Alf Maytham, managing director of Grinaker-LTA Building East, says the new centre will meet the growing demand for retail facilities in Westville and Durban’s Berea, where existing malls like The Pavilion are well patronized.  It is also designed to serve the proposed new residential development on the adjacent site. A fast-track construction programme will see the mall completed by September 2008.

Access to Westwood Shopping Centre, which is being developed by Retail Africa, will be from the M13 highway, Maytham states. Its anchor tenants include Woolworths, Truworths, Pick ‘n Pay and the Foshini Group. A multi-level, 1 600-bay carpark also forms part of the project.

Maytham says challenges on this project will be the tight programme and current shortage of skilled labour and sub-contractors in a very busy market.

Some 3,5 million bricks will be used in the development, together with 31 000 m3 of concrete, 120 000 m2 of formwork and 3 500 tons of reinforcing.