Business Day Reporter

Earthworks on the R280 million redevelopment of the Morningside Shopping Centre began earlier this week, with April 1 marking the centre’s last day in its current guise.

Located on the corner of Outspan and Rivonia roads in Morningside, Sandton, the community centre was purchased by Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment and Grapnel Property Group, which secured the rights for the redevelopment. The centre will be demolished to make way for a new retail centre.

The tenant mix will be designed to provide lifestyle retail to the immediate trade area, which includes some of SA’s wealthiest suburbs such as Morningside, Duxberry, River Club, Sandhurst, Sandown, Rivonia and eastern portions of Bryanston.

Construction, which will incorporate the site’s existing infrastructure, including electricity supply, will begin six to eight weeks after demolition, within a safely contained site.

The redevelopment will create a substantially larger two-level centre. The centre is set to open in May next year.

As part of the Morningside Shopping centre redevelopment, the new owners, in conjunction with the Johannesburg Roads Agency, will be improving the roads in the immediate area.

The owners say a number of green building technologies are being investigated to ensure the new centre is as energy-efficient as possible. Measures include maximising natural lighting, air flows, shading and the recirculation of water and even harvesting of rain water for irrigation.

The planned tenant mix will be led by a niche food store and should encompass specialist food stores, services such as banks, hairdressers, health and beauty professionals, book and music stores, coffee shops, restaurants, fast food stores and speciality traders.

Source: Business Day