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Claremont Central’s public environment is set for major revitalisation according to extensive urban design guidelines and landscaping proposals soon to be made available for public comment.

The CIDC has been working closely with the City on proposals for upgrading the entire public environment of the Claremont CBD and a two-year study by consultants has been completed. The study’s proposals see certain streets and squares of the area being reclaimed for pedestrian use, with all users of Claremont Central benefiting from a selection of tree’d outdoor places, where birds and birdsong replace motor cars and tarmac. City officials hope to obtain Council approval for its recommendations by the end of the year.

One of the “Gateways of Entrance” to Claremont Central at Kildare Street / Protea / Cavendish Roads targeted as part of the upgrade programme

The role that the CIDC has adopted, under the able and experienced guidance of Peter de Tolly, urban design and planning consultant to the CIDC, is to embark upon a process in partnership with the City of Cape Town to address, through design specification and implementation, the regeneration and upgrading of the public spaces within Claremont.

Creating ‘people friendly’ urban environments, according to CIDC’s Chairman, Chris Drummond, is probably the single largest challenge faced by any property developer or investor. “Ironically”, he says, “the individual investor, be it a property institution or a private person, does not control arguably the most important element for the creation of ‘people friendly’ urban space: the publicly owned streets, parks, landscapes and the maintenance and upkeep of all these critical elements.”

“This upgrade”, continues Drummond, “represents to everyone who is a stakeholder, be they an informal trader, a shopper, a resident, an office worker or a property investor, the most crucial work of the highest possible importance. This work will transform Claremont Central into a place where the public and investors will want to go”. According to Drummond, the process is well advanced and they now eagerly await public endorsement of these bold proposals.

Priority zones
The proposed upgrading includes concept plans for the revitalisation of five “Priority Zones.” These include the “Activity Spine” of the Main Road, the “Gateway” sites, being the areas which mark the entry into the CBD, the “Nodes” or “Four Squares”, which are four areas intended to provide public places for social gathering and activities, the “Threshold” spaces, being pedestrian crossings on the Main Road and the “Linkages”, which are important pedestrian routes connecting the “Nodes” or “Four Squares” together.

The main focus of the revitalisation programme are the various areas that have been identified for intervention. Proposals include design guidelines for buildings fronting onto the urban spaces within the priority areas, as well as a palette of design elements pertaining to landscape architecture proposals, such as paving, landscaping (including recommended tree species), public seating, lighting, signage and bins. Places for informal traders, provision of taxi-pick up and drop-off points, the location of information panels that recount the history of the area and ‘place markers’ were further considerations, as were the incorporation of art and cultural expressions to designate specific areas.

Main Road
An important project area is the Main Road itself, where the emphasis is on making the Main Road an attractive shopping street for pedestrians. Although the public transport and vehicular function of Claremont Main Road will remain, it is envisaged that Main Road will be transformed into a place for public life, in other words, a place to “go to”, rather than a place to “go through”. Underground services permitting, trees will be planted and new pedestrian-friendly brick and cobble paving introduced.

Attractive and well-managed market areas will be created, allowing the proactive and progressive relocation of informal traders along Main Road into markets, such as those planned for the revamped Dreyer Street and at Newry Square.

Four Squares
Back in the 1980’s, the City Council concluded that Claremont Central’s streets were an eyesore and that there was literally no usable open space. Out of this was born the idea of a series of public squares in areas where people could gather to enjoy themselves. Council proposed the Four Squares concept and suggested that the logical places for these squares were at Sanclare, Draper Square, Newry Square and Warwick Square. Of these, only Sanclare and Warwick were implemented - both are now in urgent need of upgrading. There are plans for a restaurant at Sanclare, in order to make the square a more inviting place, and its upgrading will go hand in hand with the improvement of Dreyer and Corwen Streets. It is intended that with the redevelopment of the parking garage at Warwick Square, this square too will be transformed into a genuine, properly tree’d, public, open, green space.

