By Patrick Cull

There is just one hurdle to be cleared before hoardings can be erected around the historic Tramways building, and that will happen in the near future, signalling the start of major renovations to a structure that has become a major eyesore on the Port Elizabeth landscape.

The renovation of the building that will house a Numbers nightclub, an offshoot of the nationally renowned nightclub in East London, a restaurant and a 500-600 seat conference centre, as well as some small retail outlets, will be a significant step towards the revitalisation of the Baakens Valley.

A request for proposals for the renovation of the building was issued three years ago with six bids received.

Phambili Developments was awarded the contract subject to an historical impact assessment that was finally issued in June last year. The Heritage Permit was granted in May last year.

The final hurdle involves a provision in the National Environmental Management Act in terms of which rubble may not be dumped near a river.

To overcome this, the developers now propose raising the floor level of the building and using the rubble as “fill”.

Phambili’s Royden Thompson said it was hoped that a full environmental impact assessment (EIA) would not be required and a request had been submitted to the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality for their support in this regard.

“If we do not have to complete a full EIA we will seriously consider starting the partial demolition before the start of the World Cup.

“We are not allowed to undertake any construction work during the World Cup.”

Thompson stressed that when work started “all depends on the EIA process”.

The EIA issue has already been raised with the corporate environmental task team established by the Eastern Cape’s Economic Development and Environmental Affairs Department to address challenges associated with the processing of EIAs.

The team meets once a month, with representatives of several municipality directorates meeting officials from the department.

The hoarding around the Tramways building will cost in the region of R400 000, and this will be offset by advertising, with the Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA), the 2010 Fifa World Cup directorate, Phambili, the architects Stauch Vorster and other commercial advertisers having seized the opportunity to advertise in this prime spot.

The upgrading of the Tramways building is regarded as an excellent example of urban renewal in which an old building is renovated as part of “urban transformation”.

The building is not only an eyesore but is a building that has contributed to urban decay in the area.

MBDA’s planning and development manager, Dorelle Sapere, said this “liability” would be transformed “into an asset for the city, contributing to urban transformation, gross domestic product, employment and most importantly to the rates and taxes pool of the city that can be used for township development”.

Source: The Herald