Ownership of “The Fire Station” in Rosebank has changed hands and will soon be home to more than just the fire engines.

An innovative team headed up by Justus van der Hoven from Arc Architectural consultants purchased the premises.

According to van der Hoven, the fire station section – the fire engine bays and control room - are considered to be “conservation worthy” and will remain. He also intends to retain as much of the current character of the building as possible, enhancing features only where necessary.

”What initially was perceived to be a major hurdle – retaining the bays, has actually proved to be a major draw card. The fire engines add to the character of the building.”

The flats that currently form part of The Fire Station will be converted into suites measuring 130 m2 to 200m2 offices. Leases have been signed on all the suites. The tenants are excited about the street exposure and access. This strengthens van der Hoven’s argument that new urbanism is returning and impacting on the design of buildings and working environments.

Joan Goldswain, JHI Real Estate broker who negotiated the deal says that Rosebank continues to attract a varied tenant base encompassing the creative/light industry, such as travel, media, advertising and publishing. These industries tend to work within tight budget constraints and the Rosebank node offers extremely competitive rentals.

She concludes that the effective merging of a successful commercial node within a pleasant working, shopping and entertainment environment, combined with excellent access to the CBD, Sandton and Johannesburg International Airport, continues to attract tenants, shoppers and tourists. This combined with the cosmopolitan vibe of Rosebank distinguishes it from almost every other commercial node in Gauteng.

ENDS

Issued by: Rosemary Roberts of JHI Real Estate Ltd
Tel: (011) 441-0339 Fax no.: (011) 441-0172  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
23 February 2004