CITICHAT 7/2010
July 2010
So, what’s next?
The 10th Inner City Charter Partnership Forum was held a couple of weeks back in mid-July. These meetings flow out of the Mayor’s Charter process that arose from the Inner City Summit held in May 2007. The Charter encapsulates numerous commitments (about 200) arrived at through a consultation process between the city and a variety of stakeholders. Each commitment is linked to a completion date with the whole process targeted for completion within a five year period. For me, the statement of intent or vision for the process has always been key: “Regardless of the functions and people it accommodates in future the Johannesburg Inner City will be well-managed, safe and clean. It will not be a dormitory for the poor, nor an exclusive enclave of loft-apartments, galleries and coffee shops”
The first independent audit of progress in meeting Charter commitments was for the first year period, 1 July 2007 to 30 June 2008. This initially reflected a figure of 46% of commitments achieved. It was however suggested by the auditors that this figure might have been lower than it should have been because a number of departments had not submitted the relevant information for auditing. A further period was allowed for this to happen and the final audit report reflected that 56% of charter commitments had been achieved. In my mind, this moved achievement from a ‘fail’ to a ‘just passed’!
A further assessment twelve months later, ie to June 2009, reflected an improvement in achievement of commitments moving to 66%, a second class pass! Another assessment is apparently currently underway and should show some further improvement. With luck, and the usual ‘smoke and mirrors’ that some Council departments seem to specialise in, we should see all targets reached by the end of the Charter period of June 2012!
Back to the 10th Inner City Charter Partnership Forum. The Executive Mayor, who chairs the Forum meetings, opened the session by advising that the City would immediately start interrogating what had been achieved through the 2010 World Cup preparations, what ongoing projects would continue and what opportunities for further improvement had been generated. This is an excellent approach as the impetus a major event provides is often lost if strategies are not adopted timeously to capitalise on the opportunities that the joie de vivre generated provides! Barcelona, which was largely reshaped by the 1992 Summer Olympics, started on a very definite strategy to maintain the momentum engendered by the Olympics, and most successfully too.
As we have now experienced, it takes an event of world focus and importance to get politicians off their behinds to implement initiatives that otherwise would languish on their desks. The BRT is a good example. Rapid Transport systems for the inner city have been under investigation for many years - I remember sitting on a committee in the early 1990s examining a rapid light rail system - and know that there were many proposals before that. But the cost (which would have been a small percentage then of what is was now!) was always the excuse. The truth was that the politicians couldn’t see how it would buy them votes, nor prior to 1994, how such a system could be run on a segregated basis! So it never happened! Would love to know the true cost of the dozens of rapid transportation investigations and proposals made up to 1994 – probably enough for us to build a canal let alone a Gautrain to Durbs! So, the World Cup was the catalyst to bring us BRT and many other benefits down to having street names painted on the kerbs!
Back to Barcelona. That city asked what other world events would there be to go for and what would their needs be and would they also advance the city? Numerous opportunities were grabbed including the World Urban Forum in 2004. The attitude then became “If there isn’t anything else let’s develop our own massive events that we have to prepare for – keeps the ‘gees’ up and provides the city with more and more attractions.”
Baltimore, for a totally different basic reason, used the same approach. Following the Second World War, the Port of Baltimore, which had been using the city harbour since 1799, decided that it was unsuitable for the future needs of the shipping industry and moved seven-and-a-half miles down river. Between 1945 and 1958 the city became more and more derelict. By 1956 there had been no new investment in the city since 1928! In the mid ‘50s the private sector got together, appointed the best planning talent they could buy and began a 30 year development vision and strategy for the city. This included starting two ‘blockbuster projects’ a year that would lure tourists to the city and increase the bed nights that tourists would spend in the city. The projects have included a Waterfront, Convention Centre - coupled to hotels, retail, entertainment - Science Centre, National Aquarium, Columbus Adventure Centre, etc etc. A Review Board was established to scrutinize every proposal put forward by both private and public sectors. This comprised the Deans of the Faculties of Architecture from Harvard, MIT and Pennsylvania University and was specifically put in place to move the Baltimore Plan beyond the reach of political or private sector developer’s interference. Another key factor was to establish a non-profit ‘independent’ implementer. This was funded by the Council but operated independent of the Council other than that the Mayor had to sign off their recommendations. In thirty years no proposal was ever rejected. Again this was to remove the Plan from political interference. Tourism figures skyrocketed from 1500 a year in 1979 to thirteen-and-a-half million in 1998!
We have just proved to ourselves and the world that we have such potential but we can’t even get our Rissik Street Post Office restored or the Fashion District fully up and running or the old Park Station restored and in use or ……………….!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So, well done Mr Mayor – let’s have a thinktank and put on the table initiatives that would be good for the city – we don’t have to worry about finance, after all it was hardly a factor when it came to 2010.
Now back to the forum meeting for matters of interest. Reports were provided as to progress on the Inner City Property Scheme (previously the Better Buildings Programme) that left no-one any the wiser and the lack of progress on Fashion District “we were not able to fulfill the original charter requirement as we had to prioritise everything else due to budget constraints; we continue to examine the sustainability of the project and hope to roll it out in the 2011/2012 financial year.” I hope that this project will form the basis of an academic study for post-graduate students to learn how projects should not be undertaken!
A briefing was provided on capital allocation for inner city upgrading expenditure as:
2007/8 actual R300 million
2008/9 actual R191 million
2009/10 actual R 49 million
2010/11 budget R122 million
2011/12 under consideration
From a broad geographic point of view the five year public environment upgrading expenditure plan prioritised the following areas:
Year 1: Hillbrow, Berea and Yeoville
Year 2: Doornfontein, Ellis Park and Bertrams
Year 3: Pageview, Fordsburg, Vrededorp and the Retail Improvement District
Year 4: ie THIS YEAR - the Core CBD
Year 5: The South Western section of the inner city
Priority Projects for the current financial year (1 July 2010 to 30th June 2011) include Chancellor House (yippee!) and upgrading Europa House for transitional housing and 3 Kotze Street as a night shelter. Mary Fitzgerald Squiare will be refurbished and repaired, six more sanitary lanes in Hillbrow and Berea will be upgraded and the Bertrams Neighbourhood upgrade will be completed. A further R500 million will be spent on new BRT infrastructure to consolidate the Rea Vaya service. The Chinatown ‘gateway’ is to be erected.
Other priority inner city developments for 2010/11 include paving lighting and greening along the pedestrian movement ways (Eloff, Joubert, Kerk, Market and Commissioner Streets); Beyers Naude Square upgrading completion and repairs to the Gandhi Square slab. There will be upgrading of paving and lighting along Leyds, Smit and Biccard streets including widening of pavements for pedestrians, Rissik Street and paving along Harrison Street. The public environment around the Art Gallery Rea Vaya Station will be addressed, paving lighting and greening along Twist/ Troye pedestrian areas will be improved (including a pedestrian bridge across the railway line), Wolmarans, Noord, De Villiers, Plein, King George and Wanderers Streets. Access and egress to Park City and Jack Mincer (Park Central) taxi facilities will be streamlined to improve the flow of taxis and reduce congestion.
An interesting analysis of the impact of inner city upgrading was presented that reflected that over the past ten years, a one billion investment through the JDA leveraged investment from the private sector of between R14 and R17 billion in property purchases and R8 to R10 billion in building refurbishments and conversions. In a survey amongst investors and property owners, urban regeneration initiatives were ranked the most important drivers of investment decisions followed by ‘private investment climate’; financial incentives, the prospect of attractive investment returns, urban management and reduced crime. Isn’t it exciting to find the last mentioned in sixth place in comparison to its prominent number one position for so many years?
In so far as the Rissik Street Post Office is concerned, a report from the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) revealed, for the first time, that “the fire was most probably instigated by vagrants who used the building as a place to sleep” which is in itself a tacit admission as to the lack of effectiveness of the JPC’s security provision. The Report provides a very important statement – “It is intended that the property be restored for heritage purposes which can be regarded in the ‘public interest’. The property has great historical significance and the preservation thereof will help to educate society and encourage people to empathise with the experience of others which is indicated as one of the aims in the preamble to the Heritage Act. The cost of restoring the property is expected to be expensive, and it is envisaged that private sector funding may have to be leveraged to implement the restoration strategy for the property. In this regard the provisions in the Local Government Municipal Finance Management Act 2003 Regulations pertaining to public-private partnerships must be adhered to.”
There were further presentations on public art, transportation improvements and economic development but these can wait for a later date.
A number of concerns were raised by the private sector with the Executive Mayor. They included a growing concern at the lack of maintenance of the stonework to the Legislature Building (previously the City Hall); the continued defacement of the city by illegal posters; the state of various taxi ranks and the issue of public urination; the failure of some departments to provide maintenance to recently upgraded initiatives (the Yeoville Park as an example); the lack of enforcement that still results in littering, public drinking and gambling and the apparent lack of progress on various JPC projects in Newtown.
At a macro level - good progress but the devil remains in the detail!
Ciao, neil
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CITICHAT 6/2010 - June 2010
Present triumphs….. Past failures!
Doesn’t Jozi look just great? I came up from snow-bound Montagu last week and approached the city as a visitor rather than as a roleplayer/stakeholder. Apart from the liveliness of the airport itself, the scene is immediately set for visitors, local and international, by the spectacular drive between ORT airport and the city with its hundreds of flags lining the highway in celebration of this great international event. I loved the flags and banners; clever ‘hand’ artwork at some of the major intersections; the dozens of freshly planted trees with their trunks brightly wrapped and the sculptured feeling of the verges as well as the thousands of cars and trucks adorned with national flags. Even though one would miss part of this celebratory welcome if one caught the Gautrain directly to Sandton, the speed, ease and comfort of the ride would compensate. I did both – first by car and then by the Gautrain and both were right up there. And the inner city, not the prettiest in the world, looked fantastic bedecked with banners and flags and a general feeling of what seems to have become one of the occasion’s buzzwords, ‘gees’.
The airport highway lined with flags and banners was in sharp contrast to the M1 with its ‘pole-posters’. The first is clearly celebratory whilst the other is a philistine attack on the public environment. Even when these pole-posters carry a 2010 theme, they give the affected (infected?) highways a tacky, commercialised feeling. Surely they don’t justify the council income they produce whilst grossly enriching the poletrepreneurs?
On the other hand, the Gautrain certainly lifts transport to a new level from what we South Africans are locally used to. Although even the limited airport-Sandton service is not 100 per cent functional, the lively attention and interest of Gautrain staff at both stations was exemplary and the ride superb. Long may it last!
We have so much to be proud of, way beyond the pious mouthings of our politicians and the mewling of the media that the World Cup is some miraculous ‘vuvuzela-led nation builder’ that will resurrect the rainbow nation. With our underlying political problems, deep seated corruption, cronyism and lack of leadership, this is just not feasible. So we must enjoy the moment for, sadly, it does seem to require something special for everyone to focus on to make the country gel.
It is rather like the insistence of local government departments such as JMPD and Pikitup to do things on a ‘project’ basis rather than maintain a constant level of service delivery. I fail to be impressed by ‘X’ arrests on a raid or “Y” tonnes of dirt collected from a particular site where it has been allowed to collect over months if not years. Raids and project foci are necessary for specific reasons but not as a way of managing a city on a sustainable basis.
Not that there aren’t lasting positives out of the World Cup such as the general cleaning up and beautifying of the public environment and the provision of transport infrastructure that has been on the drawing board for so long (we were looking at BRT in one form or another back in 1992 and, I’m sure, well before that date!) Whether we have the ability, resources and political will to sustain this new level is doubtful. That is of course true of so much of our postmodern world of today. We are united in a passing event happening today yet we differ so fundamentally in our views of both the past and the future. We take ownership and pride in things of fleeting importance yet are disinterested in those that are part of our heritage and history, those things that are truly a source of ongoing pride even if they reflect what has been overcome.
So, the Rissik Street Post Office continues to stand in ruins having been gutted by fire (the reason for which was to be investigated by the Council and reported back to ratepayers); the old Police Barracks in Marshall Street has been in a similar condition for years. Now the iconic mine headgear at Village Main Reef is being cut up in broad daylight, presumably by vandals for scrap metal whilst thousands of people, including SAPS and JMPD, stream past on the M2 and no one reports or objects in any way!
Some years ago the Robinson Number 2 shaft headgear was removed amongst such public disinterest. I found this pertinent observation on the website of Mining Africa Yearbook:“It is a sad fact that much of what could have stood as monuments and reminders of the greatest gold mining achievements in the world have been demolished or vandalised. When old mines closed down, treasure hunters moved in and grabbed whatever they considered to be collectors’ items: documents, photographs, maps, instruments, books, trophies, archival material, artifacts, thousands of carbide lamps, and other heritage objects.
The battle to save the number 2 Shaft headgear of Crown Mines, a magnificent landmark, was lost long ago. The headgear was dismantled. The number 5 Shaft that was used to hoist most of the gold–bearing ore produced by Crown Mines, the ‘Golden Crown” of Johannesburg’, was dismantled a few months ago. What we have lost through neglect, poor maintenance of heritage objects and sheer ignorance of restoration techniques cannot be calculated in monetary terms.”
Add to the reasons for loss add vandalism, public disinterest and the indifference of the SAPS, JMPD and the Public Prosecutor. The latter refused to take action on the Rand Steam Laundries’ crass destruction by the Imperial Group. The police at John Vorster Square refused to accept a complaint regarding the Rissik Street Post Office negligence. A senior police officer was approached and promised to ‘look into it’ within a week. That was two months ago! This is sheer dereliction of duty forcing the heritage groups to go into other time consuming and expensive avenues.
