Impti du toit

The CITY of Cape Town is calling for tenders for the purchase and development of a strategically important, 14.5-hectare, mixed-use beachfront site in the heart of the Big Bay project at Bloubergstrand.

Leslie Viljoen of Rabcav, the council-appointed development facilitators for the entire Big Bay project, described the area as being of enormous importance, both to Big Bay and to the whole of Cape Town.

"The site is quite simply unique," he said. "It is not only the jewel in the Big Bay crown - it is the last beachfront development opportunity of its kind anywhere close to central Cape Town."

Bounded to the south by the existing suburb of Bloubergstrand and to the north by the Blaauwberg Conservation Area, the site offers classic, picture-perfect views of Table Mountain and Robben Island. Approved development rights for the area include a 400-room hotel, up to 800 residential units, and some 37 000m2 of retail and commercial space. Three-and-a-half hectares of the site have been set aside for public amenities, including law enforcement and life-saving facilities.

It is envisaged that proposed hard and soft landscaping features, combined with the magnificent views, will create an exceptional recreational area worthy of this world-renowned wind-surfing and kite-boarding beach. Cape Town was recently identified by the authoritative Jones Lang Lasalle international investment study as one of the world's 24 winning cities, says Viljoen.

It has enormous appeal for both local and international tourists. These are the background factors against which local and international development groups are being invited to submit bids for the land, which is expected to realise in excess of R100 million. A site development framework plan will be required as part of each developer's submission.

"We're not necessarily looking for the highest bid in awarding this hugely significant tender," commented Viljoen. "Each bid will be stringently assessed on the basis of how well it fulfils the city's vision for the site, namely the creation of a world-class, mixed-use coastal node focused on a vibrant recreational core." Rabcav's Colin Green added: "To achieve these objectives, we believe the site needs to be developed on an attractive, intimate scale, in keeping with the philosophical approach of New Urbanism.

The key factors in this urban planning approach are to provide living, working and social spaces in close proximity to each other and to re-introduce the human scale into urban environments." The site will be sold as a single entity to the approved bidder, but it is expected that local development companies will form consortiums to handle the various aspects of the work.

Keen interest has already been shown by a number of European development groups. The tender closes on January 16. Official tender documents are available from the Rabcav offices in Plum Park, 25 Gabriel Road, Plumstead. Documents will be couriered directly to interested parties upcountry or overseas.

For details, contact Colin Green of Rabcav on 021 762 7080 or send e-mail to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.