Cape Town - Residents of Green Point say the announcement by the City of the long-term lease of a prime piece of property in Granger Bay, next to the stadium, will add nothing to the area as they won’t benefit from the development.
Chairperson of the Green Point ratepayers association Jenny McQueen said there might not be any uptake on the offer as other properties remained vacant even after being sold.
“This will have no benefit for the residents and our rates; this won’t make a difference at all. We were also against the stadium at one point because the stadium has no benefit to the people,” she said.
On Monday the Cape Argus reported that the City intended to lease the property on a long-term, 99-year leasehold basis, with an initial lease period of 40 years, and an option to renew for a further two periods of 30 and 29 years.
In 2016, the City issued a R100million, 25-year tender to lease the erf adjacent to the stadium in attempts to commercialise the precinct.
The 7385m2 gravelled plot on Granger Bay Boulevard is used for overflow parking.
The association at the time was against the development of the property and didn’t believe it would be commercially viable for any developer.
According to the City, leasing the site will ensure that the property generates a better economic return for the City.
James Vos, Mayco member for economic opportunities and asset management, said: “It is anticipated that the proposed mixed-use development will create a complementary node within the Cape Town Stadium precinct The City will benefit from the rental, which will enable it to exercise its mandate of providing basic services to communities in a sustainable manner and to promote socio-economic outcomes.”
Meanwhile, Mayco member for safety and security JP Smith said that crime stats for certain localised pockets of the city created the impression that the whole city was unsafe to visit.
“We run the risk of losing tourists,” he said.