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BC offered the “ultimate shopping experience”
Posted on: Friday, 28 July 2006. Article source: Daily Dispatch
THE Billion Group is to build an R800-million upmarket shopping centre in East London – adjacent to Hemingways Casino alongside the N2.
Hemingways Mall is the second shopping centre to be built by the group in this area – the first is a R125m shopping centre currently under construction in the heart of Mdantsane.
The group, which bought the seven-hectare site from Tsogo Sun, is also behind a R1,2 billion golf course development in Gonubie which will have a five-star hotel.
A Billion Group statement said the new development was intended to be an exclusive flagship for East London that offered the “ultimate shopping experience”.
The ground floor of the mall will link directly to the casino through upmarket restaurants and an entertainment node that will cater for all age groups – from toddlers to teenagers and adults.
“The mix will include among others, a children’s play and learning centre, a skateboard park, seasonal aero-jump, tenpin bowling and a theatre,” the statement continued.
Work on the site will commence in September, and the opening is planned for the end of October 2008.
It would also bring road infrastructure improvement to the N2 off-ramps, Western Avenue and widen the bridge over the N2, the statement said.
Les Holbrook, chief executive of Border-Kei Chamber of Business, welcomed the new mall, saying it was “a very good investment” for the city.
“It is good to see that South African businesses are investing in new infrastructures locally.”
News of the development comes just four months after plans for an upmarket mall in Beacon Bay, called Eastport, were announced.
This mall will be located almost across the road from Retail Park near the off-ramp from the N2.
That announcement came hot on the heels of another, at the end of January, about a R3bn mega-mall, larger than anything in the province, at a mystery location.
Two announcements were made in November – one about a R500m East Coast Mall planned for Gonubie’s Main Road where Cocabana now stands, and the other about a R200m upgrade for Vincent Park.
In October, the Billion Group revealed their plans for the Mdantsane shopping centre.
Plans are also afoot for a second new shopping centre on Gonubie Main Road.
BCM’s director for development planning, Craig Sam, confirmed there were about five developers interested in building malls in various spots around the city.
The municipality was “quite excited about the developments”, he said, although only one might end up coming through.
“(But) we don’t favour any one in particular,” he emphasised.
Pick ’n Pay will be the food anchor for the ground floor and will occupy some 6000m² retail space at Hemingways Mall, along with a tenant mix that would include a strong representation of banks and homeware stores, along with florists, optometrists, coffee shops, restaurants, a fast food court and a theatre.
The homeware tenants will include Mr Price Home, Boardmans and Home Comfort.
The first floor tenant mix will include exclusive boutiques for fashion, jewellery, sunglasses, shoes and some coffee shops.
National clothing retailers would also be represented by the Edcon Group, Truworths, Mr Price and Pepkor.
The centre will provide ample secure parking under the centre on three parking levels at six bays per 100m².
Hemingways Mall is the second shopping centre to be built by the group in this area – the first is a R125m shopping centre currently under construction in the heart of Mdantsane.
The group, which bought the seven-hectare site from Tsogo Sun, is also behind a R1,2 billion golf course development in Gonubie which will have a five-star hotel.
A Billion Group statement said the new development was intended to be an exclusive flagship for East London that offered the “ultimate shopping experience”.
The ground floor of the mall will link directly to the casino through upmarket restaurants and an entertainment node that will cater for all age groups – from toddlers to teenagers and adults.
“The mix will include among others, a children’s play and learning centre, a skateboard park, seasonal aero-jump, tenpin bowling and a theatre,” the statement continued.
Work on the site will commence in September, and the opening is planned for the end of October 2008.
It would also bring road infrastructure improvement to the N2 off-ramps, Western Avenue and widen the bridge over the N2, the statement said.
Les Holbrook, chief executive of Border-Kei Chamber of Business, welcomed the new mall, saying it was “a very good investment” for the city.
“It is good to see that South African businesses are investing in new infrastructures locally.”
News of the development comes just four months after plans for an upmarket mall in Beacon Bay, called Eastport, were announced.
This mall will be located almost across the road from Retail Park near the off-ramp from the N2.
That announcement came hot on the heels of another, at the end of January, about a R3bn mega-mall, larger than anything in the province, at a mystery location.
Two announcements were made in November – one about a R500m East Coast Mall planned for Gonubie’s Main Road where Cocabana now stands, and the other about a R200m upgrade for Vincent Park.
In October, the Billion Group revealed their plans for the Mdantsane shopping centre.
Plans are also afoot for a second new shopping centre on Gonubie Main Road.
BCM’s director for development planning, Craig Sam, confirmed there were about five developers interested in building malls in various spots around the city.
The municipality was “quite excited about the developments”, he said, although only one might end up coming through.
“(But) we don’t favour any one in particular,” he emphasised.
Pick ’n Pay will be the food anchor for the ground floor and will occupy some 6000m² retail space at Hemingways Mall, along with a tenant mix that would include a strong representation of banks and homeware stores, along with florists, optometrists, coffee shops, restaurants, a fast food court and a theatre.
The homeware tenants will include Mr Price Home, Boardmans and Home Comfort.
The first floor tenant mix will include exclusive boutiques for fashion, jewellery, sunglasses, shoes and some coffee shops.
National clothing retailers would also be represented by the Edcon Group, Truworths, Mr Price and Pepkor.
The centre will provide ample secure parking under the centre on three parking levels at six bays per 100m².
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