Roy Cokayne
The development of a new mixed-use node in Hazelwood in Pretoria has gained further impetus with the opening of a new R140 million shopping centre developed by Atterbury Property Developments today.
The Club Shopping Centre, an 8 400m2 mall virtually across the road from the Pretoria Country Club on Dely Road, is the second phase of a planned landmark project by Atterbury to develop a 30 000m2 retail, office and leisure node in the area at an estimated cost of more than R700m.
The opening of the retail centre follows the opening in September 2011 of Club One, the three-storey 4 500m2 prime A-grade office building, which was developed at a cost of about R100m in the first phase and let to Unisa.
It also includes about 800m2 of ground floor retail space, with a portion of it let to the popular Café 41 chain.
Woolworths will be the anchor tenant at The Club Shopping Centre, with other tenants including restaurants and retailers such as Beluga, Harissa, Life Grand Café, Knead Bakery, The Salon Paul Mitchell, Essential Life, Divine Diva and Sorbet.
Gerrit van den Berg, the development manager for the node for Atterbury, said that The Club was expected to become one of Pretoria’s most well-known and desirable landmarks through its sophisticated modern design that also incorporated elements of Pretoria’s rich architectural history.
“Designed for the future with timeless elegance created through a thoughtful design, The Club promises to be a much-used and loved public building in the fabric of the city and a quality property asset for Atterbury,” he said.
Van den Berg said that the location of the development in close proximity to the exclusive Waterkloof and Brooklyn suburbs and with convenient access from the new Garsfontein offramp from the N1 highway would add to the attraction of the overall development.
Van den Berg added that there would be two further phases to Atterbury’s development of the node.
He said Atterbury currently had rights for a 3 700m2 gymnasium at Club Two on a site at the corner of 18th Street and Pinaster Avenue.
“We have had offers from both Planet Fitness and Virgin to operate the gym. We also have rights for both offices and residential on top of the gym.
“But we will most probably not do the residential although a final decision has not been taken. The [residential] market is not good and it’s too risky,” he said.
However, Van den Berg added that a residential buffer comprising 30 upmarket apartments between the existing residential area and north of Atterbury’s Club Two commercial development would be developed.
Van den Berg said the rezoning for the gymnasium would be completed in about September this year and Atterbury would commence development of both the gymnasium and residential apartments together, probably in about April next year.
He added that Atterbury was currently also busy with a rezoning application for 9 000m2 of medical and office rights for Club Three on a site opposite Club Two, also at the corner of 18th Avenue and Pinaster Street.
However, the development of Club Three would be tenant driven, he said.
Van den Berg added that an additional R500m or so would be invested in the future phases in the development of the node.
Louis van der Watt, the chief executive of the Atterbury Group, said in August 2011 when the group launched the first phase of the development that it was destined to become a well-known retail and office node and an enviable landmark on a par with the top mixed-use precincts South Africa had to offer.