Vincent Park shopping mall is to be upgraded to the tune of R200 million - this will provide for extra shops, more undercover parking and improved traffic flow around the centre.

At a meeting on Monday night the centre's tenants were told that the revamp would provide 4,100 additional square metres of lettable space, making room for three more main stores plus eight or 10 smaller shops.

The plans by Smale & Partner architect Rod Warnecke, who attended the meeting, will drastically change the design of the complex and broaden its infrastructure out towards Surrey and Donald roads.

The plans envisage moving the parking booms inwards towards the centre, which will decrease the number of vehicles lined up in Frere Road waiting to enter the parking areas.

It has also been suggested by the landlord, Old Mutual Properties, that the parking cashiers at the main entrance areas be done away with and replaced with automatic paypoints inside the centre.

The time saved at the cashier points would allow for three vehicles to exit the area in the time that it presently takes one vehicle.

The upgrade also makes allowance for a traffic circle at the Devereux Avenue and Surrey Road intersection.

Dennis Collins of Dennis Collins Jewellers, who has been a tenant of the Vincent Park Centre for 27 years, said tenants had been told that most of the renovations and construction work would be done at night in order not to cause too much inconvenience to shoppers and tenants.

Part of the plan would be to extend the present undercover parking area next to Donald Road in a northerly direction. The extension of the deck of the building would provide additional roof space for the construction of more shops.

The boom on Donald Road, which is presently only used by tenants to exit that area, will be open for use by the public.

Collins said Donald Road could possibly become a two-lane street again.

He said tenants were told that the landlord was in discussions with the traffic authorities on the proposed change in the Donald Road traffic flow.

There were plans to raise the level of the inside roof and to build in a number of sky-lights, which would let more light into the centre, said Collins.

He said he had experienced a number of renovations and upgrades during his tenure at the shopping mall.

The proposed extension and renovations would improve the centre. "I am very positive about the proposals and they come at a very good time," Collins said.

Old Mutual Properties' Joseph Parsley confirmed the development but said final figures will only be available later.

Daily Dispatch
 
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge