Atterbury has joined forces with local developer Safland Property Group in Namibia to develop Walvis Bay’s biggest mall to date. Atterbury’s Wiehan Strydom gives some background
Originally Dunes Mall would have been a 100% Atterbury development, now it’s a joint venture. Why did the plans change?
This is not the first time that Atterbury and Safland partnered as we did the same with the Grove Mall of Namibia in Windhoek. We regard Walvis Bay as a rapidly growing market but it is currently still too small to justify two competing malls, both with a shopping area greater than 20 000m². Deciding between the two development sites was more difficult but the Atterbury site was chosen due to its greater size that would allow for more future expansion to the mall.
How is Dunes Mall one similar to The Grove?
Apart from the fact that this mall is only 27 000m² versus The Grove’s 45 000, the main difference is that the Dunes Mall will only be on one level. The quality of the mall finishes in terms of look and feel will be the same, as it is our trademark to develop only high-quality retail.
What does the retail landscape in Walvis Bay look like and how will Dunes Mall change that?
Most of what’s there is still the typical in-town, on-street retail. There is no existing regional-size shopping centre in Walvis Bay. We believe that the mall will attract shoppers from a larger area, who would previously have gone to Windhoek to shop for things like fashion, electronics and so on.
What is Dune Mall’s vital statistics?
The mall size is 27 000m², the development value is around $N650 million at the opening date, there will be around 80 stores and around 1 040 parking bays.
Construction started at the end of 2015 with completion by 2017 – how far along is the process and what is currently happening on the site?
We are four months in, so at the moment we are moving around 185 000 cubic meters of dune sand to create the platform for the construction of the mall, which will commence in May 2016.
Are there particular challenges involved in developing a new mall in Walvis Bay? Does the location on the coast impact in any way?
There have been the normal challenges faced by developers to complete the red tape of sub-divisions, rezoning and so on. Walvis Bay is probably the most corrosive town in the world with the combination of desert sand and mist from the sea. Therefore particular attention must be given to corrosion-resistant materials to ensure longevity of the mall and reduced maintenance cost. Also, the elements of wind (sandstorms) and mist need to be taken into account in the design.
We heard that the parking bays are wider than standard to accommodate Walvis Bay’s SUV culture. Is that true?
Correct, there are huge numbers of local people and tourists who use 4x4s as standard transport, therefore the increased parking size. It is also to accommodate moms with little kids, making it easier to get in and out of the vehicles.
