# Bunkers Hill Hotel Complex - Mixed Use - 26F - 21F - 21F - East London

[Mosi-oa-Tunya]

Name: Bunkers Hill Hotel Complex
Use: Mixed Use consisting of a five-star hotel and luxury apartments
Floors: 3 towers consisting of a 26F hotel and two 21F apartment blocks
Status: Proposed
Location: Bunkers Hill suburb near East London


Hotel plan angers residents



POINT OF CONTENTION: An artist’s impression of the proposed R700m hotel.

Dispatch Online

2008/02/04

It will steal our view say Bunkers Hill, Baysville folk

A PROPOSED multi-million rand plan to build East London’s first ever five-star hotel and two luxury apartment buildings in the pristine suburb of Bunkers Hill, has residents up in arms as they fight to keep their view.

Most feel that if the development goes ahead their views will be compromised.

The residents are reacting to local developer Grant Furstenburg’s plans to invest about R700 million in a 26-storey luxury hotel and two apartment buildings of 21 storeys each. This amount is likely to escalate, he said this week.

Furstenburg has already signed a deal to purchase the land that houses the bird park in John Bailie Drive for about R25 million. The land is owned by Owen Sanders, who paid about R48000 for the 6568 square metre property when he bought it about ten years ago.

The then transitional local council granted him permission to utilise the property for a botanical garden and bird park. “When I bought the property, there were no services like sewerage. I had to foot the bill for infrastructure,” Sanders told the Saturday Dispatch.

He decided to sell the property because it had become too costly for him to maintain and the flamingo bird park is under-used.
“About 23 (people) visited the park during the December holiday and they didn’t even pay,” said Sanders.

Furstenburg has already submitted a proposal to Buffalo City Municipality asking for permission to buy the property and to develop it.

“East London is one of the few places that does not have a five-star hotel. The world is demanding. If they are going to play golf, they want all the glitz and glamour that goes with it. There aren’t many golf courses with a five-star hotel on it,” said Furstenburg.

But residents of Bunkers Hill and Baysville are against this development, saying it will lead to traffic congestion in John Bailie Drive.
“It is going to be a scar on the face of East London,” said Paul Steyn, who lives about 200 metres from the proposed development site.
Steyn, who also described the development as “grotesque”, said the hotel and apartments belong on the beachfront and not in a residential area.

Linda Warner, also of Bunkers Hill, said there were about 130 objections from residents of the area thus far. “We don’t want to stop development; it should just be in the right places,” said Warner.

It is however still not clear if the development will get the green light from the municipality as when Sanders bought the property, there were conditions attached to the Deed of Transfer that restricts the sale of the land.

According to these conditions, the owner shall not:

lSell or dispose of the erf without it being developed as a botanical garden and bird park; or

lSell or dispose of at any time any portion of the erf, unless he shall first have offered such an erf or portion thereof as the case may be to the said Transitional Local Council at the original price, calculated proportionally per square metre.

“All I can do is put my case forward and allow the municipality to assess it. The decision lies with them,” Furstenburg said.

Residents have until February 8 to submit objections to the municipality. Thereafter the proposal and objections will be reviewed by the municipality and go through the normal council processes before a decision is made. - By CHERI-ANN JAMES

Council Reporter

[Mosi-oa-Tunya]

Dispatch Now 24/7

1 February 2008, 12:19 CAT

Residents in the leafy upmarket East London suburb are up in arms over a multi-million rand plan to build a hotel and luxury apartments on a site which currently houses the city’s largest bird sanctuary.

The plans by developer Grant Furstenburg to build a 26-storey luxury hotel and two apartment buildings of 21 storeys at a cost of about R700 million on the John Bailie Road bird sanctuary belonging to Owen Sanders.

Fustenburg has signed a deal to buy the land from Sanders for R25 million. A decade ago, Sanders paid about R48 000 for the 6 568 square metre property, which adjoins the top-rated East London Golf Club.

But Bunkers Hill and Baysville residents are furious, saying not only will the development compromise their view, but lead to extra congestion in John Bailie Drive, which link Bunkers Hill and other suburbs with the beachfront.

So far, around 130 residents have objected to the plan.

“It is going to be a scar on the face of East London,” said Paul Steyn, who lives about 200m from the proposed development site.

It is however, not yet clear whether the municipality will give the development the green light.

When Sanders bought the property, conditions attached to the Deed of Transfer included that the owner shall not: “sell or dispose of at any time any portion of the erf, unless he shall first have offered such an erf or portion thereof as the case may be to the said Transitional Local Council at the original price, calculated proportionally per square metre.”

For the full picture and comments from the developer and more comments from residents as well as Sanders, see the print or online edition of the Saturday Dispatch.

Tags: Bunkers Hill, business, development, East London Golf Club, Furstenburg, Sanders

[Inertia]

sigh @ nimby's.. Nice dev

[dysan1]

looks like a nice development and great height for slummies, but i have got to agree that it really does look out of place in its setting...ie being too tall.

[joburg]

Originally Posted by Inertia

sigh @ nimby's.. Nice dev

Ditto!!

[annman]

If I can maybe give my 10cents worth, but I might be shot down and be plummeting to the earth in flames after you hear this, but, by judging by the surroundings, I'd say no to the development! Yes, I say neah... You may want to do this to me, but hear me out! The area is prestine and I see nothing higher than bushes or a residential home in sight.

This is a development for Quigney, or central East London. These areas need to be gentrified. These areas need to act as the core of the city, these areas are suited for high-rise development. Bunkers Hill, nope... it's like placing a massive hotel in Bloubergstrand versus Table View, or Gordon's Bay versus Strand. It doesn't suit the urban framework. If I was a resident, I'd be pissed as hell.

[hsark]

wow very nice for east london didnt we have a bloke living in that area on the fourm

[GregPz]

Very impressive for EL but I wonder how they plan to fill a 26 floor 5* hotel. It's kinda out of the way for foreign tourists (apart from backpackers heading for the Wild Coast). And it's not really much of a business centre either. Also would've thought it would make sense to be closer to the beach

[Durbsboi]

Merc always has in the region of 100 - 150 foriegners in the plant, so who knows, they could occupy this place.

[dysan1]

but they must be staying somewhere at present? it looks good but feels in the wrong place. it could still be a great success if it was a bit shorter

[Die Kapenaar]

[Die Kapenaar]

[Die Kapenaar]

[Bevski]

I agree with Annman on the location, build it in the Quigney or the old Marina Glen site, East London needs this but it needs it in the right place...

[Lydon]

It looks nice but eish...talk about randomly placed.

[Gulivar]

This should be built in the CBD.

[dysan1]

lol thats a silly place to have a resort. i think its a super investment

[Die Kapenaar]

Originally Posted by dysan1

lol thats a silly place to have a resort. i think its a super investment

Agreed. It would be better situated in the CBD where there is the bulk infrastructure in place or on the Esplanade nearby. Doubtful anyone would commit to building it in the current economic crisis.

[willayster]

when last were u in EL's CBD? pretty damn ghetto yo. the surrounding areas are awesome, if you are looking got put up a luxury development in EL it has to be outside the CBD. Plus EL's CBD/ main beachfront is not user friendly, pretty much a boardwalk on a rocky stretch.

[Durbsboi]

completely agree with Willay, the EL CBD is a ghost town and not a nice place. The main beachfront has no place for this sort of thing and judging by the rapid development outside town ie. areas in Genoubie, Sinsta, Hemmingways etc... This would be good where it is.