By Tabelo Timse

Plans for an R800-million world-class International Convention Centre (ICC) in Nelson Mandela Bay are finally going ahead after four years of deliberations.

The centre, to be built at the Eastern Province Rugby Union stadium site, is being hailed as “the biggest investment to this city since Coega”.

Nelson Mandela Bay municipal manager Graham Richards said the last assessment for the construction of the stadium was approximately R800-million. When the municipality called for expressions of interest last year there was a positive interest shown by investors, he said.

Madiba Bay Development Agency chief executive Pierre Voges said yesterday the agency would call for proposals in the next two to three weeks. The proposals will be for a conference centre and complementary site at the EP Rugby Union Stadium. Voges said the stadium would be demolished to make way for the ICC. The demolition will take place once the 2010 World Cup North End stadium is finished and operational.

The ICC would materialise in the next three years if everything went according to plan. Developers would be given about three months to submit their proposals.

The core proposal would be an ICC but for commercial viability other developments such as hotels, retail areas and offices would be secondary requirements.

Economic development and recreational services director Zolile Siswana said the municipality was looking at various ways of financing the project, which had more than doubled in price. Three years ago construction costs were estimated at about R300-million. The site covers an area of about 30 hectares.

Plans for the ICC were halted last year when executive mayor Nondumiso Maphazi stopped plans to source international funding for the metro‘s Vision 2020 projects, of which the ICC was one.

The municipality‘s handling of the ICC, specifically the site of the proposed centre, has drawn a lot of criticism over the years. While still in office, former mayor Nceba Faku announced the ICC would be built at Pollok Beach, despite a suitability study which ranked the site low. Other areas initially identified included Kings Beach area and Humerail.

Source: The Herald