Government said in a notice published this week that the planned development included the creation of a new public square south of the Johannesburg public library and Beyers Naude Square and provided for the demolition of five buildings protected by heritage law.
These buildings were the New Library Hotel at 67 Commissioner Street, Second Rand Water Board Building at 3 Fraser Street, People's Bank (formerly South African Permanent Mutual Society Building) at 73-74 Commissioner Street, South African Reserve Bank House at 78-80 Commissioner Street, and Clegg House (formerly New Cluwer House) at 82 Commissioner Street.
Premier Mbhazima Shilowa's spokesman Thabo Masebe said that the location of the precinct had been chosen after "careful consideration". "All the buildings that have been declared monuments will remain in their current form." Masebe said. The buildings identified for demolition were not monuments, he said.
The area of the proposed precinct is bounded by Fox Street and a portion of Main Street in the south, Pritchard Street to the north, Rissik Street to the east and Kort Street to the west.
The notice said a heritage impact assessment report would be submitted to the South African Heritage Resources Agency for approval. Interested and affected parties wishing to comment on the recommendations could do so in writing to the agency not later than February 4.
Jennifer Kitto, assistant manager at the agency's Gauteng office, said the agency would not consider the application until the deadline for comments by the public had expired.
Judith Briggs, Democratic Alliance spokeswoman on innercity issues, said the city needed to "guard its heritage with care", not demolish buildings "willy-nilly".
One needs to look at the historical and architectural merits of any buildings proposed for demolition," Briggs said.