By Guy Rogers

The developers of the high-rise Radisson Hotel in Summerstrand have hit back at criticism, saying the building represents progress and they “could have gone up 100 storeys” if they had wanted to.

Auspex Properties managing director Ben Nyaumwe said the previous owner of the site erven 147 and 148 at 5-7 Ninth Avenue – had applied to Bhisho for permission for a relaxation on height restrictions for a proposed building.

“We were then given unlimited height restriction by Bhisho. We could have gone up 100 storeys. The Radisson will in fact be going up 18 storeys.”

The news is unlikely to impress residents and ward councillors who pinpointed the Radisson this week as the beginning of “another Durban” which would result in plummeting property prices and quality of life in one of Port Elizabeth‘s prime residential areas.

The charge from critics is that the Radisson, only up 14 storeys so far, is already throwing a huge shadow over gardens and the local park. The units would look down into all the surrounding gardens, and traffic would become a nightmare. With a proposed 15-storey block across the road, the wind tunnel effect would make it unpleasant to live in the area, they said.

Speaking through Auspex‘s public relations officer from his hotel in Manhattan, New York, Nyaumwe said the shadow and privacy factors were “unfortunate negative byproducts of any high-rise building”.

“But we believe that the benefits the Radisson will bring far outweigh these negatives. We are bringing a five-star hotel to Port Elizabeth. It will have world-class facilities, available to all, which will drive tourism and the economy.”

Source: The Herald