Frustration is mounting among residents of Norwood and Orange Grove as Paterson Park, a R10 million flagship urban renewal project meant to deliver a safer, more accessible and environmentally friendly public space, remains closed with no clear timeline for reopening.

Ward 73 councillor Eleanor Huggett has described the park’s trajectory as a “rollercoaster of disastrous management”, raising concern over its prolonged closure and visible deterioration.

Residents say they are still waiting for answers on when the long-delayed project will finally be opened to the public. The upgrade was thought to have been completed in 2017.

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“This area is a jungle of weeds and blackjacks. State-of-the-art equipment for children has sat unused for seven years. The children are desperate to play, but they are forced to look at it through a gate,” said Huggett.

Further concerns, including vandalised bridges, overgrown wetlands, and infrastructure issues, such as a collapsed storm water drain and sinkholes along the newly widened river channels.

She also raised an alarm over the heritage Paterson Park Bowling Club, which was used as a contractor’s office and left with unpaid water and electricity bills.

In response, the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and Johannesburg City Parks and Zoo (JCPZ) said the park has reached practical completion and is undergoing final snag-list repairs. They explained that the park remains closed to the public until safety, quality, and accessibility standards are met.

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“The current overgrowth is temporary and forms part of the final conditioning phase,” the JDA and JCPZ said. “Routine maintenance will begin after official handover to JCPZ, which will ensure ongoing upkeep and safety.”

Huggett dismissed these explanations as vague.

“Everything seems to be pending or in the process of being resolved. Residents have been waiting for nearly eight years. Millions were spent, yet the gates remain closed, and the park is deteriorating. Open the park. Let the children play.”

Meanwhile, the Johannesburg Property Company clarified that delays in the surrounding housing development were due to non-responsive bids and ongoing procurement processes.

Plans to relocate nearby Johannesburg Roads Agency and Pikitup depots have also been delayed, pending reassessment with relevant stakeholders.

Paterson Park was intended as a green, community-focused precinct with meandering rivers, indigenous flora, and inclusive housing, a vision now undermined by administrative delays, neglect, and stalled municipal processes.

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