Plans to build a hotel, an entertainment centre and a block of holiday flats on the East London beachfront are at an advanced stage.
The Buffalo City Development Agency (BCDA) is charged with developing the beachfront. Chief executive Gaster Sharpley revealed yesterday that the municipality was busy rezoning three pieces of land in Quigney earmarked for these projects.
Next month the Development Agency would call on all interested developers to submit proposals, as it hopes to enter into agreements with them before the end of this year. It also hopes to complete the construction within two years.
"We (have) received objections (on the rezoning of the lands) but we (are) trying to negotiate with the objectors," Sharpley said.
Objections had been lodged to a planned block of holiday flats in Seaview Terrace, due to height restrictions which stipulate that buildings can't go higher than the houses in that street.
Sharpley said the hotel will be built on the old caravan park near Holiday Inn and the entertainment centre in front of Osner Hotel.
The BCDA was set up to drive integrated planning and redevelopment of the beachfront, Quigney and the CBD.
Sharpley said things were getting together at the beachfront and many institutions were showing a lot of interest.
Already the Amathole District Municipality has purchased land on the Transnet-owned Sleeper's Site to develop its offices, Sharpley said.
ADM spokesperson Gail Pullen confirmed that the municipality had reached an agreement with Transnet to purchase the site but nothing has been signed yet.
"We are in a hurry to get the building running," Pullen said.
Real People, through its consultants Settlement Planning, has also made an application to Buffalo City to subdivide and consolidate two portions of land in Fitzpatrick Road.
At a meeting last week, the City's development planning standing committee recommended to council to approve the zoning and consolidation of the Real People sites for office purposes, subject to certain conditions being met.
Daily Dispatch
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
