...Pretoria *Discussion*

[Nostra]

Pity, guess you win some and you lose some..

[ToxicBunny]

wonder which street names they will change though.

[LADEN]

Why did the Metsweding District Municipality collapse?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metswed...t_Municipality

[ToxicBunny]

Maladministration basically....

[annman]

And Tshwane was having huge financial issues too.

[africanman]

Originally Posted by briker

Another ANC ploy of enlarging its voter base in order to keep its destructive paws on the metropole. It's said that 27 squatter camps will be part of this incorporation- thereby almost doubling Pretoria's poor. It spells disaster for the whole city as the burden on Pretoria rate payers will increase immensely.

I think that the problem here is the fact that the ANC has to be concerned about all the people. The Apartheid government was only concerned about a few and therefore the chosen ones had a great living standard on the backs of the majority of the population.
I keep reading posts that seem to suggest that life was great before the ANC but the question is for whom and at whose expense

[Marsupalami]

If you look at the posts that bemoan the ANC - its never set against contrasting the ANC with the NP or Apartheid administration. We all know there was corruption, maladministration etc no t to mention majorly unequal distribution of money/recourses - but the parastatals were run better for one thing.
No, its the fact that the ANC is manuevering things as if the were pawns and playing a pisspoor game of smokescreening to spite everyone knowing they cant run a country off the existing political expertise ( see Nedbank CEO recent statement ). Also, the sheer expense of corruption to us all is 100 fold worse than it ever was before, and this in plane sight too! how can they really be of the people for the people, when this is what happens?
Their current strategy flies in the face of the virtues of Speed, Cost Effectiveness, Quality and Commitment which are commonplace elsewhere in the world where governments are able to be freely dispatched from office without fear of a frikken civil war style meltdown - or deliberate destabilasation - thats pure childishness on their part

[Lydon]

Design Square and Brooklyn Mall to merge in R1.7 bn project
Published: April 3, 2012


Brooklyn Mall in Pretoria is merging with the adjacent Design Square.

Growthpoint Properties Limited and Atterbury Property Group have confirmed they have implemented the merging of their landmark properties in Pretoria – Brooklyn Mall and the adjacent Design Square – to create the single, larger and more diverse Brooklyn Mall.

This innovative asset swap transaction results in 75 percent ownership of the new mega-mall for Growthpoint Properties and a 25 percent stake for Atterbury held by its subsidiary Abacus Property Holdings. The value of the consolidated mall is R1.7 billion.

Growthpoint Properties is the largest South African listed property company with a market capitalisation of R31.6bn and property assets over R50bn. Growthpoint is included in the JSE ALSI 40 Index.

Atterbury Property Group is a leading SA property investor and developer, which has developed properties across all commercial property sectors.

Brooklyn Mall’s diverse retail will now be complemented by the stylish dining of Design Square and its superior décor offering, according to Stephan le Roux, Growthpoint’s retail division director.

“The shopping will come together with the food and leisure area, creating an improved overall retail experience at Brooklyn Mall. Its co-owners are confident this will translate into longer shopper dwell-times with more reasons to visit the centre.”

The deal has also resulted in the opportunity to upgrade and expand the Brooklyn Mall while enhancing the link between the two centres. Atterbury will manage the project, ensuring seamless integration. Part of the repositioning of the centre will entail the development of some 6 000m2 of additional leasable retail area – growing Brooklyn Mall to over 72 000m2.

Le Roux describes this as a win-win transaction. “Both owners and both centres benefit. The combined result is a superior shopping experience with big impact and far-reaching appeal. The transaction is a good fit, with both owners bringing excellent skills and experience to the table. Atterbury’s development track record makes it an ideal partner for this transaction.”

Leasing manager of Atterbury Group Johan Roets says that Design Square is a natural extension of Brooklyn Mall.

“By working together, Growthpoint and Atterbury are creating a retail asset that is more valuable to its owners, retailers and shoppers than could be achieved independently. The extensive refurbishment will capitalise on the advantages of combining the malls.”

Besides broader retail variety, shoppers will also find the new mall easy to navigate. The refurbishment project will introduce a figure eight mall, which will improve flows and ensure that customers are never far from any single point in the mall. Extra parking will also be added.

“The upgrade will change the face of retail in Brooklyn Mall by introducing more variety and exciting new brands, including SA’s third GAP brand store, after Cape Town and Sandton. The new design also creates defined retail category focus areas to make comparative shopping easier,” says le Roux.

The project should be complete in April 2013. Work to link the two malls began behind the scenes last year, but has not affected trading. The existing link between the two malls will be supplemented by another link through the current Mr Price Home store, which will be relocated. Brooklyn Mall’s management offices will also move.

With more than a year before opening, heavyweight retailers are already eager to take up space. Leasing of the extension is oversubscribed. Pretoria’s flagship Trenery/Country Road will also join Brooklyn Mall. New generation Mr Price Weekend and Mr Price Home stores will also open.

Le Roux says: “We are carefully selecting retailers to enhance the centre’s tenant mix. Brooklyn Mall shoppers are extremely loyal, and merging, growing and revamping the centre will ensure it continues to meet their needs. This transaction adds value and sustained relevance to an exceptional property asset.”

Roets says: “Brooklyn Mall already has a huge pull in its catchment area and its added size means it will function as a super-regional mall. Its location is supported by strong, affluent residential nodes and it isn’t constricted by artificial built barriers. This transaction guarantees a high-end super-regional mall with many of Pretoria’s best fashion retailers and restaurants.”

Source: SA Property News

[Jim856796]

There is a report saying that the Schubart Park residential complex in Pretoria is going ot be imploded. A new residential project and shopping complex will be built on its former site. The reason: The buildings are not suitable for refurbishment as they do not comply with current building codes and it is not practical to make them compliant. The buildings are unstable, and the complex was evacuated last year. The structural integrity of the buildings cannot be guaranteed, unsuitable design in terms of safety, people accommodation, and current energy requirements, and there is no real economic benefit for the council should the buildings be refurbished.

Report

[Awesome.e]

anyone know whats going up on Schoeman Str in the CBD? Theres a plot there and they clearing up the land for construction

[SA BOY]

ha ha ha

110 stories and 447m

http://www.moneyweb.co.za/mw/view/mw...ail&pid=287226

[Lydon]

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1508585

[Diggerdog]

What...the..?

Is this actually happening?

[Diggerdog]

From Beeld...

Centurion kry ‘hoogste gebou in Afrika’2012-04-24 22:16

’n Kunstenaarsvoorstelling van die ambisieuse Symbio City-ontwikkeling by die Centurion-meer. Die Centurion Mall is aan die voet van die torings met die SuperSportpark-krieketveld in die agtergrond.

Cobus Claassen
Een van die hoogste wolkekrabbers ter wêreld word vir Centurion beplan.

Centurion kan teen 2018 selfs met die twee hoogste geboue in Afrika spog.

Die Tshwane-metro het planne om as deel van ’n ultramoderne ontwikkeling by die Centurionmeer ’n gebou van ongeveer 470 m (110 verdiepings) hoog op te rig.

Twee ander torings van onderskeidelik ongeveer 336 m (80 verdiepings) en sowat 210 m (60 verdiepings) sal as die Centurion Towers deel uitmaak van Tshwane se ambisieuse Symbio City-ontwikkeling.

Al drie sal in die meer gebou word.

Die 470 m-toring, wat merendeels uit kantore sal bestaan, beteken dat Suid-Afrika ’n gebou tussen die tien top-wolkekrabbers ter wêreld sal hê.

Dié gebou sal selfs hoër wees as die Em*pire State-gebou (381 m, 102 verdiepings) in New York. Twee van die torings sal die hoogste geboue in Afrika wees.

Die Carlton-sentrum in Johannesburg is op 223 m tans die hoogste gebou in Afrika. Dit het 50 verdiepings.

Tshwane het gister op sy handel-en-infrastruktuur-beleggingskonferensie in Pretoria lig gewerp op die projek.

Die bou van Tshwane se konferensiesentrum (TICC) op die oop stuk grond aangrensend aan die Centurion Mall is deel van die ontwikkeling.

Tshwane het gesê bouwerk aan die TICC-kompleks kan voor einde vanjaar begin.

