Progress Review Citichat 12 February 2000

CITICHAT 3/2000 - 12 Feb 2000


12 Interventions Review

To round off the 'new year' review of projects, (Citichat 1/2000 looked at taxi projects, Citichat 2/2000 at projects in Joubert Park and Newtown) the following are a further twelve important interventions currently on the drawing board or beyond.

1.Fox Street: The portion of Fox Street between Eloff and Kruis is to be pedestrianised and turned into a managed public space through an Improvement District process thus providing a 'safeway' for pedestrians and commuters using the upgraded Gandhi Square, now managed on a similar basis. This is particularly important given the resurgence of commercial activity through the repopulation of the Carlton Centre and the ABSA Campus. Advertising of the intent has been done and work should start by the end of March. The advertising in fact deals with the east side of the Carlton Centre as well to ultimately provide a 'safeway' through the Carlton to the ABSA Campus.

2. High Court Precinct: Detailed design for the upgrading of the area around the High Court has been completed and the necessary advertising will be done in the next few weeks. The only delay at present is the finalisation of the funding but it is hoped that this will not create serious delays to what is an important project in the City.

3. Civic Precinct: Not quite as far advanced as the previous project, conceptual designs have been developed and are currently being reviewed. A detailed survey of the area has been completed which will allow detailed design and costing to proceed within weeks. Again this is an important visual project aimed at creating a truly great urban space in the city instead of the current situation, which has become quite an eyesore.

4. Rissik Street Post Office: I understand that, despite a great deal of cynicism from many quarters including myself, negotiations with a Malaysian consortium have been concluded which will see this historic building being converted into "a five star boutique hotel". The development is to start this year.

5. Main Street Precinct: I understand that this Anglo American Corporation project to provide a pedestrianised precinct around their Main Street offices is due to commence very shortly, all the legalities now having been taken care of. The urban upgrade will include resiting the "leaping springboks" from Oppenheimer Park following their disgusting vandalisation last year.

6. Hillbrow/Berea Regeneration Project: The project involves the development, through a participative process, of a local district plan for the urban renewal of the area and was initially highlighted for action in the Spatial and Economic Framework for the city undertaken last year. A detailed feasibility study has already been completed by a group from the Birmingham City Council and the University of Central England to determine the applicability of "Planning for Real" as the proposed participative planning technology. Subject to funding being made available the project could get a start this year.

7. Eastern Sector Framework: A development plan and implementation strategy has been developed for the Greater Ellis Park area, which includes Bertrams, Doornfontein and Ellis Park. The project team included Remco Reyke, who was seconded to the inner city office from the Netherlands for this work. In essence the plan consolidates a broad vision for the area and various public and private sector interventions necessary to initiate urban renewal in the area. We (the CJP) are just completing our research into the establishment of a CID in this area. All the planning and research activities will result in action in the early part of the year.

8.Constitutional Hill: The urban design framework for the area and the detailed design of the Court have progressed well and tender documents for construction will be available early this year. The major hurdle to overcome is still the financing and detailed financial modeling and possible institutional arrangements to drive the project and secure the funding are being worked on.

9. Albert Street Precinct: Although I covered the South East Sector development in Citichat 1/2000, from a transit point of view, the area does also include a social housing initiative being undertaken by the Johannesburg Housing Company with environmental upgrading by ABSA. Detailed design work is complete and the project is only waiting on receipt of subsidies from Province.

10. Transitional Housing: There has been substantial progress in the implementation of the Transitional Housing Programme and all planned projects are operational with the exception of the Florence Hospital. However subsidies for that project have now been secured, a deed of sale signed and a Memorandum of Understanding between the operators and the Council has also been concluded. This provides 500 of the resultant beds to be made available to the City for the current inhabitants of Transport House, which has been condemned and is to be demolished, as well as for some of the inhabitants of Drill Hall

11 Drill Hall: The Drill Hall has been earmarked for redevelopment into one of the city's informal trading markets but progress in this regard is being hampered by the need to relocate the existing inhabitants. This is planned to be achieved through the Florence Hospital redevelopment above but mainly through the acquisition and redevelopment of the old Mines Benefit Hospital for which funding and subsidies are currently being sought. This is becoming critical as all reports of the existing state of affairs within Drill Hall are quite alarming .

12 Pageview/Vrededorp Regeneration Project: A Framework and detailed design has been completed with a focus on the complete regeneration of this area. However this is an area where there are claims for restitution of land and a draft Amendment scheme taking this into account was prepared and objections to it incorporated into the final proposals for the area which will now go to the Tribunal. The Land Claims issue must be resolved before this project can become a reality.

Twelve diverse projects on the go at various stages, all of them real and happening or waiting to happen. And I haven't touched on the numerous housing initiatives, the CCTV project and a number of others. Lots of energy being created which is greatly encouraging and exciting. But notice that there is an ever increasing involvement and input from international sources. Last week I mentioned the Earthlife Project in Joubert Park that is being funded by the Danish Government, this week I've mentioned the Malaysians, the Netherlands, Birmingham and the University of Central England. The French Government are involved in the CCTV project, the World Bank are involved in Newtown, on Tuesday the British Parliamentary Select Committee are visiting Inner City projects (hopefully some funding may result!) and I'm now off to the opening of the first phase of COPE's Newtown Urban Village Project by the Norwegian Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik whose Government provided substantial funding. It's all happening in the City!!!!