There are two houses in Twickenham Avenue in Auckland Park being pulled down right now without a permit.
The bottom line is that the police don’t believe these things are crimes, the heritage authority is grossly understaffed and unable to enforce the Act and the general public doesn’t appear interested. The police also didn’t believe that illegally occupying a building was a crime although they have now changed that attitude but only after a great deal of damage has been done.
In fifty years there will be little if anything left of our unique history and heritage. Maybe this is what the plan is; to wipe the slate clean of both good and bad so that future generations can say that Johannesburg was really founded in 2010?
Ayoba, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Present triumphs….. Past failures!
Doesn’t Jozi look just great? I came up from snow-bound Montagu last week and approached the city as a visitor rather than as a roleplayer/stakeholder. Apart from the liveliness of the airport itself, the scene is immediately set for visitors, local and international, by the spectacular drive between ORT airport and the city with its hundreds of flags lining the highway in celebration of this great international event. I loved the flags and banners; clever ‘hand’ artwork at some of the major intersections; the dozens of freshly planted trees with their trunks brightly wrapped and the sculptured feeling of the verges as well as the thousands of cars and trucks adorned with national flags. Even though one would miss part of this celebratory welcome if one caught the Gautrain directly to Sandton, the speed, ease and comfort of the ride would compensate. I did both – first by car and then by the Gautrain and both were right up there. And the inner city, not the prettiest in the world, looked fantastic bedecked with banners and flags and a general feeling of what seems to have become one of the occasion’s buzzwords, ‘gees’.
The airport highway lined with flags and banners was in sharp contrast to the M1 with its ‘pole-posters’. The first is clearly celebratory whilst the other is a philistine attack on the public environment. Even when these pole-posters carry a 2010 theme, they give the affected (infected?) highways a tacky, commercialised feeling. Surely they don’t justify the council income they produce whilst grossly enriching the poletrepreneurs?
On the other hand, the Gautrain certainly lifts transport to a new level from what we South Africans are locally used to. Although even the limited airport-Sandton service is not 100 per cent functional, the lively attention and interest of Gautrain staff at both stations was exemplary and the ride superb. Long may it last!
We have so much to be proud of, way beyond the pious mouthings of our politicians and the mewling of the media that the World Cup is some miraculous ‘vuvuzela-led nation builder’ that will resurrect the rainbow nation. With our underlying political problems, deep seated corruption, cronyism and lack of leadership, this is just not feasible. So we must enjoy the moment for, sadly, it does seem to require something special for everyone to focus on to make the country gel.
It is rather like the insistence of local government departments such as JMPD and Pikitup to do things on a ‘project’ basis rather than maintain a constant level of service delivery. I fail to be impressed by ‘X’ arrests on a raid or “Y” tonnes of dirt collected from a particular site where it has been allowed to collect over months if not years. Raids and project foci are necessary for specific reasons but not as a way of managing a city on a sustainable basis.
Not that there aren’t lasting positives out of the World Cup such as the general cleaning up and beautifying of the public environment and the provision of transport infrastructure that has been on the drawing board for so long (we were looking at BRT in one form or another back in 1992 and, I’m sure, well before that date!) Whether we have the ability, resources and political will to sustain this new level is doubtful. That is of course true of so much of our postmodern world of today. We are united in a passing event happening today yet we differ so fundamentally in our views of both the past and the future. We take ownership and pride in things of fleeting importance yet are disinterested in those that are part of our heritage and history, those things that are truly a source of ongoing pride even if they reflect what has been overcome.
So, the Rissik Street Post Office continues to stand in ruins having been gutted by fire (the reason for which was to be investigated by the Council and reported back to ratepayers); the old Police Barracks in Marshall Street has been in a similar condition for years. Now the iconic mine headgear at Village Main Reef is being cut up in broad daylight, presumably by vandals for scrap metal whilst thousands of people, including SAPS and JMPD, stream past on the M2 and no one reports or objects in any way!
Some years ago the Robinson Number 2 shaft headgear was removed amongst such public disinterest. I found this pertinent observation on the website of Mining Africa Yearbook:“It is a sad fact that much of what could have stood as monuments and reminders of the greatest gold mining achievements in the world have been demolished or vandalised. When old mines closed down, treasure hunters moved in and grabbed whatever they considered to be collectors’ items: documents, photographs, maps, instruments, books, trophies, archival material, artifacts, thousands of carbide lamps, and other heritage objects.
The battle to save the number 2 Shaft headgear of Crown Mines, a magnificent landmark, was lost long ago. The headgear was dismantled. The number 5 Shaft that was used to hoist most of the gold–bearing ore produced by Crown Mines, the ‘Golden Crown” of Johannesburg’, was dismantled a few months ago. What we have lost through neglect, poor maintenance of heritage objects and sheer ignorance of restoration techniques cannot be calculated in monetary terms.”
Add to the reasons for loss add vandalism, public disinterest and the indifference of the SAPS, JMPD and the Public Prosecutor. The latter refused to take action on the Rand Steam Laundries’ crass destruction by the Imperial Group. The police at John Vorster Square refused to accept a complaint regarding the Rissik Street Post Office negligence. A senior police officer was approached and promised to ‘look into it’ within a week. That was two months ago! This is sheer dereliction of duty forcing the heritage groups to go into other time consuming and expensive avenues.
There are two houses in Twickenham Avenue in Auckland Park being pulled down right now without a permit.
The bottom line is that the police don’t believe these things are crimes, the heritage authority is grossly understaffed and unable to enforce the Act and the general public doesn’t appear interested. The police also didn’t believe that illegally occupying a building was a crime although they have now changed that attitude but only after a great deal of damage has been done.
In fifty years there will be little if anything left of our unique history and heritage. Maybe this is what the plan is; to wipe the slate clean of both good and bad so that future generations can say that Johannesburg was really founded in 2010?
Ayoba, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
2010 & Heritage Citichat 21 June 2010
CITICHAT 6/2010 21 June 2010
Present triumphs….. Past failures!
Doesn’t Jozi look just great? I came up from snow-bound Montagu last week and approached the city as a visitor rather than as a roleplayer/stakeholder. Apart from the liveliness of the airport itself, the scene is immediately set for visitors, local and international, by the spectacular drive between ORT airport and the city with its hundreds of flags lining the highway in celebration of this great international event. I loved the flags and banners; clever ‘hand’ artwork at some of the major intersections; the dozens of freshly planted trees with their trunks brightly wrapped and the sculptured feeling of the verges as well as the thousands of cars and trucks adorned with national flags. Even though one would miss part of this celebratory welcome if one caught the Gautrain directly to Sandton, the speed, ease and comfort of the ride would compensate. I did both – first by car and then by the Gautrain and both were right up there. And the inner city, not the prettiest in the world, looked fantastic bedecked with banners and flags and a general feeling of what seems to have become one of the occasion’s buzzwords, ‘gees’.
The airport highway lined with flags and banners was in sharp contrast to the M1 with its ‘pole-posters’. The first is clearly celebratory whilst the other is a philistine attack on the public environment. Even when these pole-posters carry a 2010 theme, they give the affected (infected?) highways a tacky, commercialised feeling. Surely they don’t justify the council income they produce whilst grossly enriching the poletrepreneurs?
On the other hand, the Gautrain certainly lifts transport to a new level from what we South Africans are locally used to. Although even the limited airport-Sandton service is not 100 per cent functional, the lively attention and interest of Gautrain staff at both stations was exemplary and the ride superb. Long may it last!
We have so much to be proud of, way beyond the pious mouthings of our politicians and the mewling of the media that the World Cup is some miraculous ‘vuvuzela-led nation builder’ that will resurrect the rainbow nation. With our underlying political problems, deep seated corruption, cronyism and lack of leadership, this is just not feasible. So we must enjoy the moment for, sadly, it does seem to require something special for everyone to focus on to make the country gel.
It is rather like the insistence of local government departments such as JMPD and Pikitup to do things on a ‘project’ basis rather than maintain a constant level of service delivery. I fail to be impressed by ‘X’ arrests on a raid or “Y” tonnes of dirt collected from a particular site where it has been allowed to collect over months if not years. Raids and project foci are necessary for specific reasons but not as a way of managing a city on a sustainable basis.
Not that there aren’t lasting positives out of the World Cup such as the general cleaning up and beautifying of the public environment and the provision of transport infrastructure that has been on the drawing board for so long (we were looking at BRT in one form or another back in 1992 and, I’m sure, well before that date!) Whether we have the ability, resources and political will to sustain this new level is doubtful. That is of course true of so much of our postmodern world of today. We are united in a passing event happening today yet we differ so fundamentally in our views of both the past and the future. We take ownership and pride in things of fleeting importance yet are disinterested in those that are part of our heritage and history, those things that are truly a source of ongoing pride even if they reflect what has been overcome.
So, the Rissik Street Post Office continues to stand in ruins having been gutted by fire (the reason for which was to be investigated by the Council and reported back to ratepayers); the old Police Barracks in Marshall Street has been in a similar condition for years. Now the iconic mine headgear at Village Main Reef is being cut up in broad daylight, presumably by vandals for scrap metal (see picture on www.citichat.co.za) whilst thousands of people, including SAPS and JMPD, stream past on the M2 and no one reports or objects in any way! Some years ago the Robinson Number 2 shaft headgear was removed amongst such public disinterest. I found this pertinent observation on the website of Mining Africa Yearbook:
“It is a sad fact that much of what could have stood as monuments and reminders of the greatest gold mining achievements in the world have been demolished or vandalised. When old mines closed down, treasure hunters moved in and grabbed whatever they considered to be collectors’ items: documents, photographs, maps, instruments, books, trophies, archival material, artifacts, thousands of carbide lamps, and other heritage objects.
The battle to save the number 2 Shaft headgear of Crown Mines, a magnificent landmark, was lost long ago. The headgear was dismantled. The number 5 Shaft that was used to hoist most of the gold–bearing ore produced by Crown Mines, the ‘Golden Crown” of Johannesburg’, was dismantled a few months ago. What we have lost through neglect, poor maintenance of heritage objects and sheer ignorance of restoration techniques cannot be calculated in monetary terms.”
Add to the reasons for loss add vandalism, public disinterest and the indifference of the SAPS, JMPD and the Public Prosecutor. The latter refused to take action on the Rand Steam Laundries’ crass destruction by the Imperial Group. The police at John Vorster Square refused to accept a complaint regarding the Rissik Street Post Office negligence. A senior police officer was approached and promised to ‘look into it’ within a week. That was two months ago! This is sheer dereliction of duty forcing the heritage groups to go into other time consuming and expensive avenues.
There are two houses in Twickenham Avenue in Auckland Park being pulled down right now without a permit.
The bottom line is that the police don’t believe these things are crimes, the heritage authority is grossly understaffed and unable to enforce the Act and the general public doesn’t appear interested. The police also didn’t believe that illegally occupying a building was a crime although they have now changed that attitude but only after a great deal of damage has been done.
In fifty years there will be little if anything left of our unique history and heritage. Maybe this is what the plan is; to wipe the slate clean of both good and bad so that future generations can say that Johannesburg was really founded in 2010?
Ayoba! neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Present triumphs….. Past failures!
Doesn’t Jozi look just great? I came up from snow-bound Montagu last week and approached the city as a visitor rather than as a roleplayer/stakeholder. Apart from the liveliness of the airport itself, the scene is immediately set for visitors, local and international, by the spectacular drive between ORT airport and the city with its hundreds of flags lining the highway in celebration of this great international event. I loved the flags and banners; clever ‘hand’ artwork at some of the major intersections; the dozens of freshly planted trees with their trunks brightly wrapped and the sculptured feeling of the verges as well as the thousands of cars and trucks adorned with national flags. Even though one would miss part of this celebratory welcome if one caught the Gautrain directly to Sandton, the speed, ease and comfort of the ride would compensate. I did both – first by car and then by the Gautrain and both were right up there. And the inner city, not the prettiest in the world, looked fantastic bedecked with banners and flags and a general feeling of what seems to have become one of the occasion’s buzzwords, ‘gees’.
The airport highway lined with flags and banners was in sharp contrast to the M1 with its ‘pole-posters’. The first is clearly celebratory whilst the other is a philistine attack on the public environment. Even when these pole-posters carry a 2010 theme, they give the affected (infected?) highways a tacky, commercialised feeling. Surely they don’t justify the council income they produce whilst grossly enriching the poletrepreneurs?
On the other hand, the Gautrain certainly lifts transport to a new level from what we South Africans are locally used to. Although even the limited airport-Sandton service is not 100 per cent functional, the lively attention and interest of Gautrain staff at both stations was exemplary and the ride superb. Long may it last!
We have so much to be proud of, way beyond the pious mouthings of our politicians and the mewling of the media that the World Cup is some miraculous ‘vuvuzela-led nation builder’ that will resurrect the rainbow nation. With our underlying political problems, deep seated corruption, cronyism and lack of leadership, this is just not feasible. So we must enjoy the moment for, sadly, it does seem to require something special for everyone to focus on to make the country gel.
It is rather like the insistence of local government departments such as JMPD and Pikitup to do things on a ‘project’ basis rather than maintain a constant level of service delivery. I fail to be impressed by ‘X’ arrests on a raid or “Y” tonnes of dirt collected from a particular site where it has been allowed to collect over months if not years. Raids and project foci are necessary for specific reasons but not as a way of managing a city on a sustainable basis.
