SA Affordable Housing May - June 2019 // Issue: 76 | Page 32

PROJECTS The Jewel City site where construction is underway to bring an amenity-rich mixed-use affordable housing precinct to the Johannesburg CBD. Derrick Pautz, Atterbury development manager. Residents are expected to move into their Jewel City apartments from November this year as the first floors of residential development are completed. Upper floors will be available first, moving down the buildings until all floors are finished with Phase 1 completion in April 2020. The precinct also includes commercial space and parking. There is already good progress on leasing the development’s first 14 000m 2 of commercial space, which includes a primary and high school and medical facilities. “Jewel City is enjoying excellent buy-in from major national retailers, which are showing keen interest and commitment,” reports Pautz. The world-class ‘live, work, play’ Jewel City will connect with two other Divercity projects including the new Towers Main redevelopment in the ABSA precinct and its vibey Maboneng residential addresses. This link will be facilitated with a people-friendly walkway along Fox Street. “We’re excited to break down the walls of Jewel City and open up great living opportunities and enhanced quality of life for people in the city,” says Pautz. The development is a massive boost for the economy of Johannesburg and will create an estimated 1 279 temporary jobs and 25 permanent jobs and add to both the municipal and national tax base. Jewel City is expected to have a total development value of more than R1.2-billion once complete. CHALLENGES AND IMPACT “Some elements of difficulty of this development include the affordability pressures that tenants face that demands extreme cost-awareness from the development team to bring the project to market as affordably as possible. Also, being an inner-city rejuvenation project, the sites are 30 MAY - JUNE 2019 "The fact that this development is in the inner city already makes it a very sustainable solution." constrained and site access for delivery of materials is a constant challenge,” says Carel Kleynhans, director at Ithemba Property Development. However, urban densification is essential for reducing the overall cost of housing delivery, reducing its environmental impact and providing easy access to job opportunities and social amenities for households. This project serves as proof that well-located affordable housing precincts are commercially viable. ELEMENTS OF EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY “Most significantly, the fact that this development is in the inner city is what makes it very sustainable. For its residents, its proximity to job opportunities and amenities dramatically reduces commuting time and distance,” Kleynhans adds. In addition, the development utilises existing infrastructure rather than requiring new infrastructure to be installed to a greenfield site. In terms of services, the residential buildings feature heat pumps for hot water generation, low flow shower heads and taps, dual flush toilets and smart metering for both water and electricity. www.saaffordablehousing.co.za