled for November.

Cape Argus

Source: IOL Property