WATCH: Site of round post office in CBD to become home to R235-m apartment block
Tenants will be able to access their homes via Kempton Square, through a secure entrance with biometric turnstiles and on-site surveillance
Soon, Kemptonians will no longer need to travel to New York City to see Central Park.
Last week Thursday, One Property Holdings broke ground on a new development in the heart of Kempton Park on the corner of Monument Road and Central Avenue. Due to its location, it will be named after its much bigger equivalent in the USA.
According to CEO of the development Chris van Reenen its location on Central Avenue won’t be the only reason for the development’s name.
“We will try to combine an urban environment with a green living space,” he said.
The development, worth about R235-million, will have seven floors once completed. One of these floors will be for retail space, while the others will house 628 apartment units.
Tenants will be able to access their homes via Kempton Square, through a secure entrance with biometric turnstiles and on-site surveillance. The retail and parking space will be closed and locked after hours for residents’ protection.
This structure, designed by Alsfine and Angus Architects, promises to be eco and economically friendly. It will have LED lighting, energy saving technology, reduced mechanical ventilation systems and low-maintenance materials, such as face brick. The building will also generate hot water through a centralised heat pump system. The top of the building will have a green space, covered braai area and basketball court.
“This makes for a healthy building,” Van Reenen said. “It is important to recycle existing structures in the CBD.”
Residents will have many public transport options, including a formalised taxi rank and the Gautrain, both within walking distance.
The building will also have a pick-up and drop-off zone. A community liaison officer has been appointed to ensure that skilled labourers from the two wards adjacent to the shopping centre are employed.
According to the development’s chairperson Selwyn Smith, construction will be done in three phases. The first phase is set to be completed by January next year when tenants will already be able to move in.
