DURBAN - The R1,5 billion Cornubia Mall has officially opened amid much fanfare and excitement from customers and retailers.
The mall that stands at 65000m² and is based in the northern part of Durban, near Mount Edgecombe. The mall was opened by by the MEC for KwaZulu-Natal Human Settlements and Public Works Ravi Pillay, with the eThekwini Municipality and Darryl Mayers, Head of Investec Property South Africa.
Cornubia is an outdoor/indoor mall that was designed with experiences and activities for the entire family. It provides world class shopping with 110 retailers, entertainment and an outside lifestyle for the active person.
According to Mayers there are already planning a 20000m² expansion in the future that would add a further 70 more stores to the mall.
Mayers also said that the mall has brought jobs and skills transfer, infrastructure and better transport to residents within the Cornubia development and people in the surrounding communities.
It is estimated that the mall will create around 1100 permanent jobs and during the construction of the mall at least 2500 temporary jobs were created.
Cornubia was opened by the people of the National Department of Human Settlements, the KwaZulu-Natal Department of Human Settlements, the Tongaat Hulett Development and eThekwini Municipality.
When the establishment is completed it will boast of various businesses, light industrial factories, retail parks, 28 000 mixed income housing units and schools.
Cornubia Phase 1B has also been given a budget of R83 million by the Full Council. R22 million of the R83 million will be used for infrastructure and the balance of R61 million will be used for the provision of 528 top structures.
The city will contribute a sum of R5 million over the next three years, to the implementation of the project.