Construction of the R2,5bn Gauteng government precinct and its controversial central square has been delayed pending the outcome of an appeal by the province against a decision to allow the demolition of only five of the 10 disputed buildings in Johannesburg's inner city.

Construction of the R2,5bn Gauteng government precinct and its controversial central square has been delayed pending the outcome of an appeal by the province against a decision to allow the demolition of only five of the 10 disputed buildings in Johannesburg's inner city.

The CBD is big business for developers, with two more inner city buildings being converted into residential units and upmarket penthouses - The Steytler and 37 Quinn Street.

The controversy surrounding the proposals for the new Gauteng Provincial Government Precinct — the Kopanong Project at Beyers Naude Square in central Johannesburg — has served to drown out the merits of the scheme.

Johannesburg - Ten historic buildings in central Johannesburg, some of which were built in the art deco style of the 1930s and 1940s, are to be demolished.

Five buildings protected by heritage legislation in Johannesburg's inner city have been earmarked for demolition in the planned development known as the Gauteng provincial government precinct