WORK has begun on a R400m expansion and refurbishment of the Pick ’n Pay Hypermarket Centre in Norwood, Johannesburg.

The Cavaleros Group, which acquired the centre about three years ago, is increasing the centre’s size to 35000m² from 25000m². The group will also be renaming the centre Norwood Mall.

Cavaleros MD Penny Karpodinis says the expansion and refurbishment will create a very different centre.

At the moment the centre includes the Pick ’n Pay Hypermarket and 20 line shops. The Norwood Mall will include the Pick ’n Pay Hypermarket and 70 other shops, including a Woolworths, a Mica Hardware store, a Dischem and Mr Price Group. The expansion will also see more parking bays added.

“We are also looking at medical suites and fashion and restaurants,” says Karpodinis.

She says the centre draws 600000 shoppers a month. “We would like it to be about a million a month. We are obviously looking at a superb tenant mix and we want to turn it into a destination convenience shopping centre.”

She says the shopping centre is already successful, with some tenants having been on the site for 20 years. “The Pick ’n Pay Hypermarket has one of the highest turnovers in the country.”

Expansion and refurbishment will take about 21 months to complete.