Commercial Guidebook | Real Estate Investor Magazine Commercial Handbook 2013 | Page 30

SMART MOVES KwaZulu-Natal, with architecture that makes full use of the superlative coastal climate and the surrounding natural environment. It is pedestrian-orientated, with several walkways and parks. Dube City demands innovative, best practice design that is founded on the principles of sustainable development. Dube City covers a total area of 12 hectares and offers fully serviced sites that have development rights. It is a master developer driven, high quality, managed public environment that is seeking a green star rating. Dube City is zoned for Special Zone 10 (airport) and, in order to be consistent with a high level of design aesthetic and sustainability, a Design and Review Panel monitors its design and architecture. The first phase of development includes: • Main access roads; • Pedestrian boulevards; • Dube Square, the heart of Dube City -this consists of an urban amphitheatre and stage, water features and restaurants. It will be the meeting place for people from around the world; • 29 Degrees South, the new green star rated office park of Dube TradePort. Dube City is a superb quality and managed public environment. It is part of a 117-hectare Greenfield site, with pedestrian-friendly zones, a tree-lined boulevard, dedicated cycle lanes, Dube Square, and multi-functional lawn spaces. In the Ekurhuleni municipality, which is the local authority and government for Gauteng, plans are underway to create an Aerotropolis around OR Tambo airport. The Aerotropolis concept was approved by Ekur huleni in April 2007 and reviewed and approved in 2011. Since then council officials have worked towards making this a reality. The Ekurhuleni Aerotropolis enjoys national status and forms part of the 2050 national strategic infrastructure programme. 28 Commercial Handbook 2013 The land use for what the metro calls region A has been approved. This region includes the areas closest to the airport like Kempton Park, Germiston and Boksburg central business districts and some industrial areas. At this stage only 21 per cent of the land use in this region is for residential purposes and 23 per cent is industrial areas like Isando, Spartan, Sebenza and Anderbolt. The ORTIA Aerotropolis will attract industries related to time-sensitive manufacturing, e-commerce fulfilment, telecommunication and logistics, hotels, retail outlets, entertainment complexes and offices for business people who travel frequently. It will comprise clusters of business parks, logistics parks, industrial parks, distribution centres, information technology complexes and wholesalers who are located around the airport and along transportation corridors, serving the airport. An Aerotropolis also typically includes Free Trade Zones [FTZs] providing certain incentives for businesses located within this business space. By leveraging on the largest and busiest airport in Africa, the Aerotropolis will provide a new commercial hub for the Gauteng Province, and support both local and international trade through Free Trade Zones and the increased efficiencies related to clustering. Investment opportunities exist for developers in the development of trade and exhibition space, hotels and leisure, industrial and office parks. An Aerotropolis creates a new and innovative urban space providing new commercial hubs and new avenues for revenue as well as job growth and a much-welcomed boost to the country’s economy. For the savvy commercial investor this type of investment offers great returns in the commercial sector. RESOURCES Dube Tradeport www.reimag.co.za