Johannesburg’s revitalisation has seen a once dormant and underutilised city centre become a trendy and increasingly desirable residential address, and pioneers like Aengus Lifestyle Properties are taking the lead in developing upmarket living space in the city.

Richard Rubin is one of the bold, trendy developers who is dedicated to making city living a luxurious, safe reality. Rubin left a career in advertising and together with Gavin Meskin, started Aengus Property Holdings three years ago. In partnership with JSE Ltd listed ApexHi Properties, an R8bn company and one of the top performing property stocks listed on the exchange, a subsidiary company, Aengus Lifestyle Properties was formed. Standard Bank has provided the requisite financial support to make the development opportunities a reality.

Rubin says Aengus Lifestyle Properties offers a lifestyle, not just a place to live. “We have seen insatiable demand for upmarket rentals in the city. We are targeting young up and coming professionals as living in the city becomes an increasingly attractive option.”

A range of stylish lifestyle developments in and around the city has helped Aengus become a major player in the urban renewal around Africa’s economic capital. It has completed the Braamfontein Lofts project – a project that was fully let within 24 hours. Aengus specialises in rentals, and unlike its competitors, their apartments are not yet available for purchase.

“We are also nearing completion on The Tribeca Lofts, which features 141 studio apartments on the corner of Jeppe and Eloff Streets. Our other major project, the R45 million Fashion Lofts situated in the new and exciting Fashion District, is scheduled for completion early next year,” Rubin says.

Lofts @ 66 is the second major holistic lifestyle project Aengus has completed. Where there was once a 15 storey office block, there are now 150 themed apartments and two penthouses offering amazing views of the city.  “This is not just a place to stay. This a place to enjoy living in the city, with a full range of opportunities and facilities at hand,” Rubin adds.

“We’ve aimed to provide residents with a complete lifestyle solution,” Rubin says. “We provide our tenants with a 100 seater cinema room where residents can watch the latest DVDs, a laundry room, an internet café, DSTV in every room, and a convenience store.” In addition, Aengus has partnered with the local gym, DVD store and other suppliers to provide Lofts @ 66 tenants with a lifestyle card which offers them discounts at a variety of local suppliers. 
 
The lofts are designed according to specific city- based themes – Jozi, New York, Paris and Tokyo.

“This is what we specialise in. We have turned defunct office blocks into apartments with immaculate finishes, stylish kitchens and bathrooms, screed flooring, and “pay as you go” water and electricity facilities,” Rubin said.  

The building is in the heart of the city Central Improvement District, in Johannesburg’s CBD, overlooking the Johannesburg High Court and situated between Pritchard and President streets.

“The lofts range in size from 30 square metres to 120 square metres. We’ve designed all of them to convey a unique feeling of space,” Rubin said.

The Lofts have 24 hour security, biometric access control, and guests have to sign in and go through a fingerprint registration process. Tenants drive into to the parking within the building, and take a lift to their floor. All the apartments have intercoms linked to the security downstairs. “We realise how important security is, and we’ve taken it very seriously at all our projects,” Rubin says.

Rentals at Lofts @ 66 range from R1800-R5000. 

Aengus is also extending its reach beyond Johannesburg, and is working on its first development in Durban.

 
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For further information contact:

Richard Rubin
MD – Aengus Property Holdings
011 442 1881 / 082 909 9991
www.aengus.co.za