“Work has progressed very well,” reports senior contracts manager Steve Poorter.  “Almost 4 000 m2 of extensions at two stores are complete, and the retailers opened their doors for trading on time, as planned.

“Probably the most technically challenging aspect of our contract has been an area constructed over a steep embankment, where free-standing columns of up to 25m high support the lower mall slab. Above this a further two coffer slab decks, each of about 1 800m2, were built. This required an enormous volume of supportwork that looked very impressive when erected, and resembled a giant game of pick-up-sticks when it was finally dismantled. The external brickwork and plasterwork is almost complete and soon we will be providing beneficial occupation to the tenant to begin their fit out.”

Poorter says the largest volume of work undertaken by Grinaker-LTA Building East on this project has taken place in the car park area. “Work on the new three-level parking garage, with an area of 13 000m2 per level, is now progressing rapidly. We opened the ground floor of portion one before the 2006 Christmas holidays and have completed 14 out of 16 concrete pours on the second portion.”