Superior luxurious apartment living - on a scale not yet seen in Cape Town - will soon be available in a city centre boutique development known as "The Plaza". The developer, Larry Cooper of New York Living, has said,

"We are living in stressful times where most people operate under considerable pressure. Today’s city dweller wants above all to feel safe – and privileged."

The Plaza, says Cooper, is designed to make its residents feel part of an elite upper crust – from the moment they are greeted by their uniformed concierge/doorman or parking valet attendant both of which services will be provided round the clock in the new development.

"The Plaza," says Cooper, "will provide the security, warmth and glamour of a bygone era. It will emulate the best that New York apartment living can give."

"These days the ultimate luxury in New York," says Cooper, "is to be able to walk to work and enjoy nearby shops and attractions without having to rely upon transport."

Many of the new residential developments in Cape Town's city centre, he believes, are in marginal areas - where buyers might well feel that it is not safe to walk at night and where there are few nearby shops and amenities. In these areas, he says, it could be years before they are able to enjoy city life to the full.

"The area around the rail station, for example, is always going to attract an undesirable element. Those who purchase in marginal areas will need a pioneering spirit. The Plaza, by contrast, is positioned off Loop Street in an area that is already safe. And it is only a five minute walk from the city centre offices, a seven minute walk to the International Convention Centre, close to the restaurants at Heritage Square and a three minute drive to the V & A Waterfront."

The developers chose a city centre site after examining property along the Atlantic seaboard and in the southern suburbs because prices in the more affluent areas, they felt, are now beginning to approach international levels.

"One of my friends paid more for his Constantia home than for his home in the U.K., which I regard as a comparable property. The city centre, by contrast, offers good value - and a respite from the congested commute to the suburbs. Current prices have considerable appreciation potential. We believe that the city is going ahead so fast that in five years it will be unrecognisable to long-time Cape Town residents."

The Plaza's exterior with its limestone base and green awnings will resemble an apartment block in New York's fashionable Fifth Avenue. The ground floor façade will give the impression from outside that an art gallery is housed in the building. In reality the storefront windows displaying European art will be an elegant frontage to the building's car park.

A uniformed concierge/doorman and valet parking attendant will greet arrivals at The Plaza 24 hours a day. Only those recognised as residents will be allowed entry. The concierge will not allow any unknown person into the building until a resident has given him permission to enter. As an added security feature and convenience, the parking attendant, after receiving a resident's telephone call, will deliver his car to a car park lobby.

Holiday lets will not be permitted at The Plaza because Cooper believes that apartment blocks which have a constant stream of holiday lets compromise the residents' security and privacy.

Every unit will have a media room, central heating and air conditioning, walk-in closets, 12-foot tray ceilings, columns, a smoking balcony and onsite parking for two cars. Apartments will have mountain views and some will have private gardens. Buyers will be able to opt for studio apartments which will be large enough to accommodate overnight guests, a home office or staff quarters. Standard features will include satellite Internet connection, storage space, electronic entry to the lobby and car park and onsite guest parking.

Apartments will be custom tailored to suit the individual taste and lifestyle of the buyer. The purchaser can contract the developer to complete the fit out, providing both materials and labour with a "generous" fit out allowance for top of the range finishes and amenities. Alternatively the buyer can purchase the unit without the fit out allowance and complete the unit himself.

Apartments will range in size from 83 m2 to a 767 m2 penthouse. The developers plan to make this the most luxurious apartment in the whole of Cape Town CBD and it could have a price tag of over R20 million. Its features will include a dining room with seating for 25, two lounges totalling 180 m2, a home theatre with seating for up to 100, a master suite with 40 m2 of closet space, a roof top heated swimming pool and an oval office larger than that at the White House!

"Believe me," said Cooper, "Cape Town has never seen anything like this before."

The project management team includes: New York Living, developer; Mike Shaw, architect; Doug Gordon, project manager; Turner and Townsend, project quantity surveyor; Kantey and Templer, structural engineers; Arthur Morris, electrical and mechanical engineer; Buchanan Boyes, project attorney; PA Better Bond, mortgage broker.

Two of the residences (out of seven to eleven, depending upon whether units are combined) have already been sold to international buyers.

Summing up, Cooper says, "The Plaza will bring a new level of exclusivity to city centre living. The design and conception are targeted at the discerning buyer who values privacy, security, personalised attention and, above all, unashamed luxury."

Apartments are being sold off plan with completion anticipated for September 2004. Prices begin at R1,500,000 including the fit-out allowance. A deposit of 10% will secure the purchase. For additional information, including a three dimensional walk-through tour, visit www.newyorkliving.co.za.

Chas Everitt (Antoinette Brits at telephone number 082 492 6572) and Engel and Volkers (Henry Jason at telephone number 082 335 1515) are the exclusive selling agents.