Mature trees have been relocated from the former Pick ‘n Pay parking lot to the open space on the railway side of The Claremont apartment block. This space will ultimately become part of a new landscaped Draper Square, off Stegmann Road. To the east, construction will soon start on the new Bus Interchange.

Its completion will allow for the creation of Newry Square, a new landscaped area in the open space towards Main Road, to provide informal traders with an improved market. De Tolly sees a slow, but steady, transformation taking place. “We know that plants need light, sun and fresh air to grow - and so do people! With the implementation of the Four Squares, the landscaping of the Main Road and connecting streets and crossings, this objective will be accomplished.”

An artist’s impression of landscaping proposals for Draper Square

Gateways
Landscape and urban design proposals have also been prepared for each of the entry points to Claremont Central, to create a “sense of arrival”. These “Gateways of Entrance” include the following: Campground, Protea and Main Roads / Main Road and Bowwood-Stanhope Roads / Protea Road and Cavendish Street / Claremont Boulevard and Main Road.

Public participation invited
A public participation programme, including exhibitions and a public meeting, has already been arranged. Stakeholders are strongly urged to attend these events to provide feedback to the proposals, providing consultation that is important to the overall success of the revitalisation strategy. The exhibition will take place from Monday 23rd April to Monday 7th May in the walkway of Cavendish Connect (the new name for The Link) between Cavendish Square and the Main Road. The public meeting will be held at St Saviour’s Church hall, Brooke Street, Claremont on Monday 7th May at 5.30pm.

Dear Colleagues

Since my previous communication with you in February, our Orbis Security Solutions security and cleaning staff wearing their black caps have settled down. By all accounts they are doing an excellent job. A delightful example is the story below of the bird’s nest in the new Stanhope and Main Road traffic light! Also, we have other very exciting developments to share with you.

The major urban upgrade of Claremont Central
This is the first of these very important developments in Claremont. Please note that the plans for the major urban upgrade will be on display from Monday 23rd April to Monday 7th May in the walkway of Cavendish Connect (the new name for The Link) between Cavendish Square and the Main Road. Please visit our exhibition of the plans to see these exciting developments. A public meeting will be held at St Saviour’s Church hall, Brooke Street, Claremont on Monday 7th May at 5.30pm. Once again the CIDC is making Claremont a better place for all!

Anthony Davies, Executive Manager of the CIDC

Orbis Security Solutions reach into Claremont
A further major development is that Old Mutual Property Investments (OMPI) together with New Property Ventures (NPV), with effect from the 1st of April, have contracted Orbis to secure their various buildings. As a result, the following major properties are covered by the same security company: Cavendish Square, Cavendish Connect (formerly The Link), Cavendish Close, ABSA on Grove, Werdmuller Centre, Toffie Lane Building, Stadium on Main and Standard Bank Galleria.

This has a major positive influence on security in Claremont Central and on our ongoing fight against crime with no less than 140 security staff provided on a shift basis by one service provider with integrated management and radio communications. In real terms this means that on day duty, 52 Orbis security officers are operating in Claremont Central and 34 are on night duty, a major step forward in our fight against crime!

Provision of security by the City of Cape Town
This development by Orbis together with ourselves, OMPI and NPV is not only of vital importance to the management of crime in Claremont, but is also vital in view of the severe shortage of Traffic and City Police who are very seldom seen on our streets. This must be of great concern to all of us in Claremont Central in that there is not one Traffic or City Police officer dedicated to our CBD, one of the largest rates bases in the City of Cape Town Metropole. We in the CIDC, assisted by Mark Sangster, the Managing Director of Orbis, are addressing this very worrying problem as a matter of extreme urgency and importance. You will, I assure you, hear more about this situation as we raise the profile of this very serious problem.

