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The City of Johannesburg is looking for private capital to develop key socioeconomic nodes in the inner city, which will include the demolition and rebuilding of the iconic Noord taxi rank, the completion of a delayed drug rehabilitation facility and the upgrading of properties at Constitutional Hill.This comes as the private sector gears up to play a more pronounced role in the city. The Noord taxi rank is South Africa’s largest and busiest taxi rank, serving as a crucial nexus for commuters in the Joburg city centre. It has, however, become notorious for its filth, petty crime and lack of maintenance.The taxi rank, officially called the Jack Mincer Public Transport Facility, has over the years experienced increased traffic volumes, causing the capacity of the facility to be exceeded and the services in and around it to become dysfunctional.Previous attempts to refurbish it have fallen short, with the city, which accounts for 16% of South Africa’s economy, now looking to the private sector to foot the bill as it strives to convert the two-storey facility into a seven-storey one equipped with modern technology. To this end, the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) has now gone to tender, looking for private sector investment to redevelop the facility.“The development will increase the taxi facility from the current two storeys to seven storeys, maximising the site’s potential,” JDA says in the request for interest document taken to market.“The height increase is sought to accommodate the expanded taxi holding facilities within the already constrained site. The urban design principle is to create a landmark building at this gateway location. “The project involves the full demolition of the existing transport facility and the construction of a new multilevel public transport interchange, including public amenities, commercial spaces and supporting infrastructure.“The new facility, to which MTN has naming rights, will incorporate a clinic, informal trading stalls and public refuse management area, access control and stormwater and sewerage reticulation, including new municipal connections.”The cash-strapped city is expected to see an influx of new investments as part of the national government’s partnership with business to turn around the city’s fortunes. The City of Johannesburg is South Africa’s primary economic hub, featuring major sectors such as banking, mining, ICT and retail alongside support networks. However, the city faces severe fiscal and infrastructure challenges, prompting a recent intervention and co-operation drive through a government-business partnership to stabilise municipal management and economic growth.Read: Transnet puts Carlton Centre and other noncore assets up for saleThe city-owned JDA, established in the early 2000s to implement urban regeneration and infrastructure development, is also looking for private funds to complete the construction of the proposed mixed-use development and long-term lease of Klipfontein Wellness Centre.The wellness centre, an initiative to combat drug and alcohol abuse in Klipfontein, was supposed to be completed in 2022 but is 65% complete.The JDA says in the request for interest the City of Johannesburg is proposing to redevelop the site as a mixed-use area through a long-term development lease and operational model.“This approach is designed to mobilise private-sector investment to complete Klipfontein Wellness Centre while ensuring its continued operation, proper maintenance and long-term sustainability as a community-serving asset,” the tender document reads.“Due to financial strains faced by the city, the project is currently suspended. Additional funding and sponsorship support are therefore being sought, with the city looking for interested partners to assist with completion of the project.“The proposed development will enable the City to retain ownership of the property while appointing a developer to fund the completion of the facility and manage its operation and maintenance for the duration of an agreed long-term lease.”The JDA said targeted, sustained interventions in urban planning and development are essential to ensure that the changes the city is undergoing do not further entrench socio-spatial inequalities between affluent and marginalised communities.The JDA is also wooing the private sector to upgrade various properties at Constitution Hill. The agency said that despite its historic significance and central location, several assets in the precinct remain underutilised or require refurbishment.Read: Can SA break 3% growth? Business and government raise the stakes“The city intends to develop and lease the site as a mixed-use precinct aimed at enhancing the existing infrastructure of Constitutional Hill. The proposed development plans to redevelop and upgrade the women’s jail, Old Fort, the visitors’ centre, Constitution Square, and the nurse’s home.”Constructed in the 1890s, the Old Fort is Constitution Hill’s most architecturally significant structure, and it is the most “undermonetised major asset”, according to the JDA. “It combines the spatial grandeur of a Victorian-era colonial fortress with the emotional weight of one of South Africa’s most significant carceral sites,” it said.“It housed Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela and thousands of political prisoners. It anchors the Unesco World Heritage Site designation and is in partial use.”Business Day
