By Suren Naidoo
Amanzimtoti's R1,3-billion Galleria - the biggest shopping centre development in greater Durban since Gateway almost a decade ago - opened its doors on Thursday to thousands of shoppers, creating a traffic snarl-up in the area.
The centre is part of the new R2-billion Arbour Town precinct - adjacent to the N2 South Coast highway off Moss Kolnik Road in Amanzimtoti - and was developed by Keystone Investments, of Johannesburg.
The 82 000 square-metre mall has an ice rink and will also have 198 retail outlets, 11 Nu Metro cinema screens, a bowling alley and a gaming arcade.
Several major national retailers and more than 20 restaurants and fast-food outlets have rented space at the centre.
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"The Galleria is a major milestone for Keystone and represents our biggest property project in the country," said Keystone chief executive officer Louis Peens.
He said it was a major vote of confidence in the upper South Coast as the biggest property investment yet in the area.
"I don't know of many regional shopping centres of this size going up in South Africa at the moment," said Peens. "There certainly won't be a new centre of this size in KZN for several years."
He said the centre, which had 5 700 parking bays, had been intended to open with 92 000 square metres of retail space, but construction delays had made this impossible.
"While construction on the centre took more than 18 months, we are not entirely happy that the centre is not completely ready.
"However, we had to open the centre as we could not delay the opening to the middle of the festive rush in December," he said.
"There is still some work and finishing touches on the go at the centre. Most of the major stores have opened, but many others will open over the next few weeks, including the cinemas on December 11."
Peens said Galleria was the second part of the new Arbour Town precinct.
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