The Claremont Boulevard
This project is well underway with the Taxi Interchange opposite the station scheduled for completion next month, together with the Taxi Holding Area in the cul de sac of Old Stanhope Road. This will be followed by the commencement of construction of the Bus Interchange and the Claremont Boulevard roadworks. In this regard we ask you to understand that this construction work has caused considerable disruption to the bus and taxi operations around the station, resulting in additional congestion on the Main Road. Once the construction of the Bus Interchange is complete together with phase one of The Boulevard roadworks expected to be completed in July or August this year, the Main Road traffic congestion will improve remarkably.

Anthony Davies
Executive Manager of CIDC

The mission of the Claremont Improvement District Company is to support the existing and future environment through programmes to ensure that the public space is safe, clean, attractive, exciting, entertaining and user-friendly, ensuring that various bodies and authorities meet their responsibilities, assisting wherever possible and thereby protecting and enhancing the existing asset base and attracting new investment, tenants and customers.

For any cleansing and security emergencies or complaints,
please phone 0800-200-597 toll free or e-mail: davies@cidc.co.za

Over the last few months, motorists at the traffic light on the corner of Main and Bowwood Roads (on FNB side in the direction of Wynberg) may have thought that the red light was malfunctioning. In fact, the light was semi-obscured by what was discovered to be a bird’s nest in the hub of the light.

Some time back, Orbis security supervisor, Agmat Abrahams, spotted the nest, but as a family of doves was using it at the time, he made a decision not to disturb them and to monitor the situation on a weekly basis. Early in February it was apparent that the nestlings had flown away and some while later Officer Abrahams observed that the nest had been abandoned entirely. In the interest of clearer traffic signals, he and CIDC cleaning staff removed the empty nest from its roost within the traffic light. The red light is now clearly visible. Well done Orbis!

David Stoll’s involvement with the CIDC came about as a result of the Investec acquisition of Fedsure in 2002, Fedsure having been well represented in the Claremont area in terms of its property portfolio. He joined the Board of the CIDC in April 2003. Being of an accounting background, it was a natural progression for him to assume responsibility for the CIDC’s finances.

In January 2004, with then Chairman, Chris Drummond’s departure to climb Mount Everest, Stoll assumed the role of Chairman, a position he held for 2 years, until Chris rejoined the Board in March 2006. During this time, with the assistance of Chris and Anthony Davies, the historic agreement with the City of Cape Town regarding the construction of the Claremont Boulevard was signed. It is an achievement of which he is extremely proud.

Stoll acquired his Accounting qualifications in Glasgow, Scotland, where he was born and raised. After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1982, he set out to see a bit of the world before joining Fisher Hoffman Stride, Chartered Accountants in Johannesburg in 1983, as an Audit Senior. This was an appointment which lasted 6 years, culminating in his appointment as Manager of their International Division dealing with Exchange Control and offshore matters.

It was in May 1989 that Stoll joined Investec Bank Ltd in Johannesburg as the Financial Manager of the Property Group. He spent the next 7 years in this role, gaining experience and responsibility as the Property Group grew in the fields of property development and management.

As a result of a transfer to Cape Town in July 1996, Stoll joined the Investec Branch team, who at the time, were active in retail development in and around Cape Town. Their first project in Cape Town was the redevelopment of the Pick ‘n Pay Centre in Gabriel Road, Plumstead, a property still under Investec management today. In mid 1997, utilising the existing IT infrastructure in Johannesburg, Stoll founded the Property Management business in Cape Town with a property portfolio of 10 buildings. This business has grown relative to the growth of Investec Bank Ltd and to that of their main client, Growthpoint Properties Ltd, with a portfolio of 80 properties to date, valued at around R4bn, covering approximately 700,000 m2, all in and around Cape Town. Currently, Stoll retains the responsibility for the CIDC’s financial portfolio, which is greatly appreciated by the Board.

