Foundation laid at R270m Pietermaritzburg mall

durban - after lengthy delays work has now begun on a regional shopping centre in pietermaritzburg and the centre, which is expected to provide an economic boost for the region, will open in september next year.

the project, kick-started by rand merchant bank (rmb) properties and investec, has been purchased by liberty properties.

a lengthy process getting the extension rights for the land and objections from other commercial property owners delayed the development.

the r270 million development of the liberty midlands mall may dent the coffers of retailers at the pavilion in westville, which attracts a large number of people from pietermaritzburg and the surrounding areas.

a demographic survey commissioned by the developers suggest that the majority of people in this region bypass pietermaritzburg and instead shop at the pavilion in westville.

"we believe the centre will serve the greater midland area," said jim mclean, the managing director at liberty properties.

rob haswell, the director of special projects at the msunduzi municipality, said: "this is a development that pietermaritzburg has needed for years.

a lot of pietermaritzburg's retail spend is going to durban."

rmb properties has already secured about 60 percent of the tenants needed.

the anchor tenants include avalon, which will run the seven cinemas, woolworths, game and pick 'n pay.

the shopping centre will be 38 000m2 with capacity to expand to 58 000m2.

the centre will be built on the site that was previously the corobrik quarry and adjacent land bought from the council.

an offramp will be built from the n3 directly to the centre. the developers will also upgrade surrounding roads to improve access to the centre.

the centre will form part of a retail, office and restaurant node that is being developed on both sides of the n3 highway and will include a mccarthy motor world.

"for the first time in pietermaritzburg's history we are tapping into the passing trade on the n3, which is south africa's busiest long distance route," haswell said.

the new shopping centre will effect retailers in pietermaritzburg's central business district (cbd) but the council has plans to begin a consultative process around revitalising the cbd.

"although the new node on the n3 is decentralised it can also be seen as an extension of the cbd as it is only 2km away from the centre of town," haswell said