A R100 million redevelopment of East London’s Vincent Park Shopping Centre, which will add a new mall in the north east corner of the complex, will get underway on January 9, 2006. 

Ben Kodisang, managing director of Old Mutual Properties, which will undertake the redevelopment for Old Mutual, says the new 4 300m2 building will be linked into the existing centre in time for a grand relaunch by Easter 2007.

“Vincent Park has enjoyed great support over the years from the community it serves and has successfully positioned itself as a leading retail destination.  The redevelopment is being undertaken to enhance that positioning and to accommodate the expansion plans of leading retailers.

“The new mall will house both leading national retailers as well as local specialists,“ he says.  “A Mr Price Weekend store will take 1 400m2, a Mr Price Home store will occupy 1 000m2 and a store for the Jet chain, part of the Edcon Group, will also occupy 1 000m2.  The balance will be occupied by line shops which it is hoped will be ready for trading by December 2006, with the nationals to follow early in 2007. 

“Coupled with the building of the mall will be a comprehensive upgrade of the existing centre.  This will entail installation of new tiles, floors, lighting, shopfronts and facilities.”

Centre manager, Joseph Parsley, says that construction work will begin with excavation on the site, currently an open parking area nearest to Woolworths in the corner of the property bounded by Surrey Road on the east and Donald Road on the north. 

He says that as the result of a traffic impact assessment study and discussions with Buffalo City Council traffic engineers, access to the site from Donald Road, Frere Road and Surrey Road will be improved. 

“It is our intention to switch in time to a pay-on-foot parking system as opposed to paying at kiosks when leaving the centre.  The introduction of this paying system will entail also the repositioning of booms to the parking areas to improve access and exiting.”

Parsley says that the programme for the revamp of the existing centre will begin on the lower level of the centre and will be phased over the rest of the complex for scheduled completion by April 2007.

Vincent Park was last expanded and refurbished in 1997. The total gross lettable area of the centre will now increase to 36 285m2.

ends

ISSUED FOR  Old Mutual Properties

BY  Michael Kerkhoff & Associates

INQUIRIES 

Ben Kodisang 021-530-4500
Joseph Parsley 043-727-0990
Mike Kerkhoff 021-424-5280