Housing lobby group Ndifuna Ukwazi has welcomed the City’s proposal for the Green Point Bowling Green land to be used for a mixed-use development including affordable housing, but questioned how affordable they will actually be.
The mayoral committee has given the greenlight for a public participation process to release prime property in Green Point for mixed-use development.
The matter is expected to serve before Council next month for authorisation to commence public participation.
The property is situated at 1 Three Anchor Bay Road, Green Point, connected to key destinations along the Atlantic Seaboard and Cape Town’s CBD.
Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the City envisages a mixed-used development to help drive economic and socio-economic benefits while increasing affordable housing in the area.
The city further intends to retain existing community amenities such as the library service point and civic hall on the site, with the land release process set to identify parts of the site that may need to remain in public ownership to accommodate this.
“This Green Point site represents some of the highest value land in the southern hemisphere, with an estimated desktop market value of R680 million.
“This is a long-term development that will bring major economic and social benefits for Cape Town, making our city an even better place to live as part of our vision to build a City of hope for all,” said Hill-Lewis.
He said they will consider the possible inclusion of the existing tenants where feasible.
There are four active leases in place on the site that will be considered based on the outcome of the planned specialist studies.
The City is expecting to engage the tenants and all existing use rights to the site are due to expire by September 2025.
A heritage impact assessment (HIA) will also be required as part of the process, and a socio-economic and market demand analysis will be undertaken to inform a suitable mix of land uses and residential affordability options for the development.
“The next step is for this item to go to Council for approval before we embark on the public participation process.
“This is a long-term project, and the road ahead will include detailed studies into the best development plan for the site that resonates with the market, while advancing the city’s socio-economic objectives. We will provide ongoing updates to stakeholders and residents regarding public engagement and comment periods,” said mayco member for economic growth, James Vos.
According to Ndifuna Ukwazi Researcher Nick Budlender, they have been campaigning alongside other civil rights organisations for the “criminally underutilised” piece of well-located public land to be developed into affordable housing since 2018.
“Ndifuna Ukwazi welcomes the proposed release and development of the Green Point Bowling Green site. However, we are increasingly worried about how many affordable homes will be included and how affordable they will actually be.
“A major red flag is that the City expects to extract maximum value for this land, a decision that may very well prevent any genuinely affordable homes from being built on the site.
“We will monitor progress closely and push the City to prioritise providing well-located affordable homes for the people that need them most. We should also note that the City previously spent a significant amount of money on external consultants to produce plans for the site and then took no action.
“We hope that this waste will not be repeated and that the development will be approached with the necessary urgency,” said Budlender.
Cape Times