In line with the Tshwane metro’s inner-city regeneration strategy, the council meeting of 27 November approved a report whereby the Caledonian Sport Park will be transformed as a gateway to the inner-city.
The acceptance of this report could most probably herald the end of the Arcadia Shepherds Football Club established in 1903.
The proposed redevelopment of the stadium sent shock waves through the management of the football club.
Lucky Manna, president of the club, said that the council’s decision was taken without any participation of stakeholders and that notices of the participation process was given only after council has already accepted its redevelopment plans.
“We have in the past refused to sign their yearly lease agreement, as we would have then infringed upon and as a consequence made the long term agreement null and void. Council has always been informed of this on every occasion they tried to get us to sign the short leases. We have had legal engagement with them over this,” he said.
“We have appealed against the metro’s development plans. Our club’s appeal represents more than 350 members. We have a better solution and better working model. This model and working document was requested from ourselves by council and accepted by council. We will be holding a rally at the Caledonian stadium in Pretoria, to appeal against a council decision to demolish the football field.”
The appeal rally would be held this week on Thursday at 10:00.
Manna cited documentation dating to 2005 regarding the lease the club obtained from the council and the original Nelson Mandela corridor development project that would see the sports facility and field remaining intact.
“We have organisations that we are linked to with what we envisage, which will benefit the inner-city, residents, and all affected persons without the destruction of the field and the facilities.”
Manna said the city’s proposed redevelopment scheme would lead to an increase in crime and substance abuse in the area. Tourists would be driven away as a result.
“The redevelopment has not been given much consideration and thought by all who have been involved. Nor has the committee approving this had the relevant information or truthful facts to make the right assessment and decision,” he said.
“We as an association/stakeholder/club and interested party have a legal agreement in place with council drawn up and proposed and implemented by the council’s legal representatives of which we have legal proof embodied in documentation sent and received.”
The metro appears set on pushing ahead with its project of about R88,278,000.
The infrastructure and planning document and special mayoral committee reports, of 21 November 2014, identifies this project primary as a gateway to the inner-city. Flowing from this concept, the redesign of the Caledonian sports ground into an inner-city park was initiated. This report provides a detailed description of the redevelopment of the park.
The Caledonian sports ground is at the confluence of the Apies River and Walker Spruit which forms the basis of the inner-city open space design. The sports ground is one of the very few sizeable open spaces left in the inner-city and has been used as a sports ground since 1903.
The document states that the project will cater for a large and growing residential population and office workers. Residents stay in high density environments and have no private open spaces. Space for inner-city events will also be created.
Referring to the design rationale it states that there are a variety of activities proposed for the park that will cater for the various users’ needs. These include a skate park, picnic areas, a large commons, plazas with an information kiosk, coffee shops and the renovated pavilion, which is a heritage building. The skate park is proposed to be at the south-west corner of the Caledonian Park.
It also makes allowance for a park that would cater for all age groups of the surrounding communities such as one which caters for small children and another, which allows older age groups. The play areas will be designed to be robust, colourful and vibrant. Zero depth water features are proposed in these areas to create an interactive feature for the children.
The open piece of lawn central to the park is retained in memory of the original uses of the park as a sport and recreation facility, but also to allow the surrounding residents and other users’ access to a public park with a variety of activities. The commons lawn lends itself to a number of users such as a picnic area, market space, and for performances.
The report also plans for a terraced picnic lawn including markets, large trees and close proximity to parking. The area will also feature a small building at the south-east entrance to the park that will house toilets, an information kiosk and a small tuck shop.
The plaza adjacent to the existing heritage pavilion has been proposed to be fitted with extensive seating areas for people waiting or pausing before continuing on their journey into the city or into the park.
The report calls for a fast track approach to ensure that the construction of the park be completed by the end of March 2016.
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