Atlantis was established in the apartheid era to accommodate people who were victims of forced removals from Cape Town.

Pick ’n Pay is the anchor tenant and it is the first time that the retail giant will open a store in Atlantis. The confidence of Pick ‘n Pay is due to the positive results of a feasibility study. Other tenants for the centre include, among others, Pep Home, Mr Video, Barcello’s Chicken and Russells. The centre will include ATM facilities from all the major banks.

“Classic Developments is proud of our initiative to redevelop and expand the existing centre as this project has positive economic implications for the town and will create numerous jobs within the retail sector for the local community”, says Nizaar Petersen, managing director of Classic Developments, a black owned and managed property development company based in Cape Town.

The redevelopment will increase the shopping centre’s gross lettable area (GLA) to over 5000m², more than double the current size. The existing building will be refurbished with a new structure that will boast modern architectural designs, in line with today’s trends. The new design offers tenants a wide range of stores varying from 600m² for big retailers to 35m² for smaller stores.

The prime location of Atlantic City Centre within the Atlantis CBD places this centre at the heart of the Atlantis economy. The Centre is situated less than 30m from the taxi rank which makes it very accessible to the public in the surrounding residential areas.

Siraaj Petersen, managing director of NHP Construction, the building contractors, says the redevelopment is already receiving positive feedback from the community. “Because Atlantis is primarily an industrial and manufacturing community, we don’t expect the community to be affected by the current economic conditions in South Africa,” he says. “Atlantic City Shopping Centre is well-placed to thrive and bring hope to this community.”

Leading national property management company, Hermans & Roman Property Solutions, will continue to manage the centre, which is expected to be open for trade by October 2008. “The new centre will offer shoppers a greater tenant mix with a bigger variety of stores,” says group COO, Leslie Hermans.

“For too long the Atlantis community have been forgotten – it is now time to restore its hope and dignity and this is the goal of all the partners of this redevelopment,” says Nizaar.