The inner city of Johannesburg is abuzz with the excitement of renewal, thanks to the Divercity inner-city redevelopment precinct project that will link the formerly mothballed Absa Towers and Jewel City to create a vibrant modern neighbourhood. Development manager Derrick Pautz gives us an overview of the project at the start of the year.
The first sod was turned towards the end of last year. Who will be the main contractors working on the project?
Nomad Construction will be the main contractor on Block 1 and the WBHO Matheo Joint Venture will be the main contractor on the remaining blocks.
What is currently taking place on the site?
We have handed over two of the six blocks to the main contractors who have commenced with construction. Block 1 was handed over to Nomad Construction who are responsible for the redevelopment of the 7-storey building into residential units. Block 6 was handed over the WBHO Matheo Joint Venture for the new construction of the 11-storey residential building. The remainder of the blocks will be handed over in the next few months.
Has a name been finalised for the precinct – will it definitely be called Jewel City or is that just a working title?
The precinct will be called Jewel City, and we are currently busy finalising the logo and corporate identity around this. Watch this space!
What are the priorities for 2019 – what will the public first have access to, and by when?
Blocks 1, 2, 4 and 5 will be practically complete this year, with the first units in Block 1 available for occupation by November 2019. The retail outlets will start trading by April 2020 after their Beneficial Occupation periods.
When is the timeline for the support services to kick in… such as the leasing of all those new apartments? Can the public already stake a claim or get their names on a list to live in Jewel City?
Leasing of the residential units will commence in earnest from August 2019, but people who are interested are welcome to contact iThemba now should they wish to.
And what about all the other public amenities… who will be running those and are those deals already in place?
The plan is to have schools and medical facilities in the precinct, along with the retail and public areas along Fox Street, which will be for the benefit of not only the residents and office workers, but also for the community at large. We are in the process of finalising the deals as well as the timing to ensure that the precinct has the critical mass to support such amenities.
Do you have commercial tenants who have already indicated an interest?
We have a few office proposals in the market and hope to receive confirmation on the first one in the near future – at this stage, we cannot mention names.
For inquiries about commercial and retail opportunities, contact roets@atterbury.co.za or bianca@atterbury.co.za. For rental accommodation, please contact iThemba on +27 10 010 7301 or jonathan@ithemba.co.za.