Not that there aren’t lasting positives out of the World Cup such as the general cleaning up and beautifying of the public environment and the provision of transport infrastructure that has been on the drawing board for so long (we were looking at BRT in one form or another back in 1992 and, I’m sure, well before that date!) Whether we have the ability, resources and political will to sustain this new level is doubtful. That is of course true of so much of our postmodern world of today. We are united in a passing event happening today yet we differ so fundamentally in our views of both the past and the future. We take ownership and pride in things of fleeting importance yet are disinterested in those that are part of our heritage and history, those things that are truly a source of ongoing pride even if they reflect what has been overcome.
So, the Rissik Street Post Office continues to stand in ruins having been gutted by fire (the reason for which was to be investigated by the Council and reported back to ratepayers); the old Police Barracks in Marshall Street has been in a similar condition for years. Now the iconic mine headgear at Village Main Reef is being cut up in broad daylight, presumably by vandals for scrap metal (see picture on www.citichat.co.za) whilst thousands of people, including SAPS and JMPD, stream past on the M2 and no one reports or objects in any way! Some years ago the Robinson Number 2 shaft headgear was removed amongst such public disinterest. I found this pertinent observation on the website of Mining Africa Yearbook:
“It is a sad fact that much of what could have stood as monuments and reminders of the greatest gold mining achievements in the world have been demolished or vandalised. When old mines closed down, treasure hunters moved in and grabbed whatever they considered to be collectors’ items: documents, photographs, maps, instruments, books, trophies, archival material, artifacts, thousands of carbide lamps, and other heritage objects.
The battle to save the number 2 Shaft headgear of Crown Mines, a magnificent landmark, was lost long ago. The headgear was dismantled. The number 5 Shaft that was used to hoist most of the gold–bearing ore produced by Crown Mines, the ‘Golden Crown” of Johannesburg’, was dismantled a few months ago. What we have lost through neglect, poor maintenance of heritage objects and sheer ignorance of restoration techniques cannot be calculated in monetary terms.”
Add to the reasons for loss add vandalism, public disinterest and the indifference of the SAPS, JMPD and the Public Prosecutor. The latter refused to take action on the Rand Steam Laundries’ crass destruction by the Imperial Group. The police at John Vorster Square refused to accept a complaint regarding the Rissik Street Post Office negligence. A senior police officer was approached and promised to ‘look into it’ within a week. That was two months ago! This is sheer dereliction of duty forcing the heritage groups to go into other time consuming and expensive avenues.
There are two houses in Twickenham Avenue in Auckland Park being pulled down right now without a permit.
The bottom line is that the police don’t believe these things are crimes, the heritage authority is grossly understaffed and unable to enforce the Act and the general public doesn’t appear interested. The police also didn’t believe that illegally occupying a building was a crime although they have now changed that attitude but only after a great deal of damage has been done.
In fifty years there will be little if anything left of our unique history and heritage. Maybe this is what the plan is; to wipe the slate clean of both good and bad so that future generations can say that Johannesburg was really founded in 2010?
Ayoba! neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Citichat Halala Awards May 2010
May 2010
And “nog ‘n piep” for Halala!
After last month’s “hip, hip, hotels”, we need “nog ‘n piep” but this time for the Halala Awards
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) inaugurated the first Halala Awards in 2008. Halala means ‘congratulations’ and the awards celebrate a wide range of achievements within the inner city and honour those responsible.
When I first wrote about the awards (Citichat 23/2008) I quoted the ubiquitous Wikipedia’s definition of an award as “something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field” and its additional qualification that “awards can be given by any person or institution, although the prestige of an award usually depends on the status of the awarder.”
As the successful agency of the Johannesburg Metro Council responsible for stimulating and supporting area based economic development initiatives, with a history now of nearly ten years, there can be no doubt as to the status of the awarder. Halala awards have come to be a coveted recognition of all sorts of achievements over a wide range of categories. The JDA has held a prestigious awards dinner for the previous two years but, this year, decided that the format should be of far greater benefit to the city and its stakeholders. The 2010 awards were thus in the format of a day long seminar held on Wednesday last week which acted as not just a showcase of some of the tremendous initiatives that have taken place in the inner city over the past year, but an opportunity for the people behind the projects to tell their stories. And what great stories we were to hear!
The morning session was by way of a number of inputs ranging from the impact that the JDA itself has had on private sector investments; to a series of presentations and reflections. There was a presentation of regeneration highlights over the past decade; reflections on the Inner City Regeneration processes - (I was honoured to do this presentation and suggested to those present that you really know when you are being ‘let out to pasture’ when you are asked to “reflect” on what has gone before!); reflections on the impact of commercial and residential investments in the inner city by three inner city developers and three perspectives on catalysing investment in the inner city.
Lunch was then followed by the afternoon session where shortlisted finalists were able to explain their projects and the value and impact they were having on the inner city followed by the Awards themselves.
The guiding philosophy for the awards rests in three tenets:
The recognition of efforts that have broken new ground in urban regeneration, advancing sustainable economic growth, community wellbeing and the quality of life of all residents of the Inner City (encouraging extraordinary effort).
The recognition of pioneering programmes and innovative projects initiated by audacious thinkers whose passion has opened new horizons in decaying areas (fostering originality)
The recognition of commitment and dedication to fostering partnerships, initiating joint programmes and catalyzing sustainable developments that promote social harmony (encouraging participation, equality and inclusivity)
The categories that were contested this year were:
‘Living Joburg’
‘Caring Joburg’
‘Relaxing and Playing Joburg’
‘Sustaining Joburg’
‘Working and Buying Joburg’
‘Conserving Joburg’ which receives “The Colosseum Award”.and
‘Believing in Joburg’ - The Stan Nkosi Achievement Award -
AND THE WINNERS Were!!!!!
‘Living Joburg’ – recognizing residential projects that provide innovative, progressive and inclusive housing that addresses inner city residents’ needs and supports developing the community”
There were two sub-sectors to this award – ‘Individual Investor’ (finalists being 9 Saratoga/Harmony Galz and Ekuphumuleni Village) and ‘Corporate Investor’ (both finalists being Afhco projects, Greatermans and Cavendish Chambers).
All four finalists at some stage of their more recent lives have been builduings that have been illegally invaded and have really been “Phoenixes arising from the ashes”.
The winner of the Individual Investment Category was Josephine Tshaboeng the owner of 9 Saratoga Avenue, Doornfontein and what a story she told. In her own words: “In the year 2000 on my way to work, I met an old lady at the bus stop and we started chatting. She asked me where I worked and what I did. I told her I was a maid, a domestic worker, a nanny and a housekeeper but was resigning on that very same day. She asked for my details and we got into separate buses and I never saw her again for three weeks. Then she came to my flat and asked me to go somewhere with her. She took me to a building in Doornfontein. When we got there she asked if I would be able to fill it up with people to rent. I said ‘yes’ but I knew very well I didn’t know what I was talking about, I had never done it before. But because I needed an income I just agreed. She asked me to go around the building and count the rooms and work out the rentals. I remembered the words my madam used to say to me “if I tell myself that I can, then I’m able” I took a pen and paper and went upstairs and started working by counting the rooms. In the afternoon the owners of the building came around and asked what we were doing there, we said we were looking after their place. To cut a long story short, I became a caretaker there for five years until they wanted to get rid of the building, but they wanted to sell it only to me. The purchase price they gave me was R450 000-00 and TUHF (Trust for Urban Housing Finance) financed me with one million rand for refurbishment, but the costs were higher than that. This meant that I had to find additional funding which was a very difficult task, but over time my commitment to the project proved to TUHF that I was serious and they agreed that full funding would come from them based on a bursary payment scheme. The tenants refused to move out of the building because they didn’t believe I had bought it. It took me to 2006 to get a court order to have them vacate the building. In November they were out and the building started getting renovated on the 13th July 2009 and we started registering students. If it wasn’t for TUHF and my perserverance I would not be where I am today. I’m now the proud owner of the building I fought so hard for”
What a story and told with great sincerity, honesty and humility! Josephine converted the building, originally an old age home, to female student accommodation with 90% of the rentals being paid over through the bursary payments of the student residents. The building is secure, clean, well equipped, well maintained and at an affordable and reasonable rent. There are 83 rooms in the building with bathrooms, kitchens, study and laundry rooms communal to each floor’s’ residents. All rooms are curtained and furnished with desks, chairs and single beds. There is strict security
The ‘Corporate Investor category was won by Afhco’s Cavendish Chambers. It was also previously a hijacked building situated on Jeppe and Kruis Streets and had been methodically stripped of every bit of material of value right down to door and window frames. Afhco completely refurbished the building converting it into 187 residential rental units with a target market of people earning between R3 500-00 and R10 000-00 per month. The ultra modern units are complete with open-plan kitchens, ceramic tiles, VOiP telephones, 24 hour security, fingerprint access, internet and DSTV connection. Street patrollers and an Afhco shuttle service into the CBD are also provided.
‘Caring Joburg’ – recognizing selfless and community-minded individuals, volunteer groups and organizations that create the ‘caring heart’ of the city. This category also acknowledges individuals who deliver support services focused on community development.
This category attracted some amazing entrants all of whose stories need to be told and I will attempt to do that in future issues of Citichat. In the end, three finalists were identified being “The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa Home, Johannesburg; the Inner City Ambassadors Football Club and the Siyakhana Permaculture Food Garden. The winner, who also received a donation of R10 000-00 was “The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa Home, Johannesburg;. The Home is situated in Yeoville and is a home for the vulnerable, the destitute and the sick. Each and every person, whether abandoned babies or terminally ill adults, or a teenager with severe cerebral palsy, is treated with dignity, humility and deep care. Avistors to the home are surprised at the sounds rising out of the home: laughter, children’s chattering and young girls whose dream is to go back to school despite their illnesses – sounds of hope in the future and for the future. On a weekly basis, the 9 sisters and 23 staff and volunteers support 100 sick and dying in their hospice; 50 abandoned babies and toddlers in their childrens’ home and food on a daily basis for 250 to 300 people. They also visit all local hospices; provide homeless people with a place of care, ablution facilities and clothes and food; visit many homes, pay for school fees and skills training programmes, provide a haven for street children and provide weekly support to Soweto and Alex.
In the words of Mother Theresa; ”There is much suffering in the world – physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can experience. Open your eyes and see. There is not just hunger for bread; there is a hunger for understanding and love, for the Word of God. Nakedness is not only for a piece of cloth, but nakedness is a loss of dignity, human dignity; the loss for what is beautiful, what is pure, what is chaste, what is virgin. Loss. Homelessness is not only for a house made of bricks – homelessness is when people are completely forgotten, rejected, left alone, as if they are nobody to nobody”
‘Relaxing and Playing Joburg’ – recognizing creativity and innovation with regard to the built environment to provide daring use of new and old buildings and exciting use of space to create unique recreational experiences thereby creating a unique recreation destination.
There were three finalists in this category – all deserving to be declared winner although all being vastly different. They were the ‘SAB World of Beer’, ‘Arts on Main’ and Sci Bono.
The winner was declared as ‘Arts on Main’ the visionary brainchild of entrepreneur Jonathan Liebmann that I’ve covered on a number of occasions in previous Citichats. I remember telling Lael Bethlehem about the project when I had visited it whilst in an early stage of development. I was telling her of the olive and lemon trees being planted in the Mediterranean courtyard, this on the distinctly gritty eastern side of the inner city. I think I saw her eyes roll in disbelief yet here we are today celebrating what has been a unique creative project that is now the catalyst for more mind-stretching developments in this area, named the Maboneng precinct by Jonathan (Maboneng is a Sotho word meaning “place of light”). The list of occupier owners and tenants is a formidable list of the country’s who’s who in art and culture. including William Kentridge, and galleries such as the Seippel and Goodman, bookstores and the home of Bailey’s African History Archives which hold 40 years of material from Drum Magazine and various sister publications.
‘Sustaining Joburg’ – recognizing projects and individuals with innovative environmentally sound and sensitive approaches to the built environment. They also have to use and maintain to build environmental investment, regeneration and development in the inner city.
There were no awards made in this category. Although a number of nominations had been received, it was felt that none fully met the parameters of the award. This is a worrying situation given the acknowledged importance of environmental soundness and sustainability. It is to be hoped that it doesn’t reflect a disinterest or lack of progress in what is a most important aspect of modern cities.
‘Working and Buying Joburg’ – recognizing innovative, exciting and striking commercial and retail developments that attract people to the city
There were three finalists in this category.
The Zurich Building developed by the Johannesburg Land Company
The NUMSA Head Office and Conference Centre and
Arts on Main.
The winner was the Zurich Building the first private sector developed commercial space to be built in Johannesburg in possibly 20 years or more. It is built on the corner of Marshall and Miriam Makeba Streets in Ferreirasdorp which is an area of the inner city marked by years of decay and neglect. The building is the first of what will ultimately be a number of buildings set in a landscaped area that will transform this south western section of the inner city.
The building itself is a six storey office building of twelve-and-a-half thousand square metres which has an elliptical shaped core attached to a solid block giving the western façade the appearance of a ships prow. The core is separated from the main office component by a huge multi volume atrium encased in glass curtain walling and is accessible visa bridges and stairways connecting it to the open plan office floors. The main façade is of sandstone and glass.
For me, the atrium is quite spectacular, beautifully detailed and finished and providing wonderful views of the city the higher one progresses. On the ground floor is a large photographic reproduction of Ferreira’s Camp which would have been just adjacent to the site of the building. The building contains some magnificent and varied African art.. A very worthy winner.
