EC's largest shopping centre to open end of 2009

Work on the largest shopping centre in the Eastern Cape, the Hemingways Mall in East London, is well on track.

The new 75 000m² mall, which will span four levels and will be significantly bigger than Greenacres Shopping Centre in Port Elizabeth, boasts total investment of R1.6billion and is scheduled to open in October 2009.

“Construction is well under way and we're working to schedule,” Billion Property Group projects director James Stewart said at a site visit on Monday. “Everything has gone well so far and the only real problem we've had is sourcing reinforcing steel but that's because there is a shortage countrywide right now.”

With the mall already 90 percent let, Stewart said they were in the enviable position of being able to select which tenants would fill the remaining shops as demand far outweighed supply. “Even though we're in the midst of a tough economic period, we're not concerned. We're opening towards the end of next year when economists have predicted things will have improved and we're also fortunate that big malls attract really strong retailers.

“Some of our main tenants include Pick n Pay with a 4 500m² store, a 5 000m² Woolworths store and a 3 500m² Edgars, and a 2 200m² Truworths store. In total we'll have 207 tenants and 3 600 parking bays.”

Other tenants include Ackermans, Pep, CNA, DisChem, Boardmans and a Mr Price Sport.

The size and scale of the Hemingways Mall is fully realised when one sees the amount of material and equipment that is being used in the construction and just how many people are employed on the project.

Overall some 60 000 cubic/m of concrete and 6 000 tons of structural and reinforcing steel will be used, while seven tower cranes, at a cost of R25 000 per day, are also on site. This is the first time that a construction project in East London has required the use of so many cranes, testament to the size of the development.

“The construction programme, layout of the site and the fact that building is taking place on three piers has necessitated the use of the cranes,” said Stewart. “We're also currently employing 700 workers with the figure expected to peak at 1 500 by the end of the year and remain like that into next year.”

Stewart said a development on the scale of Hemingways had many spin- off benefits for the local economy, a fact which many people did not realise. “Not only are we employing local workers but every week we have consultants flying in to visit the site and they hire cars, stay at local hotels and eat at local restaurants,” he said. “We also try and hire as much of the equipment we use on site from local companies.”

The Billion Group also developed the newly opened Mdantsane Mall.

Source: Daily Dispatch

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