| |
Despite the recent cessation of load shedding, at least temporarily, the City of Cape Town has strongly appealed to the business community and consumers to continue with energy saving measures.
Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments (OMIGPI) has been actively pursuing initiatives to reduce energy consumption across its managed portfolios for many years and currently has a demand side management (DSM) agreement with ESKOM involving five properties of which three, Cavendish Square, Cavendish Connect and ABSA on Grove, are in the heart of Claremont. According to Chris Davey, Regional Technical Manager, Western Cape Property Services, OMIGPI, this initiative has led to a saving of approximately 4 MW and was achieved by active management of the air conditioning systems.
After a national investigation into the feasibility of installing generators in major OMIGPI retail centres showed this approach was a last resort, as both capital and running costs had escalated enormously, it was decided to identify council switching zones and actively engage with other landlords and the City in order to determine the requirements to become exempt from load shedding. The latest board meeting of the CIDC agreed to fully support this initiative. |
|
Chris Davey,
Regional Technical Manager,
Western Cape Property Services, OMIGPI
|
It was decided to investigate this initiative in two areas: firstly, to enter into discussions with the City to determine their views, how baseloads (which could fluctuate) would be calculated and how measurement would occur. Secondly and concurrently, to explore DSM projects which would save energy, be financially viable and be sustainable.
Current initiatives under investigation are:
- Zoned sensor controlled lighting (most effective in commercial buildings)
- Supply voltage regulation (effective in all building types)
- Use of LED technology powered by solar (currently expensive)
- Retrofitting fluorescent lights from magnetic to electronic ballasts
- Load shifting initiatives
“Focus will be placed on the actual results of these initiatives”, says Davey, “to structure an approach through which the landlords of Claremont Central can reduce electrical consumption. Engagement with ESKOM on these initiatives is ongoing on a regional basis”, he added.
|
|
|
| |
In issue number 6 of The Claremont Clarion in August last year, our front page article appeared headlined “Claremont – a work in progress – Please be patient”. Now, eight months later, a sincere thank you to all our readers for being so patient! I am amazed that we have received hardly any complaints about the inconvenience caused by the building operations in Claremont Central. Nonetheless our mantra at the time still remains “short term pain for long term gain” as we are not finished yet. Frankly, will we ever finish making Claremont a better place for all? I hope not! But certainly I do hope we will not experience the same level of inconvenience.
At the end of this month of May we expect that the new Bus Interchange will be open which means that Golden Arrow busses will no longer operate on the Main Road. With the long awaited Claremont Boulevard roadworks project now half completed from the Stanhope Bridge to Hawthorne Road, which is in reality the extension of Vineyard Road down to the railway line from the Main Road, the busses will be traveling in and out of Claremont along the newly completed phase one of The Boulevard. What a relief to us all. The final phase two of these roadworks from Hawthorne via Letterstedt Road to the Main Road have begun and completion is expected, subject to the expropriation of one remaining cottage en route, in October this year. We can’t wait for this as our Main Road congestion is still very serious, especially as winter rains are now causing havoc in traffic congestion along the Main Road.
|
|
Anthony Davies,
Executive Manager
|
Elsewhere in this issue you will meet our new director Claire Vaskys and Lorenzo Davids, our Social Development Manager, who will and are already, in the case of Lorenzo, playing important roles in the urban development of Claremont Central.
Also during this month we have witnessed the official opening and launch of the Dreyer Street informal trading mall between Cavendish Connect, formerly The Link. What a marvelous development this is. Everybody scores, the informal traders, pedestrians, the wonderful alfresco restaurants that have made such a positive difference and so do the tenants and the owners of all four neighbouring buildings. Congratulations to Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, their architects and building contractors on creating a wonderful new precinct in Claremont, which was officially opened on Thursday morning, 15th May, by Councillor Simon Grindrod of the City of Cape Town. If you haven’t yet, please go and visit - it really is outstanding.
Then on behalf of his many friends and colleagues, congratulations to Chris Drummond, the CIDC Chairman, who celebrated his 50th birthday - also on 15th May. The CIDC honoured him at a special surprise breakfast function on Tuesday 20th May which will be featured in our next edition.