‘Conserving Joburg’ - “The Colosseum Award”
This category recognises work done in conserving heritage buildings that meet certain renovation criteria as required in the national and provincial heritage policies. The Colosseum Award came about in 1982 during the struggle to save the Colosseum building from demolition. During the ‘demolish/conserve’ argument, well-known heritage consultant Herbert Prins was defamed by the property developers. When he sued, an out of court settlement was reached. Since Mr Prins had no wish to benefit from the loss of this fine building, he donated the money to the Witwatersrand Heritage Trust (WHT) for a conservation project.
It was decided that the money be used to fund a floating trophy made by Cecil Skotnes for a “Colosseum Award for Conservation”. The WHT is no longer functioning and the Johannesburg Heritage Trust administers the award but requested the JDA to utilize the Award as part of its Halala celebrations rather than duplicate efforts in this aspect.
It was first awarded to BHP Billiton for the outstanding project where their heritage office block was merged with their new extensions. Last year the winner was Turbine Square. A number of wonderful submissions were made and the following received nominations met the technical and timeframe criteria:
There were two finalists this year; The Numsa Head Office and Conference Centre and Arts on Main. The Award was made to the NUMSA Head Office and Conference Centre – I covered the building some time ago in Citichats 18 & 19/2008 so won’t repeat it here but what a wonderful initiative of a Trade Union to preserve and conserve some of the built history of this great city.
‘Believing in Joburg’ - The Stan Nkosi Achievement Award
Joburg is the home of innovators, investors and implementers – nothing describes the role of those who have consciously remained, sustained or reinvented the life of the Inner City as well as those who have stood the test of time, maintaining a belief in the life of the city when no one else did.
Nine people were shortlisted for this premier award, every one part of a select group of people who have had a major impact on the revitalisation of the inner city over the past twenty years. The deserved winner was Ishmael Mkhabela, better known to many of us as ‘Ish’.
Ish is a freelance community development facilitator, a community conflict resolution mediator as well as a leading professional community organizer. He is the founder and was Chief Executive Officer of Interfaith Community Development Association (ICDA) an agency that has, since 1991, pioneered and promoted broad-based relational community organizing and community conflict resolution in South Africa. ICDA trained literally hundreds of professional community organisers, promoted civic education and leadership development programmes and facilitated inner city renewal programmes and coordinated key multi-stakeholder participation in locality renewal and development projects. Ish’s CV reveals a huge breadth of involvement in establishing and leading organisations ranging from AZAPO in 1978 to the Witwatersrand Network for the Homeless in 1987, chairing numerous trusts and companies and, in fact, reads like a wonderful story of nation building.
His other nation building activities include numerous roles in national service agencies, women, youth, workers, civic and community based organizations and faith based institutions. Through all this Ish has remained a quiet, modest, reserved, warm hearted and passionate gentleman. Ish is one of the many unsung heroes of the “Inner City Struggle”
Hami Khensela,Buti Ish!
Special Recogntion
The CEO of the JDA, Lael Bethlehem, who leaves the JDA shortly to take up a position in the private sector, received a standing ovation when she was presented by Councillor Ros Greeff, the member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for the cluster under which the JDA falls, with an Honourary Halala Award - which incidentally this year was a wood carving of the city skyline. A wonderful surprise for Lael for an outstanding contribution to the regeneration of the inner city particularly over her 5 year term of office Well done, Lael and sala kahle!
Regards, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Upcoming Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust Tours
SUNDAY, 23rd MAY - ‘ART DECO IN THE CITY’ - WALKING TOUR
After the Great Depression Jo’burg had a great burst of confidence and building operations were in full swing. The race was on to build the tallest skyscraper - one with the highest flagpole and to do it all in style – with plastered relief panels depicting the new found faith in the economy, in industrial expansion and the sense of space and speed the automobile and the ocean liners brought. We visit the City’s most exuberant examples.
Meet Raymond Cardoso and Flo Bird at 14h00 next to the Cenotaph in Beyers Naude Square and park in the Library Gardens underground parking. The cost is R55.00 for members and R80.00 for non members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.
SUNDAY, 30th MAY - ‘BATTLE OF JOHANNESBURG’ – BUS TOUR
LAUNCH OF ‘THE WAR DIARY OF ISABELLE LIPP’
Bus tour to some of the sites, including Eagles’ Nest to see the area where the British troops marched, but this time taking in the Mondeor Concentration Camp memorial area. Hopefully, if ready in time, we will unveil the plaque in the Main Street Precinct to commemorate the launch of the Diary of Isabelle Lipp. Meet Dennis Adams and William Gaul at 13h30 - PLEASE NOTE EARLY START TIME – at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road, Parktown. The cost is R145 for members and R175 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349
And “nog ‘n piep” for Halala!
After last month’s “hip, hip, hotels”, we need “nog ‘n piep” but this time for the Halala Awards
The Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) inaugurated the first Halala Awards in 2008. Halala means ‘congratulations’ and the awards celebrate a wide range of achievements within the inner city and honour those responsible.
When I first wrote about the awards (Citichat 23/2008) I quoted the ubiquitous Wikipedia’s definition of an award as “something given to a person or a group of people to recognize excellence in a certain field” and its additional qualification that “awards can be given by any person or institution, although the prestige of an award usually depends on the status of the awarder.”
As the successful agency of the Johannesburg Metro Council responsible for stimulating and supporting area based economic development initiatives, with a history now of nearly ten years, there can be no doubt as to the status of the awarder. Halala awards have come to be a coveted recognition of all sorts of achievements over a wide range of categories. The JDA has held a prestigious awards dinner for the previous two years but, this year, decided that the format should be of far greater benefit to the city and its stakeholders. The 2010 awards were thus in the format of a day long seminar held on Wednesday last week which acted as not just a showcase of some of the tremendous initiatives that have taken place in the inner city over the past year, but an opportunity for the people behind the projects to tell their stories. And what great stories we were to hear!
The morning session was by way of a number of inputs ranging from the impact that the JDA itself has had on private sector investments; to a series of presentations and reflections. There was a presentation of regeneration highlights over the past decade; reflections on the Inner City Regeneration processes - (I was honoured to do this presentation and suggested to those present that you really know when you are being ‘let out to pasture’ when you are asked to “reflect” on what has gone before!); reflections on the impact of commercial and residential investments in the inner city by three inner city developers and three perspectives on catalysing investment in the inner city.
Lunch was then followed by the afternoon session where shortlisted finalists were able to explain their projects and the value and impact they were having on the inner city followed by the Awards themselves.
The guiding philosophy for the awards rests in three tenets:
The recognition of efforts that have broken new ground in urban regeneration, advancing sustainable economic growth, community wellbeing and the quality of life of all residents of the Inner City (encouraging extraordinary effort).
The recognition of pioneering programmes and innovative projects initiated by audacious thinkers whose passion has opened new horizons in decaying areas (fostering originality)
The recognition of commitment and dedication to fostering partnerships, initiating joint programmes and catalyzing sustainable developments that promote social harmony (encouraging participation, equality and inclusivity)
The categories that were contested this year were:
‘Living Joburg’
‘Caring Joburg’
‘Relaxing and Playing Joburg’
‘Sustaining Joburg’
‘Working and Buying Joburg’
‘Conserving Joburg’ which receives “The Colosseum Award”.and
‘Believing in Joburg’ - The Stan Nkosi Achievement Award -
AND THE WINNERS Were!!!!!
‘Living Joburg’ – recognizing residential projects that provide innovative, progressive and inclusive housing that addresses inner city residents’ needs and supports developing the community”
There were two sub-sectors to this award – ‘Individual Investor’ (finalists being 9 Saratoga/Harmony Galz and Ekuphumuleni Village) and ‘Corporate Investor’ (both finalists being Afhco projects, Greatermans and Cavendish Chambers).
All four finalists at some stage of their more recent lives have been builduings that have been illegally invaded and have really been “Phoenixes arising from the ashes”.
The winner of the Individual Investment Category was Josephine Tshaboeng the owner of 9 Saratoga Avenue, Doornfontein and what a story she told. In her own words: “In the year 2000 on my way to work, I met an old lady at the bus stop and we started chatting. She asked me where I worked and what I did. I told her I was a maid, a domestic worker, a nanny and a housekeeper but was resigning on that very same day. She asked for my details and we got into separate buses and I never saw her again for three weeks. Then she came to my flat and asked me to go somewhere with her. She took me to a building in Doornfontein. When we got there she asked if I would be able to fill it up with people to rent. I said ‘yes’ but I knew very well I didn’t know what I was talking about, I had never done it before. But because I needed an income I just agreed. She asked me to go around the building and count the rooms and work out the rentals. I remembered the words my madam used to say to me “if I tell myself that I can, then I’m able” I took a pen and paper and went upstairs and started working by counting the rooms. In the afternoon the owners of the building came around and asked what we were doing there, we said we were looking after their place. To cut a long story short, I became a caretaker there for five years until they wanted to get rid of the building, but they wanted to sell it only to me. The purchase price they gave me was R450 000-00 and TUHF (Trust for Urban Housing Finance) financed me with one million rand for refurbishment, but the costs were higher than that. This meant that I had to find additional funding which was a very difficult task, but over time my commitment to the project proved to TUHF that I was serious and they agreed that full funding would come from them based on a bursary payment scheme. The tenants refused to move out of the building because they didn’t believe I had bought it. It took me to 2006 to get a court order to have them vacate the building. In November they were out and the building started getting renovated on the 13th July 2009 and we started registering students. If it wasn’t for TUHF and my perserverance I would not be where I am today. I’m now the proud owner of the building I fought so hard for”
What a story and told with great sincerity, honesty and humility! Josephine converted the building, originally an old age home, to female student accommodation with 90% of the rentals being paid over through the bursary payments of the student residents. The building is secure, clean, well equipped, well maintained and at an affordable and reasonable rent. There are 83 rooms in the building with bathrooms, kitchens, study and laundry rooms communal to each floor’s’ residents. All rooms are curtained and furnished with desks, chairs and single beds. There is strict security
The ‘Corporate Investor category was won by Afhco’s Cavendish Chambers. It was also previously a hijacked building situated on Jeppe and Kruis Streets and had been methodically stripped of every bit of material of value right down to door and window frames. Afhco completely refurbished the building converting it into 187 residential rental units with a target market of people earning between R3 500-00 and R10 000-00 per month. The ultra modern units are complete with open-plan kitchens, ceramic tiles, VOiP telephones, 24 hour security, fingerprint access, internet and DSTV connection. Street patrollers and an Afhco shuttle service into the CBD are also provided.
‘Caring Joburg’ – recognizing selfless and community-minded individuals, volunteer groups and organizations that create the ‘caring heart’ of the city. This category also acknowledges individuals who deliver support services focused on community development.
This category attracted some amazing entrants all of whose stories need to be told and I will attempt to do that in future issues of Citichat. In the end, three finalists were identified being “The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa Home, Johannesburg; the Inner City Ambassadors Football Club and the Siyakhana Permaculture Food Garden. The winner, who also received a donation of R10 000-00 was “The Missionaries of Charity, Mother Theresa Home, Johannesburg;. The Home is situated in Yeoville and is a home for the vulnerable, the destitute and the sick. Each and every person, whether abandoned babies or terminally ill adults, or a teenager with severe cerebral palsy, is treated with dignity, humility and deep care. Avistors to the home are surprised at the sounds rising out of the home: laughter, children’s chattering and young girls whose dream is to go back to school despite their illnesses – sounds of hope in the future and for the future. On a weekly basis, the 9 sisters and 23 staff and volunteers support 100 sick and dying in their hospice; 50 abandoned babies and toddlers in their childrens’ home and food on a daily basis for 250 to 300 people. They also visit all local hospices; provide homeless people with a place of care, ablution facilities and clothes and food; visit many homes, pay for school fees and skills training programmes, provide a haven for street children and provide weekly support to Soweto and Alex.
In the words of Mother Theresa; ”There is much suffering in the world – physical, material, mental. The suffering of some can be blamed on the greed of others. The material and physical suffering is suffering from hunger, from homelessness, from all kinds of diseases. But the greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can experience. Open your eyes and see. There is not just hunger for bread; there is a hunger for understanding and love, for the Word of God. Nakedness is not only for a piece of cloth, but nakedness is a loss of dignity, human dignity; the loss for what is beautiful, what is pure, what is chaste, what is virgin. Loss. Homelessness is not only for a house made of bricks – homelessness is when people are completely forgotten, rejected, left alone, as if they are nobody to nobody”
‘Relaxing and Playing Joburg’ – recognizing creativity and innovation with regard to the built environment to provide daring use of new and old buildings and exciting use of space to create unique recreational experiences thereby creating a unique recreation destination.
There were three finalists in this category – all deserving to be declared winner although all being vastly different. They were the ‘SAB World of Beer’, ‘Arts on Main’ and Sci Bono.
The winner was declared as ‘Arts on Main’ the visionary brainchild of entrepreneur Jonathan Liebmann that I’ve covered on a number of occasions in previous Citichats. I remember telling Lael Bethlehem about the project when I had visited it whilst in an early stage of development. I was telling her of the olive and lemon trees being planted in the Mediterranean courtyard, this on the distinctly gritty eastern side of the inner city. I think I saw her eyes roll in disbelief yet here we are today celebrating what has been a unique creative project that is now the catalyst for more mind-stretching developments in this area, named the Maboneng precinct by Jonathan (Maboneng is a Sotho word meaning “place of light”). The list of occupier owners and tenants is a formidable list of the country’s who’s who in art and culture. including William Kentridge, and galleries such as the Seippel and Goodman, bookstores and the home of Bailey’s African History Archives which hold 40 years of material from Drum Magazine and various sister publications.
‘Sustaining Joburg’ – recognizing projects and individuals with innovative environmentally sound and sensitive approaches to the built environment. They also have to use and maintain to build environmental investment, regeneration and development in the inner city.