An innovative concept, the Social Development Precinct, has been proposed to the City of Cape Town as an unprecedented and groundbreaking strategy to address social issues within the Claremont CBD. The collective brainchild of Lorenzo Davids, CEO of Urban Issues, Anthony Davies, CIDC Executive Manager and Chris Drummond, Chairman of CIDC, the envisaged concept is a “one-stop” social services centre aimed at providing long-term qualitative solutions for the homeless indigent within the area. Comprising the entire spectrum of social services, the proposed precinct will include not only adult shelters for the homeless, but also other related services such as services to children of indigent persons, a job creation centre, short term accommodation, access to health services (possibly a satellite Claremont Health clinic), a garden area for relaxation, an entrepreneur’s school and skills and gym facilities.

Lorenzo Davids, consultant to the CIDC, says the intention is to initiate a world class “intervention model” that takes interventions off the streets and into needs-based formal programmes with qualitative outcomes. Interventions such as soup kitchens on the streets will be a thing of the past and indeed discouraged. The new initiative is an all-encompassing offering, focusing on all aspects of rehabilitation and re-integration, in order to provide a comprehensive solution to the homeless of Claremont. Davids is of the view that both the programmes and the facilities available to the destitute and needy should provide an environment that is rehabilitative and nurturing. “What we want is dynamic social dialogue”, says Davids “which moves interventions into a new realm of thinking with a focus on human dignity, the value of life, safety and security and people as active participants in their own success. To get there, we must address the needs of the most vulnerable in a non-traditional manner, which is what the social precinct concept is all about.”

Prospective backer, The Development Bank, who has been approached as financial partner in this endeavour, has commented on the project as being one of the most advanced concepts in social development ever encountered. The proposed project fits in perfectly with what the bank sees as responsible social development.

Although not yet approved and still subject to further discussion with the City, an area for the development has already been identified. This pocket of land, bordered by Mill, Fir and Draper Streets, seemed an obvious choice, as a portion of the land is already home to The Haven and U-turn facilities, while the balance of the area is deemed to be surplus to the Claremont Boulevard requirements. It is more than likely that The Haven and U-turn will need to be temporality relocated for a period of 8-12 months during the construction phase.

Post construction, however, this unassigned land will be available for the development of the intended precinct. Davids believes that both The Haven Night Shelter Organisation and U-turn Ministries are pivotal partners in the design and implementation of this vision. He adds that other partners will be needed in other fields in order to create a successful Social Precinct. Davids believes that it is the responsibility of the business community to be involved with social issues in the area in which they operate.

The proposal, which is currently at draft phase, heralds a welcome initiative for dealing with the social challenges facing Claremont Central and the CIDC in particular.

Launched in October 2005, The Quadrant represents the first substantial “greenfields” residential development in the Claremont area for many years, offering close proximity to the Claremont CBD in an environmentally pleasing location.

Construction is currently underway on the R50-m phase that will comprise a basement parking level, approximately 800 m2 of “lifestyle” commercial activity and four storeys of 1-, 2- and 3-bedroom apartments. Forty of the 45 units in this phase were sold at launch and are now anticipated to be completed in October 2007.

Piling and earthworks have now also commenced on the final phase. Creating a high-density residential node adjacent to a public transport corridor, this phase will complete the development intended for this site. Comprising some 190 apartments in 6 independent, but linked blocks, this modern, highly secure, lifestyle development will create a new vibrant residential node in the area. Large “green” courtyards and squares will link the buildings to a “state of the art” gymnasium, pool, health and a supplementary service complex. Launched in April this year, construction on this final phase is intended to be complete by late 2008.

An artist’s impression (a courtyard perspective) of the proposed new retail development at The Quadrant

Claremont Improvement District Company
Upper Ground Floor, Stadium on Main
PO Box 24063, Claremont 7735
Tel: (021) 674-0639 Fax: (021) 674 1533
Executive Manager: A H V Davies E-mail: davies@cidc.co.za

This newsletter has been compiled and produced on behalf of the CIDC by
The Executive Connection (021) 671 4297 / 082 2241 222 E-mail: executiveconnection@iafrica.com
If you have any comments or suggestions, please e-mail claremontcentral@iafrica.com

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