After what seemed like a rigorius process, the City of Cape Town has announced Mitchell Du Plessis Associates (MDA) as the qualifying bidder for the Foreshore Freeway Precinct development.
In a statement the City said that six proposals were evaluated by a multidisciplinary BEC which considered them against a list of prescribed evaluation criteria.
“MDA’s proposal entails, among others, the completion of the unfinished sections of the freeways – these are the connections to and from Helen Suzman Boulevard; and the connections to and from the N1 and N2 freeways. Furthermore, the development proposes a combination of approximately 3 200 market-related residential units and a minimum of 450 affordable residential units.”
The City’s appointed Bid Evaluation Committee (BEC) has now concluded, the first stage of the bid evaluation process for the Development of the Foreshore Freeway Precinct.
It is proposed that the market-related residential units be located in 11 new tower blocks with heights ranging between 63m, 123m and 143m with views of the mountain, sea and harbours.
Negotiations to conclude an agreement between MDA and The City of Cape Town would commence soon after the expiry of the period provided for bidders to lodge any disputes, objections, complaints and queries.
Brett Herron, Transport and Urban Development Councillor, welcomed the news as a “historical moment” and the first building block of an inclusive inner city. He took to social media.
#ForeshoreFreeway today I was briefed on the outcome of the evaluation of proposals for the future of the unfinished highways & precinct. I’m excited by the prospect of addressing congestion, adding residential units & affordable housing to our inner city. Qualifying bid pics. pic.twitter.com/eATLa0uUZx
— Brett Herron (@brettherron) February 12, 2018
The location of the proposed four precincts is as follows:
• the CTICC parking garage;
• the area between the existing freeways and Heerengracht and DF Malan Street;
• the area between the existing freeways and DF Malan and Jan Smuts Streets; and
• the area between the existing freeways and Jan Smuts and Christiaan Barnard Streets.
Those traveling into the CBD and residence in the area can expect building work to commence in 2020, subject to the successful completion of the Stage 2 process, and all mandatory property disposal, development and other statutory processes, and approvals.
It was said, “given the scale of the proposed development, it will take at least a decade to come to fruition.”