Our lead story on the front page of this issue is a very important article by Chris Davey of considerable interest to all property owners in our improvement district on the hot issue of saving electrical power and to prevent further disruptive and costly power outages.
Anthony Davies
Executive Manager |
|
|
 |
| |
The Ford Bantam 1300 is the new replacement workhorse of the CIDC, running errands and carting garbage bags to the dumpster. “We couldn’t do without it,” says Abraham Davids, the CIDC’s Site Supervisor.
“The CIDC is very grateful to David Stoll and his team at Growthpoint Properties Limited for their valuable sponsorship of the operational costs of this great little vehicle,” says Anthony Davies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
The redevelopment of Dreyer Street was celebrated on Thursday, 15 May 2008, as part of the Cavendish Connect development project.
Guests from Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, Councillor Simon Grindrod from the City Council and the Dreyer Street Traders’ Association marked the completion of the informal market and the success of the public private partnership by unveiling a model of a trader’s kiosk. |
|
Right: Sue Tosh, Simon Grindrod and Mansoor Mohamed at the official Dreyer Street launch
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
This charming business hub, tucked behind The Claremont apartment block, consists of 28 business units covering a wide range of business activities, including doctors, dentists, computer suppliers, a beauty parlour and a small-scale clothing retailer,
to mention only a few.
At present the entrance to Draper Square is out of the way, with access via a siding which falls more or less squarely within the area where The Claremont Boulevard construction is in progress.
“Although Draper Square received a facelift several years ago, a new upgrade is on the cards”, says Claire Vaskys, of Waterloo Brokers in Draper Square. “However, with the development of the Claremont Boulevard and all the construction debris in its environs at present, this upgrade is scheduled for later in the year when The Boulevard is complete”, she added.
Draper Square forms part of the CIDC and City of Cape Town’s Four Squares strategy, a greening initiative to introduce user friendly public spaces into the Claremont CBD. Vaskys was involved in the co-ordination of the transplanting of trees from the former Pick ‘n Pay site to their new location on Draper Square. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
The quaint single-storey cottage with the “broekies” lace detail in Stegmann Road seems strangely out of place with all the large scale development and construction going on around it. Bordering on Draper Square, the cottage and its yard are currently being used by the City’s Solid Waste department as a refuse and glass recycling depot. The area is a drawcard for drug activity and vagrants rummaging for scraps in the refuse bins, according to Claire Vaskys of Waterloo Brokers. “The area is run down, unattractive and serving as a drawcard for all sorts of nefarious activity”, she added.
Given its heritage status, an extensive upgrade should be proposed for the building and its environs. These proposals should include renovating the cottage as an art gallery or museum with a coffee shop, such that it becomes a destination that people would want to visit. “These are our longer term plans”, says Vaskys. “We intend to make it safe and appealing by knocking down the walls surrounding the cottage, improving the lighting and putting a stop to drug activity in the area”, she added. |
|
|
The Draper Square Body Corporate (DSCB) has suggested that they take over the responsibility for driving this project and will partially fund the upgrade. However, a fundraising exercise will need to be embarked upon to obtain additional finance for the whole project. |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Claire Vaskys, recently appointed as a CIDC board member, is a trustee of the Draper Square Body Corporate (DSBC), and owner of Waterloo Brokers, which operates out of Draper Square.
During her tenure as chairman of the DSBC, Vaskys became involved in negotiations with the CIDC regarding issues pertaining to the DSBC during construction of The Boulevard, The Claremont and MontClare, in addition to the proposals for the upgrade of the heritage cottage in Stegmann Road. It is largely due to this interaction with the CIDC that Vaskys was approached to become a board member.
Asked about her involvement with Claremont, Vaskys indicated that she is particularly excited about the fact that the area below Main Road is receiving attention and being developed to the same level as above the Main Road. “I certainly hope that as a member of the CIDC board I will be able to make a contribution to making Claremont a better place”. |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
CEO and founder of Urban Issues, Lorenzo Davids’ involvement in the public service and non-profit sector for more than 17 years has stood him in good stead to tackle the challenging role he fulfils as Social Development Manager and consultant to the CIDC, a position he has held for some 18 months.
