Key Takeaways:

  • Jewel City Launch & Heritage Day: The launch spanned Heritage Day weekend and continued for several weeks to maximize community participation while adhering to lockdown regulations.
  • New Retail & Residential Spaces: Several major retailers opened, and both residential buildings, The Diamond and The Onyx, are completed, with strong rental demand.
  • Festivities & COVID-19 Adjustments: The launch featured live performances, kids’ activities, and competitions, with events spread out to comply with safety regulations.
  • Diverse Community Engagement: The turnout was diverse, aligning with Jewel City’s vision of being an inclusive, vibrant precinct for all.
  • Future Growth & Development: The goal is for Jewel City to thrive as a community hub, with further development plans anticipated in the next six months.

Reclaiming the inner city and regenerating the community of the Joburg CBD… this is what Divercity’s innovative Jewel City project is all about, and on Heritage Day weekend it all came together at the launch. We got the lowdown from Atterbury’s head of development in Gauteng, Derrick Pautz.

It’s unusual for Atterbury to have a launch over an entire weekend. Why was this decision taken for Jewel City, and why was Heritage Day weekend chosen?
The main event was certainly Thursday 24 September, Heritage Day, but the festivities continued for the remainder of the long weekend and will go on for the subsequent three weekends. We opted for the prolonged launch in order to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enjoy what Jewel City has to offer. Many people might have gone away for the long weekend or worked, so they now have the option to enjoy it when they are available. We also had to plan around the Level 2 lockdown regulations.

How many different new stores and other elements opened this past weekend; take us through what is now newly available to residents in the inner city?
Some of the retail stores have been trading since August, so this weekend saw the opening of the remainder with Shoprite, Roots, Pep, Pep Cell, MTN, Chicken Licken and McDonald’s all now open.

Have both the residential buildings, The Diamond and The Onyx, been completed or has COVID-19 caused some delays there? How is the letting going?
COVID-19 caused delays across the entire project, but both The Diamond and The Onyx are complete and letting with hundreds of units already occupied. We are currently letting at a rate of over 40 units per week, so traction is good.

What special activities took place on opening weekend, and how did the lockdown regulations impact on the way you planned the festivities?
We had initially planned the launch around the Level 2 lockdown regulations, so activities and activations were spread across the full expanse of the precinct and staggered throughout the day and weekend. We have had awesome local artists and musicians performing in the precinct, activity stations to keep the kids busy, and we’ve run several competitions.

Are you happy with the turnout of people over the weekend?
We are very happy with the turnout, especially the diversity of the visitors. This is what we were striving for in the design of the Jewel City precinct – a place with something for everyone and that everyone can enjoy.

We have seen some very positive endorsements from the surrounding community on social media. What is your hope for Jewel City; where do you see the precinct in another six months?
We hope that people continue to visit the precinct and enjoy all that it has to offer. Jewel City needs to settle into its own now and hopefully after six months we will be planning the next phase of development.