Site clearing commenced in April and the three-building complex is expected to be completed in July next year at a cost of around R87 million.

Already some 2 500 m² of the available space has been let with the Momentum Group taking 1 000 m² and engineering firm, WSP Consultants, acquiring a further 1 500 m². Rentals are at R100/ m² gross.

The site being developed is the old Burgess Nursery site at the intersection of Langford and Lancaster Roads, close to the Blair Athol Drive off ramp from the M13 and only a few kilometres from the Pavillion Shopping Centre and the Westville Mall. It is one of the last vacant tracts of land available for commercial development in central Westville.

At the moment the development is known as 1 on Langford, but the three-building configuration, each with its own entrance and two-storey lift from the parking area, allows naming rights for larger tenants or maximum flexibility for multi-tenant usage.

RMB Properties’ Development Manager, John Eagar, says interest from prospective tenants has been high. According to the latest Sapoa statistics there is a pool of approximately 131 000m² of A and B-grade office space in the Westville area, and of the 54 784m² of A Grade space, vacancies are currently running at a low 1.3%.

Another factor which Eagar says makes the development extremely desirable as decentralised office space is the generous parking ratio. Normally, parking ratios in Westville are around 3-4 bays/100 m² but in this particularly development parking ratios are 5 bays/100 m².

1 on Langford is being developed by RMB Properties on behalf of Momentum. RMBP’s Marketing Director, Hugh Basel, says much of the company’s development activity is for external parties and RMBP would like to undertake other developments in the Durban area should other opportunities present themselves.

The architects for the project are Boogertman Urban Edge and Partners and Sivest have been appointed as the principal contractors. Letting enquiries can be directed to Debby Kippen, Regional Manager for RMBP, telephone 031 365 9600