Bellville goes big

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Devmet Property Developments, a consortium of Devmark Property Group, GRITprop Investments and the Mettle Property Group, will begin the Galleria project in 2011. The 11.5 ha development will include retail, business, residential, hotel, sport and conference facilities with parking at various levels and locations (4500 underground).

Says Hein Ehlers, group MD of Devmark Property Group, “It will be fed from east, west and south by all the independent developments that have evolved between Durban Road and Willie van Schoor Road and in the valley along Carl Cronje, making it one of the biggest integrated developments in the Western Cape.

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“We visualise developing a single spine mall with a vaulted glass structure - similar to the Galleria in Toronto. This new cathedral like space, extending for more than one kilometre, will create a public space that will be the envy of every city in South Africa. It will make a night out to the Velodrome an event; it will be a retail and entertainment destination without parallel.”

A world-class venue

The consortium has put together a skilled, professional team consisting of project managers BKS and Mitchell Du Plessis Associates, architects L & R and Van der Merwe Miszewski, city and urban designers Dr Henri Comrie and town planners Urban Dynamics.

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The hotel will be 4-star with 240 rooms. “Our team studied 52 international convention facilities prior to designing the convention facilities. The Velodrome will be able to accommodate 18 000 visitors upon completion compared to the current 8000. It will be redeveloped to a world-class venue. We have entered into an agreement with Big Concerts, South Africa's live entertainment event organisers, to manage the facility. It will also offer corporate companies and businesses the opportunity to hire hospitality facilities to host clients. In the future, it will be able to host international sporting events and cater for large expos.”

According to Ehlers, the synergies between the hotel, Velodrome and convention centre are enormous. “The athletic stadium will also be improved with the development of a high performance centre, aimed at the development of athletes and sport management and will include medical doctors specialising in sport. It will also focus on the identification and development of our future top athletes from previously disadvantaged communities,” he concludes.