Dunes Mall has been doing a roaring trade since this Atterbury development, jointly developed with Tradehold, first opened its doors to the shopping public of Walvis Bay in October 2017. Less than a year later, Atterbury is leveraging this success and developing Phase Two of this popular mall that has become a destination in the Namibian town. Roux Gerber tells us more.
Was Phase Two always part of the plan, and was the timing of it predetermined, or did the success of the first phase play a role?
Phase Two is aligned with the original master plan envisaged for Dunes Mall. Having said that, the success of the mall precinct did contribute, as did Game’s trading results in Africa… Further development of the mall is in alignment with Game’s expansion drive, and thus Game came on board as an another anchor tenant.
Where is Phase Two situated, in relation to the existing mall, and how big is it?
It is an extension of the existing mall on the eastern side, and comprises an additional 5 000 sqm lettable area.
Dunes Mall is already the biggest mall in the area. What will Phase Two be adding to the experience?
By bringing Game as the third anchor tenant, we’re complementing the current tenant mix so that there will be an almost completely diversified offering. This will ensure that Dunes is truly “a mall for all and everything”.
Work started in July, what is currently happening on the site?
We are currently busy with bulk earthworks, which entails the construction of compacted building platforms, and extending the electricity, water and sewer infrastructure.
What is the first milestone that you are working towards in terms of the development schedule?
Our first milestone is to have the building platform ready for commencement of building works by the end of September.
When will the new anchor tenant, Game, open its doors?
Game will take beneficial occupation mid-April 2019 and the earmarked date for them to commence trading is 27 June next year, when Phase Two will officially open to the public.
Have any other tenants signed up yet – can you share some details?
We do have interest for the two big-box users that form part of the extension and are expecting to finalise these shortly, so watch this space!
What has been the local community’s response to the further development?
The local authority welcomes development in the area and has been very helpful with respect to approvals of building plans. We believe this is because the expansion and the development fit in with the town council’s future growth vision for the area.
Have there been requests from locals about what other shops they would like to see, and has this been a factor at all?
Yes, we try to always hear and understand our customer’s demands and based on these, there are further phases in the pipeline for the precinct, which could relate to home and building supply offerings, fast food with drive-through opportunities and a filling station, for which a location is earmarked already.