There were no awards made in this category. Although a number of nominations had been received, it was felt that none fully met the parameters of the award. This is a worrying situation given the acknowledged importance of environmental soundness and sustainability. It is to be hoped that it doesn’t reflect a disinterest or lack of progress in what is a most important aspect of modern cities.
‘Working and Buying Joburg’ – recognizing innovative, exciting and striking commercial and retail developments that attract people to the city
There were three finalists in this category.
The Zurich Building developed by the Johannesburg Land Company
The NUMSA Head Office and Conference Centre and
Arts on Main.
The winner was the Zurich Building the first private sector developed commercial space to be built in Johannesburg in possibly 20 years or more. It is built on the corner of Marshall and Miriam Makeba Streets in Ferreirasdorp which is an area of the inner city marked by years of decay and neglect. The building is the first of what will ultimately be a number of buildings set in a landscaped area that will transform this south western section of the inner city.
The building itself is a six storey office building of twelve-and-a-half thousand square metres which has an elliptical shaped core attached to a solid block giving the western façade the appearance of a ships prow. The core is separated from the main office component by a huge multi volume atrium encased in glass curtain walling and is accessible visa bridges and stairways connecting it to the open plan office floors. The main façade is of sandstone and glass.
For me, the atrium is quite spectacular, beautifully detailed and finished and providing wonderful views of the city the higher one progresses. On the ground floor is a large photographic reproduction of Ferreira’s Camp which would have been just adjacent to the site of the building. The building contains some magnificent and varied African art.. A very worthy winner.
‘Conserving Joburg’ - “The Colosseum Award”
This category recognises work done in conserving heritage buildings that meet certain renovation criteria as required in the national and provincial heritage policies. The Colosseum Award came about in 1982 during the struggle to save the Colosseum building from demolition. During the ‘demolish/conserve’ argument, well-known heritage consultant Herbert Prins was defamed by the property developers. When he sued, an out of court settlement was reached. Since Mr Prins had no wish to benefit from the loss of this fine building, he donated the money to the Witwatersrand Heritage Trust (WHT) for a conservation project.
It was decided that the money be used to fund a floating trophy made by Cecil Skotnes for a “Colosseum Award for Conservation”. The WHT is no longer functioning and the Johannesburg Heritage Trust administers the award but requested the JDA to utilize the Award as part of its Halala celebrations rather than duplicate efforts in this aspect.
It was first awarded to BHP Billiton for the outstanding project where their heritage office block was merged with their new extensions. Last year the winner was Turbine Square. A number of wonderful submissions were made and the following received nominations met the technical and timeframe criteria:
There were two finalists this year; The Numsa Head Office and Conference Centre and Arts on Main. The Award was made to the NUMSA Head Office and Conference Centre – I covered the building some time ago in Citichats 18 & 19/2008 so won’t repeat it here but what a wonderful initiative of a Trade Union to preserve and conserve some of the built history of this great city.
‘Believing in Joburg’ - The Stan Nkosi Achievement Award
Joburg is the home of innovators, investors and implementers – nothing describes the role of those who have consciously remained, sustained or reinvented the life of the Inner City as well as those who have stood the test of time, maintaining a belief in the life of the city when no one else did.
Nine people were shortlisted for this premier award, every one part of a select group of people who have had a major impact on the revitalisation of the inner city over the past twenty years. The deserved winner was Ishmael Mkhabela, better known to many of us as ‘Ish’.
Ish is a freelance community development facilitator, a community conflict resolution mediator as well as a leading professional community organizer. He is the founder and was Chief Executive Officer of Interfaith Community Development Association (ICDA) an agency that has, since 1991, pioneered and promoted broad-based relational community organizing and community conflict resolution in South Africa. ICDA trained literally hundreds of professional community organisers, promoted civic education and leadership development programmes and facilitated inner city renewal programmes and coordinated key multi-stakeholder participation in locality renewal and development projects. Ish’s CV reveals a huge breadth of involvement in establishing and leading organisations ranging from AZAPO in 1978 to the Witwatersrand Network for the Homeless in 1987, chairing numerous trusts and companies and, in fact, reads like a wonderful story of nation building.
His other nation building activities include numerous roles in national service agencies, women, youth, workers, civic and community based organizations and faith based institutions. Through all this Ish has remained a quiet, modest, reserved, warm hearted and passionate gentleman. Ish is one of the many unsung heroes of the “Inner City Struggle”
Hami Khensela,Buti Ish!
Special Recogntion
The CEO of the JDA, Lael Bethlehem, who leaves the JDA shortly to take up a position in the private sector, received a standing ovation when she was presented by Councillor Ros Greeff, the member of the Mayoral Committee responsible for the cluster under which the JDA falls, with an Honourary Halala Award - which incidentally this year was a wood carving of the city skyline. A wonderful surprise for Lael for an outstanding contribution to the regeneration of the inner city particularly over her 5 year term of office Well done, Lael and sala kahle!
Regards, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Upcoming Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust Tours
SUNDAY, 23rd MAY - ‘ART DECO IN THE CITY’ - WALKING TOUR
After the Great Depression Jo’burg had a great burst of confidence and building operations were in full swing. The race was on to build the tallest skyscraper - one with the highest flagpole and to do it all in style – with plastered relief panels depicting the new found faith in the economy, in industrial expansion and the sense of space and speed the automobile and the ocean liners brought. We visit the City’s most exuberant examples.
Meet Raymond Cardoso and Flo Bird at 14h00 next to the Cenotaph in Beyers Naude Square and park in the Library Gardens underground parking. The cost is R55.00 for members and R80.00 for non members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.
SUNDAY, 30th MAY - ‘BATTLE OF JOHANNESBURG’ – BUS TOUR
LAUNCH OF ‘THE WAR DIARY OF ISABELLE LIPP’
Bus tour to some of the sites, including Eagles’ Nest to see the area where the British troops marched, but this time taking in the Mondeor Concentration Camp memorial area. Hopefully, if ready in time, we will unveil the plaque in the Main Street Precinct to commemorate the launch of the Diary of Isabelle Lipp. Meet Dennis Adams and William Gaul at 13h30 - PLEASE NOTE EARLY START TIME – at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road, Parktown. The cost is R145 for members and R175 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Citichat Hotels Johannesburg April 2010
April 2010
Hotels signal the ongoing regeneration of the inner city. It’s all still happening….well, almost all!
Hip, hip hotels!
The Financial Mail (April 23) reported on three new hotels for the inner city – a 120-room four star hotel in Marshall Street, near Rissik Street, opening in May; a 50-room five-star hotel near AAC headquarters and the Standard Bank superblock, which will follow later; and then, next year, a 150-room hotel situated in the same vicinity. These are to be branded as ‘Reef Hotels’ developed by Isaac Chalumbira and hotelier Gustav Krampe. Chalumbira has been active in property development in the inner city for some time. I hear that funding for the first of these hotels, the R70 million Reef Hotels Gold, is from IDC and the ubiquitous TUHF (Trust for Urban Housing Finance). For some years now TUHF have been providing critical financing of urban revitalization projects in the inner city as well as promoting BEE ownership (Citichat 37.2005).
I must admit that I’ve always believed that the last hotel to be developed in the inner city was the Mapungubwe, a conversion of the old French Bank building on the corner of Marshall and Ferreira Streets. I know that it has been recoding excellent occupancy rates Mondays to Fridays reflecting its strong support by business folk but is evidently pretty much empty over weekends. But the FM also refers to another new inner city hotel, the Ashanti. That caught me a bit by surprise because I know that the Ashanti and neighbouring Dogon (Citichat 23/2006), both in Anderson Street, were refurbishments of ex Hollard Insurance commercial buildings by Leungo Holdings (a Hollard/PHAB Joint Venture) into high quality residential accommodation. Whilst they were originally dubbed ‘Condominium Hotels’ the Ashanti has obviously moved on from there and is now a full hotel being managed by Urban Hip Hotels. The Ashanti web page states that it “offers 29 fully designer furnished apartments, complete with fully fitted kitchens, modern décor, spacious lounges, plasma TV screens & satellite television and en-suite bathrooms. All Studio, 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom Apartments are services (sic) daily. The trendy stylish and hip designer apartments at Ashanti Hotel, all offer self-catering facilities and guests therefore have a choice to enjoy a quiet meal in or try out the unique, fantastic & modern on-site restaurant Darkie Café. Darkie Café offers wholesome African fusion cuisine with a wonderful choice of mouth watering dishes that will please the most discerning palate.”
Hmmm! Interesting that these two and the three “Reef Hotels’ all cluster in the south western corner of the inner city, but then that is the Mining and Financial quarter of the inner city so obviously are focusing on the same clientele as the Mapungubwe.
There are of course at least two more hotels in the inner city currently in the construction phase, or more accurately, refurbishment stage – one in the north and the other in the east of the inner city.
The development in the north is ‘The Orange Hotel’ in Braamfontein mentioned in passing in last month’s Citichat (Citichat 3/2010). This is a South Point development – South Point has become a major player in Braamfontein particularly in the field of student accommodation. (My apologies to them - last week I credited the refurbishment of Sable Centre to Growth Point – it should have been South Point!). This new R45 million investment will broaden South Point’s current portfolio which is predominantly in student accommodation and, undoubtedly, have a marked impact on the Braamfontein precinct. The Orange Hotel is described as a 4-star “hip” hotel, comprising sixty rooms, a floor of meeting/function rooms and ground floor reception, bar and dining area extending onto an outdoor deck. It will be a “hip, cool and sexy” destination for the 30 to 40 age group and will be based on the “crash-pad concept” that aims to create an ‘edited down’ version of the boutique hotel experience. N’est-ce pas? Well, I gather that it targets those who spend their days crammed with meetings and work and want somewhere to ‘crash and chill’ in “the place to be and be seen”. All I want, after a day like that, is to be unnoticed and sleep uninterrupted but then I am twice the age of the target market! Hey, maybe there is a niche for the development in the inner city for us aged who quietly pass out rather than crash! Anyway, The Orange Hotel looks as though it will add further depth to the Braamfontein ‘offering’ which is becoming more and more eclectic!
The hotel development in the east is part of the highly imaginative and visionary ‘Main Street Life’ complex that is an addition to developer Jonathan Leibmann’s east side developments close to his unique ‘Arts-on-Main’ concept. I spent an interesting hour or so with him some weeks ago as he took me through the Main Street Life project. Milisuthando Bongela, in the Mail and Guardian of 16 April describes the concept as not “just any old apartment block. It aims to have a greater impact on the lives of its inhabitants. It’s a physical representation of the 2010 consumer minded in a post-recession climate where the values of knowledge, collaboration, sharing, innovation and green living will form part of the DNA of this nascent community”. It has 200 residential units for sale with high quality retail on the ground floor, music rehearsal rooms, laundromat and DVD rental service and weekly art movie showings. Apart from the 200 units for sale, the development includes a 12 suite boutique hotel “The 12 Decades”. Each suite will be representative of one of the twelve decades of Jozi’s history and each the creation of individual designers. Saw some of them and they are like wow! Also saw some of the apartments which are quite stunning. Each floor reflects a different theme ranging from art and architecture to the visual arts and includes film, fashion and design, photography and fine art. So, the objective here is to build a collaborative art community complementing that of Arts on Main. Owners of the units will be able to utilize the development’s exhibition space and, for an annual fee, will have the use of the rooftop which can also be utilized by fee paying non residents. This large area will be used as collaborative space and includes a roof-top pub, yoga facilities, plunge pool and, unusually, a small open air boxing gym. All surrounded by the inner city skyline – great place for some pre-work Tai Chi but then who’d want to go to work!
The current inner city hotel downside is that both the Carlton and the ex part-Tollman Towers, then Johannesburg Sun, then Downtown Holiday Inn, remain as empty, towering, brooding hulks on the cityscape. The first closed in 1997 and the building is now owned by a parastatal which goes some way to explaining the decade-plus lack of progress in its re-use. But the other is in private sector hands, the last I heard was that this is a Tanzanian developer, but, apart from a very short stint as the 700 roomed Kwa Dukuza Egoli Hotel & Conference Centre (Citichat 39/2002) and a lot of talk, it also appears to never get any further. Maybe they’re just too old (and big) to be hip’d over!
At one time these two hotels together provided some 1300 beds in the inner city. Now I calculate that between the Parktonian, Devonshire, Mapungubwe and Ashanti there are 483 beds (excluding the Sunnyside Park and Milpark Holiday Inn which aren’t really in the inner city) with another 392 planned - if one counts the three ‘Reef’ hotels, The Orange and Main Street Life’s “12 Decades”. So we are edging back to the one thousand room mark in a variety of very, very different hotel offerings to two decades ago.
I somehow think that the development of the eastern side of the inner city is beginning to outpace that of the west. (Citichat 23.2007 – East, west, which is best?) Is this perhaps a private sector vs public sector thing? The eastern sector has witnessed the development of ‘Arts on Main’ followed by ‘Main Street Life’ which is adjacent to another large new residential redevelopment all breathing fresh life into a previously run down and decrepit quadrant of the inner city. Add the fact that AFHCO have done some amazing things with deserted buildings in this same eastern precinct (such as the conversion of the old Greatermans office building into 428 residential units in partnership with International Housing Solutions SA Workforce Housing Fund), as well as with a number of run-down, ‘infested’ buildings that surrounded the now refurbished Transport Square and are in the throes of completing their massive 120 End Street project as well as the upgrading of the adjacent park and the provision of the Citykidz pre-and primary school.
