Boon for Edendale CBD
10-10-2024
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The Witness
Source
The entire project is expected to cost around R3 billion, with completion projected within three years.
Greater Edendale could look very different in the next three years, thanks to a R3 billion national government urban investment aimed at driving spatial transformation in the area.
The Msunduzi Municipality, working with National Treasury and Public Works launched the multibillion-rand Edendale Town Centre project, which is set to become an iconic landmark, providing a new image not only for the Edendale region but for township economic revitalisation.
The development will feature several key components designed to integrate the current and future urban landscape. These include an office tower, civic plaza, amphitheatre, landscaping and signage, a market and ramp, as well as a skybridge.
Driven by the municipality, the Greater Edendale, Vulindlela Development Initiative (GEVDI) and national government, the investment seeks to transform the historically repressed and neglected township into an urban hub and represents the single biggest investment in the city’s development.
The initiative is expected to unlock the potential of creating the Greater Edendale Area into a City within a City.
In a recent meeting with the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business, municipal officials confirmed that the implementation of the civic zone within the Edendale Town Centre is moving forward.
The municipality is now actively seeking partnerships with private investors through public-private partnerships (PPPs) to support the project.
Atkin Khoali, senior manager for Town Planning and Environmental Management at Msunduzi Municipality, said the project’s primary goal is bringing essential services closer to Edendale residents.
“The Edendale Town Centre is envisioned as the nucleus of the Greater Edendale precinct plan. It will be strategically located among new transport routes, mixed-use developments, residential areas and essential services,” said Khoali.
He added that the Civic Centre will be a four-story building offering services such as Home Affairs, the South African Social Security Agency, and other government facilities.
“This will save residents from areas like Vulindlela from having to wake up at 4am to queue at Home Affairs,” Khoali said.
The entire project is expected to cost around R3 billion, with completion projected within three years.
Planning for the project began in 2017, and the municipality has already purchased the land where the centre will be built.
Khoali added that the skybridge, market and ramp have been designed to encourage human activity and interaction, with spaces overlapping to foster a vibrant urban culture at the Edendale Town Centre.
However, concerns were raised by the Pietermaritzburg and Midlands Chamber of Business.
CEO Melanie Veness pointed to high crime rates around the Plessislaer area, noting that the police station there is one of the country’s crime hotspots. “Strategies need to be in place to reduce crime in the area,” Veness said.
She also called for better traffic management to enhance road safety.
“It is a wonderful project, and we are keen to work with Msunduzi to ensure it is packaged correctly. We aim to proactively address any potential issues,” she added.
The Edendale Town Centre project is poised to transform the region, providing essential services, creating opportunities for investment, and addressing existing infrastructure challenges.
In a previous interview with The Witness, Mayor Mzimkhulu Thebolla urged identified landowners to come forward for negotiations on the development.
Deputy Mayor Mxolisi Mkhize also confirmed that while the project is still in the planning stages, the municipality has already secured the land for construction.
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