Abland, Tiber to develop mixed-use Sandton Gate precinct

The sizeable site on which the precinct will unfold, has been assembled over several years by Tiber. When Tiber’s CEO Fernando Cardoso was approached by Abland’s MD Jurgens Prinsloo to consider a joint venture approach for the development of a precinct, incorporating properties that Abland had purchased in the same area, discussions commenced and it became clear that their complementary experience and expertise could be combined to create a what is now to be known as Sandton Gate.

Situated on William Nicol Drive between Sandton Drive and Republic Road, Sandton Gate will be on the doorstep of South Africa’s economic business centre. The precinct is accessible via a number of major arterial routes from Sandton, Hyde Park and the N1 freeway, as well as finding itself alongside the current S5 Sandton – Fourways Gautrain Bus Route. It is also located on one of the planned routes for the extended Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system, which in turn will link it to the Rosebank and Sandton Gautrain stations.

The site provides 130,000m² of developable floor area made up of approximately 80,000m² of offices, 400 residential units and a variety of lifestyle and smaller retail amenities. This will include a health club, restaurants or cafés, and other smaller format convenience amenities.

Green development

The intention is for every commercial building in Sandton Gate to obtain a minimum four-star Green Star SA rating. "We are also proud to say that the entire precinct will be Green Star SA-rated and that Sandton Gate is one of the sites being used as a pilot in the development of the precinct rating tool by the Green Building Council of South Africa,” Prinsloo notes.

The first phase of Sandton Gate will include all the necessary infrastructure, plus 10,000-15,000m² of commercial office space, and a residential component which will commence in the latter part of 2017. Thereafter, the development will progress according to market demand. The commercial buildings will be developed as high-end A-Grade and P-Grade buildings offering flexibility to accommodate large, medium and smaller users. The residential units will be available for sale and/or leasing while the commercial buildings will be available for leasing. The Abland / Tiber Joint Venture will manage all aspects of the development, from the initial planning, design, construction, leasing and ultimately the management of the entire precinct.