Johannesburg - The Pavilion shopping centre in Durban is to get an R1.1 billion makeover and expansion to entrench it as one of South Africa’s top super regional shopping centres.
The makeover and expansion is designed to reposition the centre and significantly increase its leisure and retail offering. It follows Pareto completing a R220 million upgrade at The Pavilion last year, which included a new food court and expanded cinema and entertainment offering.
Major investor
Pareto is one of South Africa’s major shopping centre investors with interests that include the Cresta Shopping Centre, Southgate Mall, Westgate Regional Shopping Centre, which are all properties located in Johannesburg, as well as the Tyger Valley Shopping Centre in Cape Town.
Marius Muller, the chief executive of Pareto, which is wholly-owned by the Government Employees Pension Fund, said yesterday that this major makeover project would be the biggest investment in an expansion of The Pavilion since it opened two decades ago, and would increase the size of the centre from 119 000 square metres to about 139 000m2.
Muller said this would make The Pavilion slightly smaller in size when compared with Sandton City and Menlyn Park Shopping Centre, which are both in Pareto’s portfolio.
“The 20 000m2 expansion will include about 14 000m2 to accommodate new retail offerings, 2 500m2 for the new Sky@Pav roof-top feature and space for the 3 200m2 Virgin Active gym. The development will also include 1 505 new parking bays,” he said.
Muller said the expansion would increase the number of retail stores and other outlets at the centre from 240 to about 320 upon completion.
He said the project had already been approved by the Pareto board and the relevant municipal approvals had also been secured.
New attractions
“At more than R1 billion, this development is going to take The Pavilion to a whole other level. The centre is going to be transformed with great new attractions, the most spectacular of which is a glass-encased roof-top fine dining and leisure area to be called Sky@Pav.
“The development will also see the opening of well-known international retail stores, some of which are not currently represented in the KwaZulu-Natal market.
“Pareto is in advanced negotiations with global fashion retailers to take up space at the expanded centre. We cannot reveal the fashion brands coming in, but a new international fashion entrant into the South African market will be anchoring the new retail section and occupying two levels.
“The iconic UK-based toy retailer Hamleys is also on the cards for The Pavilion,” Muller said.
Muller said the expansion project would be undertaken in phases, with the Virgin Active project anticipated to begin next month and major construction work scheduled to start in February on the 14 000m2 retail extension.
Construction on the new roof top area would begin in October next year with the overall development anticipated to take between 18 to 20 months to complete, he said.
Muller said Pareto and The Pavilion’s centre management were finalising plans to try to ensure any disruptions linked to construction would be kept to a minimum. He said The Pavilion was one of South Africa’s leading shopping and entertainment destinations and among the top five largest malls in the country.
“This expansion is demand driven, but also aimed at making sure The Pavilion retains its position in the market by securing the major international brands coming into South Africa and expanding its offering in line with the latest trends,” he said.
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