There is new life, and new energy at The Village, as Atterbury sets in motion its exciting management plans for the Old East Precinct. We got the lowdown on what to look out for from asset manager Zandri Wells.
It has been three months since Atterbury took over management of The Village. What were the initial priorities and what has been implemented already?
The initial priority was to ensure that proper zoning rights at The Village are in place and that we provide sufficient parking. We bought the erf next to Ozé Café & Bistro and we will be demolishing it within the next eight to 12 weeks to create additional parking. We also increased the security complement at The Village.
Great news on the parking; we know this was always such a big issue!
Yes, we had to address that right away. We have also presented a precinct plan to the city council where we will be implementing one-way streets to ensure we have more parallel parking, and which will also relieve the congestion during peak hours.
Efficient management must have made an immediate improvement. How have the tenants responded so far?
The tenants are amazing to work with – they are creative, passionate individuals who make management’s job a lot easier. They are eager to work together to ensure that the precinct keeps the unique Village “vibe” while also ensuring that it abides by all the rules and regulations.
What have been the major challenges for you as a management team?
The big ones were to ensure that we get the zoning rights in place and to think of a creative way to relieve the traffic congestion.
And what have you enjoyed most about this project?
It really is so great to work with creative individuals and seeing the passion they have for their restaurants and shops. The area is undeniably one of the post popular areas in Pretoria and it is great to experience the buzz of The Village when patrons flock in numbers to experience the unique Village vibe.
Have any new tenants been signed up since you took over management? How much can you share?
Yes, Aroma Coffee Roastery is new – they opened in April. We are busy concluding an exciting deal on the container behind Alfies, watch this space! And by the end of this month Brunch Street will be opening in the shop behind Culture Club where Chocolate Café used to be.
What is being planned for the next few months as we head into winter – are there specific plans that will be rolled out?
We have an amazing music festival coming up on 8 June – the Fête de la Musique festival will take place across various venues at The Village and The Club. The headline act will be The Dark Blue Orchestra, a Parisian cabaret-rock outfit who are coming from France to perform alongside some exciting local talent.
Another highlight on our calendar is the StreetSide Market that happens every second month.
Anything else we should be on the lookout for?
We’re very excited to see the entire Old East precinct incorporating The Village and The Club being transformed by graffiti art in the coming months; we’ve commissioned talented graffiti artists to decorate certain walls in the precinct. The feedback on this project has been extremely positive and we look forward to seeing how the end product unfolds over the next months.
Soon there will also be Old East signs installed at the entrances of the precinct, which of course includes both The Club and The Village, to delineate the area clearly. There’s much more coming, so definitely keep watching this space!
