Bright plan for retail district
"The purpose of a CID is to enhance and supplement municipal services in the area," said Steffny.
Parts of Mbombela could soon sport a facelift as the area around the Sonpark shopping center might become a legislated City Improvement District (CID). Property owners in the area met with Ms Anne Steffny, South Africa’s expert on CID establishment on Friday to discuss the feasibility of Sonpark becoming a CID.
The meeting was part of the first phase of planning the CID, and the move will depend on votes by the potential members.
The proposed boundary includes both sides of the R40 stretching from Nelspruit Primary to the R40 intersection with the Old Pretoria Road. Sonpark, Road Lodge, City Lodge, Lowveld Trust (Pick n Pay and SARS buildings), Crossing Shopping Centre, the “green belt” (the marshland traversing Crossing) and a number of private residences are prospective inclusions in the CID business plan.
“Pending the property owners’ decisions, the CID could include additional properties north of Prime Corner right up to the railway bridge,” said CID manager Ms Renate Scholle. “Ultimately the property owners’ vote will define the boundaries.” She added that the vote would take place during the third phase of the CID establishment process and the current feasibility study was only the start.
“The purpose of a CID is to enhance and supplement municipal services in the area,” said Steffny. The board of directors of the CID will consist mostly of property and business owners along with a representative of the city council. The board will work closely with private security companies, schools and the municipality to enhance service delivery and safety and thereby also promote patronage and tourism in the area.
“This area is the gateway to the city,” said one of the potential members. “It needs to be clean and well-managed so as to welcome tourists.”
Steffny has been involved in establishing CIDs in South Africa for about 20 years and says there has been a notable improvement in patronage and social cohesion in these areas. She has assisted in establishing over 20 CIDs in Johannesburg alone and countless CIDs across the country, including one in Mbombela. “The Riverside Park CID has delivered spectacular results. I would say it is one of the best ones,” she said.
The notion of another CID was welcomed by the property owners. They discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the area with Steffny and showed a keen interest in uplifting their space. Steffny and the CID’s steering committee will now engage with residents and the municipality to initiate phase two: the development of a three-year business plan.
