City plans makeover for Ellis Park precinct
THE Greater Ellis Park precinct, an area housing the city's premier sports complexes, is to receive a multi-million rand facelift over the next five years.
THE Greater Ellis Park precinct will receive a multi-million rand upgrade over the next five years - a move expected to sell the area as a place that is ready to host the 2010 Soccer World Cup and, hopefully, the 2011 Rugby World Cup. The R2-billion upgrade is also expected to reverse inner city decline and attract investment. According to a report from the City of Johannesburg's development planning, transportation and planning department, the developments will benefit the whole area.
"The Greater Ellis Park area will be a secure, safe, vibrant and sustainable world class, competitive and leading destination of choice for sports and recreation within the City of Johannesburg," says the report. It will be an integrated inner city multi-nodal area offering "highly appealing and diverse opportunities" in which to live, work, visit, educate, shop and relax, according to the report.
The Greater Ellis Park precinct is home to three international sports complexes - the Johannesburg Stadium, Ellis Park Stadium and the city's premier Olympic-size swimming pool.
The project will also see business offices and the commercial and light industrial areas in Doornfontein, New Doornfontein, Troyeville and Lorentzville being given a facelift. The adjacent residential areas of Judith's Paarl, Bez Valley and Bertrams have also been hooked into the proposed developments.
The City of Johannesburg, through its utilities, agencies and corporatised entities, is expected to provide over R500-million to upgrade engineering services and infrastructure.
The public sector is expected to chip in with over R450-million, with the private sector contributing over R800-million.
The rest of the funding will be sourced from donors, the South African Railway Commuter Corporation and Intersite, a state-owned black empowerment property management and development company.
The utilities, agencies and corporatised entities, the South African Railway Commuter Corporation and Intersite will be involved in specific projects "mainly to provide technical support and other resources".
It has been estimated that R67-million will be needed specifically for the preparations for the 2010 Soccer World Cup. This money is expected to come from central government.
According to the City's development planning department, the 2010 Soccer World Cup and the 2011 Rugby World Cup - an event South Africa is currently bidding to host - "are opportunities that could be the catalyst to needed change in the area".
"It is crucial that an environment and mechanisms are created that sell Greater Ellis Park as a place that is ready to host such international events and that these events can be managed in a manner that optimises benefits to the local community and that of the City of Johannesburg," the report states.
The project is seen as complementing the Nasrec Development, a R350-million facelift to FNB Stadium, South Africa's soccer headquarters.
Better known as Soccer City, the 94 000-seat FNB Stadium southwest of Johannesburg is expected to host the final of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, with Ellis Park Stadium being the venue for one of the semi final matches.
"Ellis Park is a sports, educational and commercial hub - unlike Nasrec, which is the home of soccer," said Sibusiso Buthelezi, Johannesburg Development Agency development manager, in October 2004 during a presentation of the plan. "The Ellis Park developments are expected to complement the Nasrec developments," he added.
As part of efforts to improve infrastructure ahead of the number of soccer fans expected for the 2010 Soccer World Cup, the Doornfontein and Ellis Park railway stations will be upgraded, with a new 20 metre-wide subway at the Ellis Park Station to be constructed at a cost of over R26-million.
Like other inner city neighbourhoods, the precinct has been undergoing infrastructural decline and the City plans to extend its Better Buildings Programme - a project aimed at fixing up city slums - to the Greater Ellis Park area.
A R1-billion physical environment upgrade is planned for the precinct, and during the implementation phase of the project 11 148 temporary and 329 permanent jobs will be created.
In Lorentzville, some R39-million will be spent to improve the environment of the Jukskei River Park, with projects including the realigning of the canal, landscaping, river treatment and the building of recreation facilities.
Improvements of roads, pedestrian facilities, public transport facilities and the provision of integrated parking will be part and parcel of developments. About 10 000 parking bays will be constructed and seven kilometres of road and intersection will be upgraded.
In accordance with the City's housing policy to provide sustainable and affordable housing, 3 215 housing units will be built, 780 of which will be for social housing.
Work began in November 2004 and, according to the department of development planning, will be completed by June 2009, with sub-projects crucial for the 2010 Soccer World Cup being completed in June 2008.
January 4, 2005 By Ndaba Dlamini
Information provided with permission by Johannesburg News Agency at www.joburg.org.za