The Greatermans Headquarter building built in 1950/1 – “a powerful statement of a large-scale trading organization” (‘Johannesburg Style’ – Clive M Chipkin) incidentally had been hijacked and totally stripped of just about everything – it now offers secure rental accommodation to R3500.00 to R10000-00 per month earners in an incredible location vis-à-vis proximity to the centre city and large employment centres such as Carlton Centre, the ABSA campus and the 2010 precinct centering around Coca-Cola Park. It is next to a BRT station and the units offer an open plan kitchen design, great finishes, VoIP telephones, internet and DSTV connections and a safe environment via 24 hour security, fingerprint access, street patrollers and a shuttle service into the CBD. Hey, the new stuff in the inner city, even if it is recycled, is offering much, much more than it used to.
Moving to the western side of the inner city, Newtown, the office block extension to Sci Bono appears to be nearing completion but the redevelopment of Transport House into another boutique hotel, announced by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) probably two years ago, has yet to begin as is the case with the redevelopment of the ‘Majestic site (opposite the eastern façade of the Market Theatre) evidently now due to start in July after years of JPC bureaucracy. Good news is that the massive Atterbury Property Development’s R1 billion-plus project north of Museum Africa known as ‘Newtown Junction’ also is slated for construction-start in mid year. It will be a mixed use project consisting of a retail mall, 180 room 4-star hotel, offices and apartments and a ‘borough market’. The project will link through Museum Africa to Mary Fitzgerald Square and also provide much needed additional space for the Market Theatre. Newtown therefore may be providing another two hundred-plus hotel rooms which will take the inner city over the 1000 room mark.
….and the unhip?
Some observations from spending three days a week in the inner city over the last three weeks.
2010 is still a major driver of getting things done that should have been done regularly and not just when we host a World Summit or Cup! Street names being painted on kerbs and new bright yellow directional signs being erected like a rash over the city. Two problems with the latter – I notice they are all being displayed on their own new shiny poles – why wasn’t the opportunity taken to rationalise our pavement clutter by consolidating signs on fewer poles. Bureaucracy undoubtedly but probably also because we have unco-ordinated council departments, each feels that it has the right to display its own signs on its own poles! Thus one has poles displaying traffic signs, hawker signs, tourist signs, etc etc and quite often poles displaying no signs at all! Thus new poles are even being erected where other poles stand forlornly, their signage having disappeared some years ago. Anyway, who checks that the signs are correct in the first place? The half dozen or more signs erected last week in Miriam Makeba Street pointing one to Mary Fitzgerald Square are all marked “Mary Fitz Gerald Square”! I kid you not, go to my blog www.citichat.co to see the evidence. On the blog you can also see that the new refuse bins (Citichat 2.2010) have not weathered the council employees’ vast ability and skill required to overturn them. So, now we have three generations of damaged refuse bins adding to our urban environment and experience!
Last week I drove from ORT to the city westwards past Eastgate Shopping Centre through Kensington and then down Commissioner Street. I must admit that I may have missed it, but I cannot remember seeing any warning signage suggesting that you had better sort out which outer lane to travel in before the two central lanes merge to form a dedicated BRT lane over which you cannot drive or which you supposedly can’t cross. (At least when De Waal Drive was doubled in the 1950s/60s the resultant confusion next to Groote Schuur Hospital was directed by a “Solly Morris’ sign - he was then City Engineer of Cape Town – that simply stated “Merge” and drew fascinating comments from international visitors. I digress, sorry - as I progressed down the lane I was trapped into by having no earlier choice (the wrong one of course) I was overtaken by a number of combi-taxis and cars traveling in the BRT lane. One of these admittedly was a CA car which I thought could be excused as their road markings for the bus/taxi lane from the airport to the city are clearly marked. Then there was a car and a bakkie parked in the BRT lane with no drivers in sight at all. At every intersection, one out of probably ten vehicles turned across the traffic because they had been in the wrong lane causing heightened blood pressure and related bad language and gestures from the impeded drivers. I never saw any Metro Police, not one. I remember being told that security would be high and JMPD would be would ensure that none of these things would happen!
I also didn’t see any presence of the JMPD in “five o-clock” traffic when it mostly grinds to a halt because of mainly, but not solely, combi-taxi drivers blocking intersections because they have jumped the traffic lights. On a couple of occasions my car was almost hit by vehicles going straight through red lights. Then, as I said last month (Citichat 3.2010) potholes are becoming a major hazard. I read somewhere this week that the overspend on stadia has been so great that we can expect very little in the way of ‘new spend’ or maintenance for a number of years, so cultivate that pot-hole, learn to love it, it may be with you for some time to come!
Ah well, there’s still 40 days to go before kick-off, anything could still happen!
Finally, Cheers, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust Tours
WALKING TOUR - SATURDAY, 15th MAY ‘DELTA PARK - A 1930’s CAMEO, A BIRD SANCTUARY AND A GLORIOUS VIEW’ -
We will visit a 1930s enclave in Delta Park, Road No 3, Victory Park. There is the original waste water treatment building, a group of homes for municipal officials, and a workers’ compound, all built in the International Style which London chose for its underground and power stations at that same time – the Thirties. The sewerage plant became derelict in 1963, and was due for demolition, but was reborn in the 1970s as a conservation centre. See how the old treatment plant vessels have been incorporated into the attractive environmental museum, where we will have a mini-tour, tip your hat to the tallest palm trees in Johannesburg, and for an hour or two, imagine yourself back in the days when this was open farmland beyond our city.
Meet Ed Coogan and Franky Toussaint at 14h00 at the Delta Environmental Centre. The cost is R55.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.
GREEN HAVEN IN THE CITY - ARTS ON MAIN
TWO GENERATIONS OF RUBBISHED BINS
ARE THEY SERIOUS ABOUT ADVERTISING?
MAIN STREET LIFE
MARY FITZ WHO?
A MAIN STREET LIFE APARTMENT
PAVEMENT CLUTTER YET THE SECOND POLE CARRIES NOTHING
Hotels signal the ongoing regeneration of the inner city. It’s all still happening….well, almost all!
Hip, hip hotels!
The Financial Mail (April 23) reported on three new hotels for the inner city – a 120-room four star hotel in Marshall Street, near Rissik Street, opening in May; a 50-room five-star hotel near AAC headquarters and the Standard Bank superblock, which will follow later; and then, next year, a 150-room hotel situated in the same vicinity. These are to be branded as ‘Reef Hotels’ developed by Isaac Chalumbira and hotelier Gustav Krampe. Chalumbira has been active in property development in the inner city for some time. I hear that funding for the first of these hotels, the R70 million Reef Hotels Gold, is from IDC and the ubiquitous TUHF (Trust for Urban Housing Finance). For some years now TUHF have been providing critical financing of urban revitalization projects in the inner city as well as promoting BEE ownership (Citichat 37.2005).
I must admit that I’ve always believed that the last hotel to be developed in the inner city was the Mapungubwe, a conversion of the old French Bank building on the corner of Marshall and Ferreira Streets. I know that it has been recoding excellent occupancy rates Mondays to Fridays reflecting its strong support by business folk but is evidently pretty much empty over weekends. But the FM also refers to another new inner city hotel, the Ashanti. That caught me a bit by surprise because I know that the Ashanti and neighbouring Dogon (Citichat 23/2006), both in Anderson Street, were refurbishments of ex Hollard Insurance commercial buildings by Leungo Holdings (a Hollard/PHAB Joint Venture) into high quality residential accommodation. Whilst they were originally dubbed ‘Condominium Hotels’ the Ashanti has obviously moved on from there and is now a full hotel being managed by Urban Hip Hotels. The Ashanti web page states that it “offers 29 fully designer furnished apartments, complete with fully fitted kitchens, modern décor, spacious lounges, plasma TV screens & satellite television and en-suite bathrooms. All Studio, 1 Bedroom and 2 Bedroom Apartments are services (sic) daily. The trendy stylish and hip designer apartments at Ashanti Hotel, all offer self-catering facilities and guests therefore have a choice to enjoy a quiet meal in or try out the unique, fantastic & modern on-site restaurant Darkie Café. Darkie Café offers wholesome African fusion cuisine with a wonderful choice of mouth watering dishes that will please the most discerning palate.”
Hmmm! Interesting that these two and the three “Reef Hotels’ all cluster in the south western corner of the inner city, but then that is the Mining and Financial quarter of the inner city so obviously are focusing on the same clientele as the Mapungubwe.
There are of course at least two more hotels in the inner city currently in the construction phase, or more accurately, refurbishment stage – one in the north and the other in the east of the inner city.
The development in the north is ‘The Orange Hotel’ in Braamfontein mentioned in passing in last month’s Citichat (Citichat 3/2010). This is a South Point development – South Point has become a major player in Braamfontein particularly in the field of student accommodation. (My apologies to them - last week I credited the refurbishment of Sable Centre to Growth Point – it should have been South Point!). This new R45 million investment will broaden South Point’s current portfolio which is predominantly in student accommodation and, undoubtedly, have a marked impact on the Braamfontein precinct. The Orange Hotel is described as a 4-star “hip” hotel, comprising sixty rooms, a floor of meeting/function rooms and ground floor reception, bar and dining area extending onto an outdoor deck. It will be a “hip, cool and sexy” destination for the 30 to 40 age group and will be based on the “crash-pad concept” that aims to create an ‘edited down’ version of the boutique hotel experience. N’est-ce pas? Well, I gather that it targets those who spend their days crammed with meetings and work and want somewhere to ‘crash and chill’ in “the place to be and be seen”. All I want, after a day like that, is to be unnoticed and sleep uninterrupted but then I am twice the age of the target market! Hey, maybe there is a niche for the development in the inner city for us aged who quietly pass out rather than crash! Anyway, The Orange Hotel looks as though it will add further depth to the Braamfontein ‘offering’ which is becoming more and more eclectic!
The hotel development in the east is part of the highly imaginative and visionary ‘Main Street Life’ complex that is an addition to developer Jonathan Leibmann’s east side developments close to his unique ‘Arts-on-Main’ concept. I spent an interesting hour or so with him some weeks ago as he took me through the Main Street Life project. Milisuthando Bongela, in the Mail and Guardian of 16 April describes the concept as not “just any old apartment block. It aims to have a greater impact on the lives of its inhabitants. It’s a physical representation of the 2010 consumer minded in a post-recession climate where the values of knowledge, collaboration, sharing, innovation and green living will form part of the DNA of this nascent community”. It has 200 residential units for sale with high quality retail on the ground floor, music rehearsal rooms, laundromat and DVD rental service and weekly art movie showings. Apart from the 200 units for sale, the development includes a 12 suite boutique hotel “The 12 Decades”. Each suite will be representative of one of the twelve decades of Jozi’s history and each the creation of individual designers. Saw some of them and they are like wow! Also saw some of the apartments which are quite stunning. Each floor reflects a different theme ranging from art and architecture to the visual arts and includes film, fashion and design, photography and fine art. So, the objective here is to build a collaborative art community complementing that of Arts on Main. Owners of the units will be able to utilize the development’s exhibition space and, for an annual fee, will have the use of the rooftop which can also be utilized by fee paying non residents. This large area will be used as collaborative space and includes a roof-top pub, yoga facilities, plunge pool and, unusually, a small open air boxing gym. All surrounded by the inner city skyline – great place for some pre-work Tai Chi but then who’d want to go to work!
The current inner city hotel downside is that both the Carlton and the ex part-Tollman Towers, then Johannesburg Sun, then Downtown Holiday Inn, remain as empty, towering, brooding hulks on the cityscape. The first closed in 1997 and the building is now owned by a parastatal which goes some way to explaining the decade-plus lack of progress in its re-use. But the other is in private sector hands, the last I heard was that this is a Tanzanian developer, but, apart from a very short stint as the 700 roomed Kwa Dukuza Egoli Hotel & Conference Centre (Citichat 39/2002) and a lot of talk, it also appears to never get any further. Maybe they’re just too old (and big) to be hip’d over!
At one time these two hotels together provided some 1300 beds in the inner city. Now I calculate that between the Parktonian, Devonshire, Mapungubwe and Ashanti there are 483 beds (excluding the Sunnyside Park and Milpark Holiday Inn which aren’t really in the inner city) with another 392 planned - if one counts the three ‘Reef’ hotels, The Orange and Main Street Life’s “12 Decades”. So we are edging back to the one thousand room mark in a variety of very, very different hotel offerings to two decades ago.
I somehow think that the development of the eastern side of the inner city is beginning to outpace that of the west. (Citichat 23.2007 – East, west, which is best?) Is this perhaps a private sector vs public sector thing? The eastern sector has witnessed the development of ‘Arts on Main’ followed by ‘Main Street Life’ which is adjacent to another large new residential redevelopment all breathing fresh life into a previously run down and decrepit quadrant of the inner city. Add the fact that AFHCO have done some amazing things with deserted buildings in this same eastern precinct (such as the conversion of the old Greatermans office building into 428 residential units in partnership with International Housing Solutions SA Workforce Housing Fund), as well as with a number of run-down, ‘infested’ buildings that surrounded the now refurbished Transport Square and are in the throes of completing their massive 120 End Street project as well as the upgrading of the adjacent park and the provision of the Citykidz pre-and primary school.
The Greatermans Headquarter building built in 1950/1 – “a powerful statement of a large-scale trading organization” (‘Johannesburg Style’ – Clive M Chipkin) incidentally had been hijacked and totally stripped of just about everything – it now offers secure rental accommodation to R3500.00 to R10000-00 per month earners in an incredible location vis-à-vis proximity to the centre city and large employment centres such as Carlton Centre, the ABSA campus and the 2010 precinct centering around Coca-Cola Park. It is next to a BRT station and the units offer an open plan kitchen design, great finishes, VoIP telephones, internet and DSTV connections and a safe environment via 24 hour security, fingerprint access, street patrollers and a shuttle service into the CBD. Hey, the new stuff in the inner city, even if it is recycled, is offering much, much more than it used to.