Dit sal ’n konferensiesentrum van 30 000 m², minstens drie hotelle, winkels, kantoorruimte van tot 150 000 m² en luukse wooneenhede insluit.

Volgens Tshwane is ’n swaargewig- ontwikkelingskonsortium met Siemens Suid-Afrika as strategiese vennoot reeds in gesprek met voornemende beleggers.

Tshwane se burgemeesterskomitee het die konsepontwikkelingsplan in beginsel goedgekeur, maar dit het nog nie voor die raad gedien nie.

Bouwerk aan die torings kan teen 2018 voltooi word.

[Diggerdog]

Architects...renders

http://www.126group.com/j-126-africa...20building.htm

[Lydon]

There's a thread for it that I posted above Quite a bit of discussion has gone on there

[romanSA]

Major benefit for Pretoria, major loss for CT, if this happens. I hope it doesn't!

-------------------

Top ANC MP wants parliament relocated

CAIPHUS KGOSANA
30 May, 2012

The thorny question of relocating parliament from Cape Town to Pretoria has reared its head again with claims that the move would save the government billions in travel, accommodation and car rental costs.

Senior ANC MP Vincent Smith, who chairs parliament's Correctional Services portfolio committee, yesterday suggested that it was time to rethink the apartheid-era arrangements that necessitated locating parliament in Cape Town and the executive in Pretoria.

"This unusual situation that we find ourselves in is thanks to an apartheid government compromise of sharing the seats of the judiciary, the legislature and the executive to cater for that government's own constituency demands at the time," Smith said.

But the Cape Chamber of Commerce questioned Smith's statement, saying moving parliament, with its thousands of employees, would create a national financial and logistics nightmare.

Smith raised the issue in the National Assembly in November, offering the same reasons for relocating parliament.

The contentious issue first arose in the late 1990s.

The government spokesman in 2009, Themba Maseko, said that moving parliament to Gauteng had been discussed in relation to costs.

"So, in the context of discussing costs, the issue of moving parliament was considered but no decision has been taken," he said.

Speaking in parliament, Smith said ministers and government officials faced a daily barrage of criticism from the public about money spent on flights and accommodation for politicians commuting between Pretoria and Cape Town.

Moving parliament closer to the executive would put much of this criticism to rest, he said.

It could also save the state billions annually. Ministers and their deputies would not need duplicate accommodation and vehicles in both Pretoria and Cape Town.

Major savings would also result from fewer flights and car rentals, less hotel accommodation and less being spent on travel by thousands of government officials and executives of state-owned entities.

Government officials are known to favour luxury hotels when in Cape Town - preferring five-star accommodation such as The Taj and Table Bay hotels, which charge between R1200 and R4000 a night.

The state could also save on plane tickets for most of the 400 MPs - each of whom is allocated 82 return flight tickets a year for constituency travel - commuting to Cape Town weekly.

Smith said a move away from Cape Town would:

Reduce unnecessary costs associated with travel and accommodation;

Lead to increased oversight of the executive in the absence of having to waste time commuting between cities; and

Increase public participation by moving parliament from the southernmost tip of the country, to where many people cannot afford to travel.

Previous discussions about moving parliament led to fierce resistance in Western Cape because the move would take billions away from Cape Town and fundamentally alter the city's landscape and demographics.

Michael Bagraim, president of the Cape Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said it would cost the government a lot more to set up a new house of parliament in Gauteng.

"It will be an absolute nightmare.

"The capital cost of relocating parliament would cost us billions of dollars, not even rands.

"This is a highly functional and highly resourced parliament," Bagraim said.

He said the c hamber had done a costing exercise five years ago that showed that it would work out cheaper for the government to build or rent a block of flats for travelling officials instead of putting them up at five-star hotels.

Bagraim said parliament would suffer because many of its highly skilled and experienced staff would resist the idea of relocating their families to Gauteng.

He said the ANC had more pressing issues to deal with than worrying about investing billions in moving parliament.


http://www.timeslive.co.za/politics/...ent-relocated1

[Lydon]

Leaders aim to create a new-look Tshwane
MONDAY JUN 04, 2012

Tshwane's municipal leaders have big plans for the city. This was the commitment made by city manager Jason Ngobeni in the build-up to the Metropolitan Council's budget debate and confirmed by the executive mayor, Kgosientso Ramokgopa, in his budget speech last week.