His portfolio includes the issues of homelessness (both adults and children), all matters related to the local taxi industry, as well as informal trading within the Claremont CBD. His facilitative role ensures that the requirements of the CIDC, as well as the needs of these three sectors find common ground and thus contribute to creating a safe and prosperous Claremont for all. The three issues remain as permanent items on the agenda at several meetings Davids reports back to on a monthly basis: The CIDOPS Forum, The CIDC Management Committee and CIDC Board meetings.
Key outcomes over last the 18 months have included the successful relocation of The Haven and U-Turn and all the behind the scenes work to secure substitute properties for these social agencies, developing a relationship and concluding successful negotiations with the local taxi industry, and addressing the needs of the informal trading sector in Claremont.
|
|
|
Over the last few weeks, both The Haven and U-Turn have moved to new premises. The Haven remains on the land in Fir Street that is surplus to The Boulevard requirements. It has, however, necessitated a repositioning of their former pre-fab building to a new portion of the land. U-Turn now occupies the former Munchies building on the corner of Stanley and Lansdowne Roads, from where they operate their daily activities centre, whilst the residential facility will be housed in the refurbished electricity substation behind Stadium on Main. Both organisations have aimed for a smooth transition and transfer of operations with no disruption to services.
Davids’ consulting work in assisting CIDC Executive Manager, Anthony Davies, with the taxi associations operating on Claremont Main Road (the Peninsula Taxi Association, Mowbray Taxi Association and Green Cabs) has resulted in a deepening appreciation for the dynamics of the industry. Together the two have successfully managed to bring these associations on board as strategic partners in service delivery within the Claremont CBD. The negotiations resulted in the implementation of the Jamie Shuttle service to UCT and members of the local taxi association being employed as drivers of the mini-shuttles. The service has been operating successfully since 31 March with an average of 2000 passengers transported daily on scheduled services departing almost every 2 minutes between 06h00 and 08h00, Mondays to Fridays.
On the issue of informal trading, Davids shares his vision of formalised trading in a secure, high pedestrian node that is centrally located, whilst ensuring that a good diversity of goods are traded and a high standard of products maintained. “We do not want to have cluttered informal trading all over the CBD and are specifically aiming at having no informal trading on Claremont Main Road,” he stated. “The revamped Dreyer Street trading area between Cavendish Connect and Cavendish Square has set the benchmark for informal trading in Claremont. We are very enthusiastic about an area behind Shoprite (adjacent to the new bus rank) which has been earmarked for the introduction of a market garden concept, similar to that of Covent Garden in the UK”. It is likely that this will only become a reality in a year to 18 months, according to Davids. “We want to ensure a highly successful, truly profitable informal trading community in the Claremont CBD, with the traders seen as an integral part of the business community of Claremont”, added Davids.
Passionate about urban spaces, Davids regularly enjoys early morning strolls around the CBD to soak up the atmosphere and experience the buzz of activity as stallholders set up for the day’s trading. His mission, he says, is to contribute to the creation of the most successful and prosperous CBD anywhere on the continent, especially one that is safe and inclusive of all. |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
Collections by South Africa’s top clothing designers were under the spotlight recently at Cavendish Square in an exclusive fashion show that highlighted the world-class achievements of a sector currently under threat from cheaper imports. Gavin Rajah, Jenni Button, Hilton Weiner and several retailers including YDE, Sole Child, Big Blue, X & O, and Chica-loca were among the designers who showcased the latest in winter fashion.
Tasneem Essop, Minister of Economic, Planning and Development, with Proudly South African CEO, Manana Moroka, were among a group of dignitaries and VIPs at Cavendish Square, supporting the festival’s “Keeping Jobs in Fashion” awareness campaign.
Ben Kodisang, Managing Director of Old Mutual Investment Group Property Investments, said the centre was proud to be chosen to stage the fashion show and that the event had been a great opportunity for designers and retailers to showcase their work.
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
 |
|
| |
 |
|
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 |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
| |
 |
|
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
If you wish to unsubscribe to this newsletter please click here |
|
 |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
|
|