Moving to the western side of the inner city, Newtown, the office block extension to Sci Bono appears to be nearing completion but the redevelopment of Transport House into another boutique hotel, announced by the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) probably two years ago, has yet to begin as is the case with the redevelopment of the ‘Majestic site (opposite the eastern façade of the Market Theatre) evidently now due to start in July after years of JPC bureaucracy. Good news is that the massive Atterbury Property Development’s R1 billion-plus project north of Museum Africa known as ‘Newtown Junction’ also is slated for construction-start in mid year. It will be a mixed use project consisting of a retail mall, 180 room 4-star hotel, offices and apartments and a ‘borough market’. The project will link through Museum Africa to Mary Fitzgerald Square and also provide much needed additional space for the Market Theatre. Newtown therefore may be providing another two hundred-plus hotel rooms which will take the inner city over the 1000 room mark.
….and the unhip?
Some observations from spending three days a week in the inner city over the last three weeks.
2010 is still a major driver of getting things done that should have been done regularly and not just when we host a World Summit or Cup! Street names being painted on kerbs and new bright yellow directional signs being erected like a rash over the city. Two problems with the latter – I notice they are all being displayed on their own new shiny poles – why wasn’t the opportunity taken to rationalise our pavement clutter by consolidating signs on fewer poles. Bureaucracy undoubtedly but probably also because we have unco-ordinated council departments, each feels that it has the right to display its own signs on its own poles! Thus one has poles displaying traffic signs, hawker signs, tourist signs, etc etc and quite often poles displaying no signs at all! Thus new poles are even being erected where other poles stand forlornly, their signage having disappeared some years ago. Anyway, who checks that the signs are correct in the first place? The half dozen or more signs erected last week in Miriam Makeba Street pointing one to Mary Fitzgerald Square are all marked “Mary Fitz Gerald Square”! I kid you not, go to my blog www.citichat.co to see the evidence. On the blog you can also see that the new refuse bins (Citichat 2.2010) have not weathered the council employees’ vast ability and skill required to overturn them. So, now we have three generations of damaged refuse bins adding to our urban environment and experience!
Last week I drove from ORT to the city westwards past Eastgate Shopping Centre through Kensington and then down Commissioner Street. I must admit that I may have missed it, but I cannot remember seeing any warning signage suggesting that you had better sort out which outer lane to travel in before the two central lanes merge to form a dedicated BRT lane over which you cannot drive or which you supposedly can’t cross. (At least when De Waal Drive was doubled in the 1950s/60s the resultant confusion next to Groote Schuur Hospital was directed by a “Solly Morris’ sign - he was then City Engineer of Cape Town – that simply stated “Merge” and drew fascinating comments from international visitors. I digress, sorry - as I progressed down the lane I was trapped into by having no earlier choice (the wrong one of course) I was overtaken by a number of combi-taxis and cars traveling in the BRT lane. One of these admittedly was a CA car which I thought could be excused as their road markings for the bus/taxi lane from the airport to the city are clearly marked. Then there was a car and a bakkie parked in the BRT lane with no drivers in sight at all. At every intersection, one out of probably ten vehicles turned across the traffic because they had been in the wrong lane causing heightened blood pressure and related bad language and gestures from the impeded drivers. I never saw any Metro Police, not one. I remember being told that security would be high and JMPD would be would ensure that none of these things would happen!
I also didn’t see any presence of the JMPD in “five o-clock” traffic when it mostly grinds to a halt because of mainly, but not solely, combi-taxi drivers blocking intersections because they have jumped the traffic lights. On a couple of occasions my car was almost hit by vehicles going straight through red lights. Then, as I said last month (Citichat 3.2010) potholes are becoming a major hazard. I read somewhere this week that the overspend on stadia has been so great that we can expect very little in the way of ‘new spend’ or maintenance for a number of years, so cultivate that pot-hole, learn to love it, it may be with you for some time to come!
Ah well, there’s still 40 days to go before kick-off, anything could still happen!
Finally, Cheers, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust Tours
WALKING TOUR - SATURDAY, 15th MAY ‘DELTA PARK - A 1930’s CAMEO, A BIRD SANCTUARY AND A GLORIOUS VIEW’ -
We will visit a 1930s enclave in Delta Park, Road No 3, Victory Park. There is the original waste water treatment building, a group of homes for municipal officials, and a workers’ compound, all built in the International Style which London chose for its underground and power stations at that same time – the Thirties. The sewerage plant became derelict in 1963, and was due for demolition, but was reborn in the 1970s as a conservation centre. See how the old treatment plant vessels have been incorporated into the attractive environmental museum, where we will have a mini-tour, tip your hat to the tallest palm trees in Johannesburg, and for an hour or two, imagine yourself back in the days when this was open farmland beyond our city.
Meet Ed Coogan and Franky Toussaint at 14h00 at the Delta Environmental Centre. The cost is R55.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.
GREEN HAVEN IN THE CITY - ARTS ON MAIN
TWO GENERATIONS OF RUBBISHED BINS
ARE THEY SERIOUS ABOUT ADVERTISING?
MAIN STREET LIFE
MARY FITZ WHO?
A MAIN STREET LIFE APARTMENT
PAVEMENT CLUTTER YET THE SECOND POLE CARRIES NOTHING
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Citichat March 2010
March 2010
Braamies grows…..and it’s not the big things that make a city great!
Spent some time during the past couple of weeks with a variety of stakeholders in Braamfontein both west and east of Bertha Street. Also had an opportunity to walk a major part of the area. Still a lot of investment over the macro precinct. It will undoubtedly change even more with the completion of the two transport initiatives currently under construction. The Gautrain Station is being built at a reported cost of R100 million and BRT is also planned for this area. Both are part of larger multi billion rand transportation projects and should have a major impact on Braamies. Already there is talk of linking Wits University, to the north-west, with the Gautrain Station to the south-east.
The northern area, ie north of Jorissen Street, seems generally quite static after major investment by the corporates of the area now some six years ago. It is the area south that is drawing new investment and that is therefore going through quite a degree of change. So, if one examines ‘southern Braamfontein’ the strip south of Jorrisen Street from the east where the Gautrain station is being constructed right through to the western edge, there is evidence of a great deal of activity over the past few years. On its western edge, the previous Everite head office building has been taken over by SAMRO who have done a great job in refurbishing and face-lifting the building. To its south, on the corner of Eendracht and Smit Streets, there is a relatively new residential complex, ‘BridgeView’. Interesting to see that although this has been complete for a year or so, the footways on its western and southern edges have never been reinstated by the Council. This corner is where the MI off-ramp joins Smit Street. One would anticipate that such a prominent corner, used by thousands of vehicles a day, would be treated with some care. But no, it is a practically unwalkable, unsurfaced area with holes and exposed metal spikes, etc all over the place.
We forget that Smit Street is a major and unique west-east linkage that goes completely beyond the inner city through which it traverses, yet it appears to draw little attention from the authorities resulting in a dismal, bleak and neglected feel. If you have tried to turn into it by car from the intersecting north/south roads from about 16h30, you will know that it is also a major traffic congestor! It will surely become even more important as a road linkage with the transportation enhancement in its vicinity.
Walking east, this section south of Wits has a public environment which is greatly enriched with trees but is generally impoverished by a lack of attention at street level. The Council electrical workshops are extensively covered in graffiti. Walk down Henri Street and the pavement surface hasn’t been attended to for over a year since major cable-laying took place and the open manholes are disgusting and dangerous.
On Henri Street is a very well refurbished mixed-use building, offices of Gatsby Property Brokers – who incidentally tell me that the plans for the conversion of the grain silos in Newtown into residential units have been approved and that construction will commence in July. Evidently some 70% of the units were sold in about eight hours! Adjacent to their Braamfontein building, on the corner of Henri and Juta is an historic building, I believe one of the few remaining examples of railway labourers’ houses in the area. Decaying and clearly unloved, it is apparently being permitted to rot away. Diagonally opposite it are the City Parks’ offices which are in pristine condition and add positively to the streetscape. Opposite them in Juta, the multi-storeyed Sable Centre is being refurbished into residential student accommodation by Growth Point. In fact, quite a number of buildings in this area have or are being refurbished mainly as student accommodation prompted by the proximity of the university itself. I would go as far as to say that in 2001/2002, Braamfontein was a commercial/retail area with a smattering of student accommodation – today it is moving strongly in the opposite direction. That provides a whole new set of opportunities and challenges.
Whilst wandering the streets I witnessed the ‘workings’ of the new Pikitup refuse bins referred to in last month’s Citichat. It appears that Pikitup workers remove the black bin bag from the refuse bin which is then tied up and dumped on the pavement where they moulder for hours awaiting to be collected by the refuse truck its journey eased by the fact that the bags are on the pavement and can be easily tossed into the back of the truck. As each corner contains at least three (often of different vintage) refuse bins, there are usually a minimum of three refuse bags waiting to be collected on the footway at any one time. Great addition to the urban scene!!!!
Down Juta Street and under the Nelson Mandela Bridge. The underpass is occupied by street people living in utter wretchedness and also making it more than scary for those that need to use this east/west pedestrian connection. Street people are still a major issue to be resolved throughout the inner city but it is surely in everyone’s interests to see that this group in particular is relocated into some of the city’s emergency housing. With the extensive private sector investment into the area, a pedestrian linkage such as exists here with a high volume of students moving west-east-west must be kept safe and clean.
Back to the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge – residential property owners that overlook the bridge tell me that the four blue lights on top of the suspension masts – as well as numerous other lights on the bridge itself – haven’t been working for at least a year. The Johannesburg Roads Agency blames the “French” design of these lights – but surely this is an issue that can be solved? The bridge has become one of the most photographed locations in the city, day and night, and one would think that it would get the maintenance attention it deserves.
I was also saddened to see the state of the “tree-art” in Juta Street, the bases and some of the metal sections themselves are full of graffiti.
The lower section of Braamies, east of the Mandela Bridge, has gone through some amazing changes and more are planned. Adam Levy’s magnificent refurbishment of an office building into Manhattan style apartments has certainly raised the bar in regards to quality and style of residential living. He is currently building high-end retail boutiques around an internal courtyard to the north of his apartment building and tells me that he has recently acquired the historic Lord Milner Hotel and will extend his unique ‘footprint’ into this area. He also plans to revamp the Alexander Theatre into a more exciting entertainment venue. Opposite Adam’s residential complex is the ‘Bridge Precinct’ another example of the transformation of old buildings to enhance the urban environment. This has been developed by three entrepreneurs, Justin and Steven Blend and Jonathan Gimpel. The R20 million development includes a showroom, office lofts and commercial accommodation, both new and renovated for the Rosebank College. The development also houses a small restaurant, The Café de La Vie, where I enjoyed a superb lunch. The Café de la Vie appeared in an article in the New York Times of the 14th March headed “SoHo Style in Johannesburg” that enthusiastically covers “a new generation of design shops, restaurants, galleries and residential developments.” These include Co-Op (68 Juta Street); Tilt (155 Twist Street); Willowlamp (6 de Beer Street); Café de la Vie (6 de Beer Street); Narina Trogo (81 De Korte Street) and the Alexander Theatre (36 Stiemens Street).
I saw some excellently refurbished commercial buildings in the area. But, undoubtedly the major change since I last had a serious look at the area has been the massive amount of conversion of commercial buildings into student accommodation. South Point is one of the major players in this field. They have over 20 buildings in Braamfontein and I was greatly impressed with the standard of accommodation that they showed me, but more importantly, the quality of life they are offering students. Their latest investment is the R45 million development of the “Orange Hotel” in the block bounded by Jorrisen, De Korte, Reserve and Melle Streets.
Further east, the 1952 YMCA building is being refurbished by Aengus Properties into commercial and residential space.
So, the private sector is alive and well in Braamfontein but public sector maintenance is not! As one strolls up de Beer Street, one finds water spilling all over the place from open manholes in the street itself. Property owners tell me that they have been reporting the missing manhole covers and the running water for over a year and are still waiting for the problem to be attended to. Some guys painting stenciled names on the street kerbs were a welcome sight even if this is prompted by 2010 – maybe it will help council officials to identify where the complaints are sited.
I also had an opportunity to do some walking in the centre city – the restoration of the Barbican looks spectacular – well done Old Mutual – the gutted remains of the Rissik Street Post Office reminded me that the Council has still not fulfilled its written undertaking to publish the results of “a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire” as stated by the Council on the 2nd November 2009 – after all it is now 5 months since they issued that statement. Nor have they categorically stated that the building will be restored – nothing less is acceptable and they need to remember anyway that they are required to do so under the Heritage Resources Act! Another gutted building is the old police Barracks or ‘Irish’ Barracks in Marshall Street. Developer Gerald Olitzki has done an amazing job of cleaning up the surrounding area and adjacent buildings – superb renovations and refurbishment – and yet this historic building, owned by the Central Government, is allowed to sink daily into more distress negatively impacting on the city’s urban environment. Surely the city must be telling Public Works that if it doesn’t give an undertaking to restore the building by X, then the City will expropriate the building? It is a disgrace that public servants just ignore these issues and make our urban environment unpleasant. But the walk-about was also a great disappointment. As I pointed out last month, new refuse bins dot the city like a rash, but generally just add to pavement clutter as the previous five generations of bins haven’t been removed. Some rationalization of street poles would also help – we have separate poles for half-a-dozen different signs. The recent extensive resurfacing of pavements is being ruined all over the place by being dug up for new cable laying. Sure, the paving has to be re-instated but how come it is never re-laid to the same quality as the original? New paving or not, stolen manhole and water meter covers leave pavement ‘potholes’ as dangerous to the pedestrian as their cousins in roadways are to vehicles! They are potential leg breakers for the unwary pedestrian and receptacles for all manner of detritus. A few multi coloured ill-fitting plastic covers are starting to appear and some enterprising souls are even using square cement pavers that, proud of the footway surface, pose tripping dangers. But the numbers and multitudinous sizes of missing covers are staggering, just as are some of the road potholes. Even with massive rates increases, the public authorities still plead poverty as the reason for what are clearly major management deficiencies and disinterest on the part of responsible city officials and agencies.