In a series of moves in partnership with the private sector, the council hopes to fast-track projects, some of which have been in the pipeline for years, and catapult the capital city's growth path.

In a radio interview with 702, Ngobeni pointed to a number of developments which would take back the city, "street by street".

Ramokgopa, in the budget, also identified a number of multi-million rand capital projects, including the rehabilitation of Centurion Lake as part of a larger Centurion SymbioCity project.

This project on 10ha of prime land near the Gautrain station, includes creating the tallest building in Africa - at 110 storeys high.

The proposed Centurion Symbio-City will feature two office towers, and include hotels, retail facilities, a convention centre and residential space.

The project could take anything up to eight years to complete.

The anchor of Tshwane's urban renewal, however, lies within the inner city, where plans include the pedestrianisation of Paul Kruger Street from Pretoria station all the way to the National Zoological Gardens.

This could start soon with an announcement on the blocks from Pretorius Street to Johannes Ramokhoase (Proes) Street through Church Square.

An important part of the plan to breathe new life into the city centre is the Lilian Ngoyi Square - a public open space which will integrate the State Theatre with the rest of the inner city.

Illegal taxi ranks and hawkers trading where they should not are being dealt with and safety features such as lighting and cameras would be introduced, Ngobeni said.

In the budget debate on Thursday, Ramokgopa gave the assurance that the idea of taking back the city streets was not to deprive taxi owners and hawkers of their livelihood.

But he too stressed the need for the people of Tshwane to feel safe in their own city.

This ties in with the appointment of a new metro chief, Steven Ngobeni, who wants to restore faith in the unit.

"We want to claim back our city and this is the way to go," said Ramokgopa at Ngobeni's inauguration on Friday.

The mayor's budget speech highlighted the social and technical infrastructure required to uplift Tshwane and encourage investment in the city.

A number of parcels of land have been identified, including the West Capital Precinct - a project which includes the implosion of the existing Kruger and Schubart Park flat towers, which were deemed unsafe, and replacing them with new housing for the poor and affordable accommodation for the capital's large student population.

Munitoria, which was partially damaged in a fire, will make way for an impressive new council headquarters called Tshwane House.

This is in keeping with the new and upgraded government department buildings which stretch from the DTI in Sunnyside to the OR Tambo campus of the Department of International Relations and Co-operation in Soutpansberg Road.

Pretoria News

Source: IOL Property

[kulani]

And please start by making sure all of Pretoria CBD's sidewalks are paved. That is so embarrassing it makes Pretoria look like a village and not the capital city of SA.

[pta_pta]

First buildings of Menlyn Maine almost finished. Really like the fenceless open area they are busy creating there.

Extentions to Parkview Mall also finished, just terrible mall management and some of the facilities already appear worn and old. Time To repaint the roadmarks and clean up around the mall.

Lynnwood Bridge have been a huge success and became very popular in a short amount of time. Restaurants always full, theatre very popular. Glenfairs mall next to it also looks great after its upgrade and is already expanding for Dischem is seems. There should be a pedestrian brigde linking these two developments in near future.

Club 1 finished, but still loads of retail space left with only Cafe 41 in centre so far, will take off after more phases are complete. The Spar next door has already been demolished and construction began on the new building. Also a nice street level, fenceless development.

Brooklyn Mall upgrades coming along nicely, with the first batch of shops looking like they can open any day now. With changes to Design Square also expected soon.

At Tuks the new Engineering 3 building with offices, labs and lecture halls are completed and in use, as are upgrades to the musaion, and the Thuto lecture hall building. The upgrades to the aula is also in final stages and should be ready soon. The new plant sciences building also completed and in use.

Close to Hatfield station signs are up for a new building for the Dept of Com. Hatfield Plaza in dire need for upgrade, to better reflect its new position close to the station and better serve Hatfield's residents. Hatfield has densified imensely over the last 5 years and the mall failed to keep up.

New office buildings next to Menlyn Park also completed and the new FNB building coming along fast.

New Deloitte offices at Garsfontein interchange also complete.

Thats what I can think of now, in Pta East. Havn't really been in other areas recently, but Absa building in CBD still under wraps.