By Bianca Capazorio

The Mandela Bay Development Agency (MBDA) is advertising for feasibility studies to be conducted on plans for the development of Strand Street and the Baakens River valley.

MBDA chief executive Pierre Voges said the agency was seeking people to conduct studies on the feasibility of plans and to research what the market would require.

He said the plan was to make Strand Street more attractive, but “the removal of the freeways is not being entertained at all at this stage”.

The MBDA advertisement said the researchers would have to make contact with businesses to determine their willingness to participate in the revival of the area.

‘We are looking at making that area better, and ways to make it better,” said Voges.

“We have a few ideas, whether it is painting the freeway or planting trees to make it more attractive, but the removal of the freeways is not being entertained.”

They were hoping to get the feasibility study for the Baakens River development done as quickly as possible.

It would concentrate on market demands for the area and determine whether the development should focus on areas such as retail, tourism, hotels or residential.

An “A-grade” office park was already being planned for Valley Road, but this was not an MBDA development and he could give no further details.

Voges also said parking was being considered to cater for all the development in the area as well as businesses, as parking was not widely available.

The nearby tramways building, for which a successful design had already been chosen, would be a “mix of retail, office, entertainment and leisure”, but there would be no residential component, Voges said.

The Herald