Bedford Square, east of Johannesburg, will be fully operational by the middle of 2007, a confident Raymond Abrosie tells Engineering News.

The square, best described as an upmarket cosmopolitan ‘city’ for want of a better word, epitomises luxury living and is budgeted at about R800-million.

At the start of the new year, 40 town-houses were under construction by the housing division of Group 5.

Some 40% of the townhouses were expected to have been roofed by the end of January.

The townhouses will be differentiated from other developments through a cosmopolitan look, part of which is to design the façade so that it appears to be a collection of different build-ings.

This includes a staggered roofline to give the townhouses a different aesthetic quality from the norm.

The townhouses will be sold by auction, and will be complete when they go under the hammer.

Of the decision not to sell off plan, Abrosie says: "We want to attract people who want to live there – not speculators." He adds that the market will deter-mine a fair price.

"We are prepared to take the risk of a profit or a loss." Excavation of the second phase was almost complete by New Year’s Day, says Abrosie, a principal shareholder in the development.

This phase is to house three five-storey apartment buildings comprising 105 apartments. Office space for blue-chip companies will also be made available.

A luxury five-star hotel with 200 rooms is to be constructed on the peri-meter of the square, facing inwards. Piling is expected to be completed during the first quarter of this year, while the main contractor should be on site by the beginning of June.

"About 18 months from then, the site should be fully operational," Abrosie adds.

As a development, Bedford Square will be one of the biggest – if not the biggest – in Bedfordview, he says, explaining that, while Eastgate is bigger, it straddles Johannesburg and Bedfordview.

The hotel includes a shopping area, as two levels will be retail space, to be filled with upmarket deli-style speciality stores, complete with coffee bars.

Abrosie even visualises a bottlestore specialising in fine wines attached to a pub.

Also on the two levels will be a theatre, a cinema along the lines of Cinema Noveau and a chapel.

Four levels of parking in the parkade will provide space for some 1 800 cars, while open parking will accommodate a further 800 cars.

The square, open round the clock every day, will be open to the sky – although a retractable roof provides shelter in the rainy season.

The services that will be offered by the hotel include a conference centre which can seat 1 200 people in its 21 000 m2 area.

Additionally, a banquet hall which can seat 1 000 and an à la carte res-taurant will be open 24/7.

International travellers will be able to continue their fitness regimes at the gym or the indoor swimming pool.

"We have substantial confidence in the hotel," says Abrosie, in response to questions about the suitability of the location.

He believes that the area justifies a five-star hotel, pointing out that Bed-fordview is close to Johannesburg International Airport and is surrounded by industrial areas. "Five-star hotels are doing very well in Sandton, and we are losing out on international tourists, many of whom have family here," says Abrosie.

An unusual aspect of the hotel which he cites is its integration with other aspects of living areas, such as shops and residential units.

The 82 000 m2 development has justified a total of 15 specialist con-sultant firms. For example, there will be two quantity surveyors on site, with one dedicated to the hotel, says Abrosie.

Other firms involved in "getting it as close to perfect as possible" are an interior design firm; architects; construction, electrical and sound engineers; water engineers; and two firms of mechanical engineers.