Johannesburg - Work is expected to start this week on a huge R3 billion mixed-use development in Rosslyn, which is intended to be the catalyst for the development in the area of the planned R50 billion Tshwane Auto City over the next 10 years.
Tshwane Auto City forms part of the vision by government and the automotive industry to transform Rosslyn into the leading automotive investment destination in Africa; it's intended to be largely funded by private sector investment and in subsequent phases to result in the creation of a new city in Rosslyn.
The sod-turning ceremony for the commencement of Rosslyn Hub, to be developed by Big Cedar Property Development on a 100 hectare site in Rosslyn, will take place on Friday. Tshwane Auto City is to be developed on 7100 hectares around the Rosslyn Hub.
Big Cedar director Brendan Falkson said on Tuesday at the African Construction & Totally Concrete Expo in Midrand that the 10-year first phase of the Tshwane Auto City project would create an estimated 160 000 direct and indirect jobs.
Master plan
He explained that the Automotive Industry Development Centre - a wholly-owned government subsidiary - was responsible for managing the project, and had already completed the master plan and spatial developement framework for the development of the city. The master plan for the Rosslyn Hub was part of that plan, he said, and had been signed off by the AIDC.
Rosslyn Hub will be developed in three phases, starting with an 11 000 square metre convenience centre, student housing for about 1000 students and a private school with “a technical slant”. At the same time, the first phase of a new link road from Soshanguve to the N4 will kick-start the Rosslyn Hub project - and that, it is hoped, will be a catalyst for Tshwane Auto City.
Rail to Durban
Falkson said the student housing would be ready by January 2019, with the convenience shopping centre and first phase of the link road to follow in November of that year.
He said it was anticipated they would be able to commence with the second phase by 2020, which would include a vehicle distribution centre in the Rosslyn Hub, a Logistics Hub by the AIDC and government on property adjoining the Rosslyn Hub and a consolidated rail spur to enable vehicles to be transported directly on the freight rail line from Rosslyn to Durban.
That's been approved by Transnet; it's necessary because already 400-500 vehicles are being transported to Durban each week. If the motor industry increases production to 900 000 or 1 000 000 vehicles a year as is hoped, that's likely to increase to 1000 vehicles a week.