Why is it so easy to do the big things and usually do them well, but to completely ignore the small things at ground level where one walks and which one sees, constantly? Attention to detail must surely be a large part of being rated a World Class city, African or otherwise. Lack of attention to detail is palpable but I fear it will be even worse after the 2010 soccer is finished and the major projects are no longer providing the interest and glamour. I fear a last-minute intense burst of energy in trying to clean the city up, cover the blemishes, hide the offensive all so as to look good for 2010 visitors and then a return to the laissez-faire ways of the present.
Caio, neil
Barbican Restoration...Beautiful!
Pavement by city?
Crippled but still in use
Parks Departmant pavement cnr Juta and Henri
Irish Barracks Marshall Street by public works
Marshall Street neighbours by Olitzki
Newtown street scape
Centre City leg breaker
Greening the public environment
OPH Restoration
Braamies grows…..and it’s not the big things that make a city great!
Spent some time during the past couple of weeks with a variety of stakeholders in Braamfontein both west and east of Bertha Street. Also had an opportunity to walk a major part of the area. Still a lot of investment over the macro precinct. It will undoubtedly change even more with the completion of the two transport initiatives currently under construction. The Gautrain Station is being built at a reported cost of R100 million and BRT is also planned for this area. Both are part of larger multi billion rand transportation projects and should have a major impact on Braamies. Already there is talk of linking Wits University, to the north-west, with the Gautrain Station to the south-east.
The northern area, ie north of Jorissen Street, seems generally quite static after major investment by the corporates of the area now some six years ago. It is the area south that is drawing new investment and that is therefore going through quite a degree of change. So, if one examines ‘southern Braamfontein’ the strip south of Jorrisen Street from the east where the Gautrain station is being constructed right through to the western edge, there is evidence of a great deal of activity over the past few years. On its western edge, the previous Everite head office building has been taken over by SAMRO who have done a great job in refurbishing and face-lifting the building. To its south, on the corner of Eendracht and Smit Streets, there is a relatively new residential complex, ‘BridgeView’. Interesting to see that although this has been complete for a year or so, the footways on its western and southern edges have never been reinstated by the Council. This corner is where the MI off-ramp joins Smit Street. One would anticipate that such a prominent corner, used by thousands of vehicles a day, would be treated with some care. But no, it is a practically unwalkable, unsurfaced area with holes and exposed metal spikes, etc all over the place.
We forget that Smit Street is a major and unique west-east linkage that goes completely beyond the inner city through which it traverses, yet it appears to draw little attention from the authorities resulting in a dismal, bleak and neglected feel. If you have tried to turn into it by car from the intersecting north/south roads from about 16h30, you will know that it is also a major traffic congestor! It will surely become even more important as a road linkage with the transportation enhancement in its vicinity.
Walking east, this section south of Wits has a public environment which is greatly enriched with trees but is generally impoverished by a lack of attention at street level. The Council electrical workshops are extensively covered in graffiti. Walk down Henri Street and the pavement surface hasn’t been attended to for over a year since major cable-laying took place and the open manholes are disgusting and dangerous.
On Henri Street is a very well refurbished mixed-use building, offices of Gatsby Property Brokers – who incidentally tell me that the plans for the conversion of the grain silos in Newtown into residential units have been approved and that construction will commence in July. Evidently some 70% of the units were sold in about eight hours! Adjacent to their Braamfontein building, on the corner of Henri and Juta is an historic building, I believe one of the few remaining examples of railway labourers’ houses in the area. Decaying and clearly unloved, it is apparently being permitted to rot away. Diagonally opposite it are the City Parks’ offices which are in pristine condition and add positively to the streetscape. Opposite them in Juta, the multi-storeyed Sable Centre is being refurbished into residential student accommodation by Growth Point. In fact, quite a number of buildings in this area have or are being refurbished mainly as student accommodation prompted by the proximity of the university itself. I would go as far as to say that in 2001/2002, Braamfontein was a commercial/retail area with a smattering of student accommodation – today it is moving strongly in the opposite direction. That provides a whole new set of opportunities and challenges.
Whilst wandering the streets I witnessed the ‘workings’ of the new Pikitup refuse bins referred to in last month’s Citichat. It appears that Pikitup workers remove the black bin bag from the refuse bin which is then tied up and dumped on the pavement where they moulder for hours awaiting to be collected by the refuse truck its journey eased by the fact that the bags are on the pavement and can be easily tossed into the back of the truck. As each corner contains at least three (often of different vintage) refuse bins, there are usually a minimum of three refuse bags waiting to be collected on the footway at any one time. Great addition to the urban scene!!!!
Down Juta Street and under the Nelson Mandela Bridge. The underpass is occupied by street people living in utter wretchedness and also making it more than scary for those that need to use this east/west pedestrian connection. Street people are still a major issue to be resolved throughout the inner city but it is surely in everyone’s interests to see that this group in particular is relocated into some of the city’s emergency housing. With the extensive private sector investment into the area, a pedestrian linkage such as exists here with a high volume of students moving west-east-west must be kept safe and clean.
Back to the iconic Nelson Mandela Bridge – residential property owners that overlook the bridge tell me that the four blue lights on top of the suspension masts – as well as numerous other lights on the bridge itself – haven’t been working for at least a year. The Johannesburg Roads Agency blames the “French” design of these lights – but surely this is an issue that can be solved? The bridge has become one of the most photographed locations in the city, day and night, and one would think that it would get the maintenance attention it deserves.
I was also saddened to see the state of the “tree-art” in Juta Street, the bases and some of the metal sections themselves are full of graffiti.
The lower section of Braamies, east of the Mandela Bridge, has gone through some amazing changes and more are planned. Adam Levy’s magnificent refurbishment of an office building into Manhattan style apartments has certainly raised the bar in regards to quality and style of residential living. He is currently building high-end retail boutiques around an internal courtyard to the north of his apartment building and tells me that he has recently acquired the historic Lord Milner Hotel and will extend his unique ‘footprint’ into this area. He also plans to revamp the Alexander Theatre into a more exciting entertainment venue. Opposite Adam’s residential complex is the ‘Bridge Precinct’ another example of the transformation of old buildings to enhance the urban environment. This has been developed by three entrepreneurs, Justin and Steven Blend and Jonathan Gimpel. The R20 million development includes a showroom, office lofts and commercial accommodation, both new and renovated for the Rosebank College. The development also houses a small restaurant, The Café de La Vie, where I enjoyed a superb lunch. The Café de la Vie appeared in an article in the New York Times of the 14th March headed “SoHo Style in Johannesburg” that enthusiastically covers “a new generation of design shops, restaurants, galleries and residential developments.” These include Co-Op (68 Juta Street); Tilt (155 Twist Street); Willowlamp (6 de Beer Street); Café de la Vie (6 de Beer Street); Narina Trogo (81 De Korte Street) and the Alexander Theatre (36 Stiemens Street).
I saw some excellently refurbished commercial buildings in the area. But, undoubtedly the major change since I last had a serious look at the area has been the massive amount of conversion of commercial buildings into student accommodation. South Point is one of the major players in this field. They have over 20 buildings in Braamfontein and I was greatly impressed with the standard of accommodation that they showed me, but more importantly, the quality of life they are offering students. Their latest investment is the R45 million development of the “Orange Hotel” in the block bounded by Jorrisen, De Korte, Reserve and Melle Streets.
Further east, the 1952 YMCA building is being refurbished by Aengus Properties into commercial and residential space.
So, the private sector is alive and well in Braamfontein but public sector maintenance is not! As one strolls up de Beer Street, one finds water spilling all over the place from open manholes in the street itself. Property owners tell me that they have been reporting the missing manhole covers and the running water for over a year and are still waiting for the problem to be attended to. Some guys painting stenciled names on the street kerbs were a welcome sight even if this is prompted by 2010 – maybe it will help council officials to identify where the complaints are sited.
I also had an opportunity to do some walking in the centre city – the restoration of the Barbican looks spectacular – well done Old Mutual – the gutted remains of the Rissik Street Post Office reminded me that the Council has still not fulfilled its written undertaking to publish the results of “a detailed investigation into the cause of the fire” as stated by the Council on the 2nd November 2009 – after all it is now 5 months since they issued that statement. Nor have they categorically stated that the building will be restored – nothing less is acceptable and they need to remember anyway that they are required to do so under the Heritage Resources Act! Another gutted building is the old police Barracks or ‘Irish’ Barracks in Marshall Street. Developer Gerald Olitzki has done an amazing job of cleaning up the surrounding area and adjacent buildings – superb renovations and refurbishment – and yet this historic building, owned by the Central Government, is allowed to sink daily into more distress negatively impacting on the city’s urban environment. Surely the city must be telling Public Works that if it doesn’t give an undertaking to restore the building by X, then the City will expropriate the building? It is a disgrace that public servants just ignore these issues and make our urban environment unpleasant. But the walk-about was also a great disappointment. As I pointed out last month, new refuse bins dot the city like a rash, but generally just add to pavement clutter as the previous five generations of bins haven’t been removed. Some rationalization of street poles would also help – we have separate poles for half-a-dozen different signs. The recent extensive resurfacing of pavements is being ruined all over the place by being dug up for new cable laying. Sure, the paving has to be re-instated but how come it is never re-laid to the same quality as the original? New paving or not, stolen manhole and water meter covers leave pavement ‘potholes’ as dangerous to the pedestrian as their cousins in roadways are to vehicles! They are potential leg breakers for the unwary pedestrian and receptacles for all manner of detritus. A few multi coloured ill-fitting plastic covers are starting to appear and some enterprising souls are even using square cement pavers that, proud of the footway surface, pose tripping dangers. But the numbers and multitudinous sizes of missing covers are staggering, just as are some of the road potholes. Even with massive rates increases, the public authorities still plead poverty as the reason for what are clearly major management deficiencies and disinterest on the part of responsible city officials and agencies.
Why is it so easy to do the big things and usually do them well, but to completely ignore the small things at ground level where one walks and which one sees, constantly? Attention to detail must surely be a large part of being rated a World Class city, African or otherwise. Lack of attention to detail is palpable but I fear it will be even worse after the 2010 soccer is finished and the major projects are no longer providing the interest and glamour. I fear a last-minute intense burst of energy in trying to clean the city up, cover the blemishes, hide the offensive all so as to look good for 2010 visitors and then a return to the laissez-faire ways of the present.
Caio, neil
Neil Fraser who trades as ‘Urban Inc.’ is an urban consultant dedicated to the revitalisation and regeneration of cities and of the inner city of Johannesburg in particular. He can be contacted at (023) 614 3806 or by e-mail at neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat is a free monthly publication concerning cities generally and Johannesburg specifically. Please forward Citichat to your colleagues who may wish to be placed on the subscription list. To subscribe please contact neil@urbaninc.co.za
Citichat can also be found as a blog on www.citichat.co.za
Parktown & Westcliff Heritage Trust Tours
WALKING TOUR - ‘ST MARY’s CATHEDRAL’
SATURDAY, 17th APRIL
The Cathedral’s roots go back to 1887 when the Rev John Darragh came to Johannesburg and founded the first St Mary’s Church in Eloff Street. In 1905 the block, surrounded by Plein, de Villiers, Wanderers and Hoek Streets was purchased. St Chrysostom’s Chapel, on the corner of Hoek and de Villiers Streets was the first section to be built and in 1915 Dean Ponsonby invited Herbert Baker’s firm to submit plans. Frank Fleming was the architect entrusted with the work and the first section, All Soul’s Chapel, was completed in 1921. The main building was started on Ascension Day in 1926 and the building was consecrated on 20th September, 1929. Besides the religious significance there is so much to see and learn about this beautiful Cathedral – exquisite workmanship, stained glass windows, fascinating monuments and interesting items.
Meet Esmé Wiesmeyer and Dennis Adams at 14h00 next to the fish pond in the open parking of the railway station – the parking fee for your own account. The cost is R55.00 for members and R80.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349.
BUS TOUR - ‘KENSINGTON’
SATURDAY, 24th APRIL
A bus tour through Kensington, an old suburb, with lovely old houses, institutions, schools and some ‘baddies’. Streets kerbed with stone from the mines and shaded with ancient oak trees. Meet Winnie and Ernest Job at 14h00 and park at the Sunnyside Park Hotel, 2 York Road, Parktown. The cost is R110.00 for members and R150.00 for non-members. For more information telephone Eira Bond weekdays from 09h00 to 13h00 on 011 482-3349
Barbican Restoration...Beautiful!
Crippled but still in use
Parks Departmant pavement cnr Juta and Henri
Irish Barracks Marshall Street by public works
Marshall Street neighbours by Olitzki
Newtown street scape
Centre City leg breaker
Greening the public environment
OPH Restoration
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