Business Opportunities
Phase 1
Location:
Beachfront
Precincts: Esplanade & Marina Glen Complex (partial)
PILOT SITES
The Agency has demarcated the municipal land in the Esplanade and part of the Marina Glen (Caravan Park) as pilot sites for development in the Beachfront area. These sides are earmarked for commercial, residential and recreational types of development.
The following map indicates the geographical location of the 3 pilot project sites earmarked for initial development in the Beachfront area.
Nahoon Mouth
Location: Beachfront & Quigney
Precincts: Nahoon Mouth, Marina Glen, Sports Precinct, Race Track & Sleeper Site
Phase 2
Marina Glen Complex
The Marina Glen complex represents one of the more complex and difficult developmental challenges on the East London sea front. This complex fronts onto one of South Africa’s finest beaches and is backed by natural vegetation of a high order. The area is a popular recreational destination forthe sub–region’s populace but its significant potential is presently seriously impaired by the activities and behaviour of a small group of anti-social users whose activities (including vandalism, drunkenness, bush cutting and bottle throwing) drive away the traditional market of family beach-goers.
Sports Precinct
This precinct contains a wide array of high order recreational assets in an unparalleled natural and scenic setting. Facilities within this precinct include the Buffalo Park Cricket Stadium, East London Golf Club, Softball Stadium, Astro Turf, Badminton Hall, Golf Driving Range, Nahoon Point Surfing area, coastal walks, and a paleo-anthropological site which features amongst others 100 000 year-old footprints of Homo Sapiens.
Sleeper Site
The Greater Sleeper site is an inner-city ‘brownfields’ precinct, wherein an extensive 50 ha land tract, no longer needed for rail based freight logistics, lies vacant or under-utilised. Not withstanding market interest in the area and municipal initiative, no development has occurred in the precinct due to institutional weaknesses and policy choices by Transnet as landholder.
Race Track (New Precint)
The Race Track is a new precinct, not covered by the Pre- Feasibility Study (2004). It is geographically located within the East London Industrial Zone (ELIDZ). The CEOs of the ELIDZ and BCDA convened a series of meetings and decided to give the BCDA the mandate to develop the Race Track area. The area has huge potential for residential, recreational and commercial types of development. It is planned that feasibility and environmental impact assessment studies will be conducted prior to the commencement of development projects in the area.
Phase 3
Location: Quigney & CBD
Precincts: Signal Hill & CBD
Signal Hill
This area has been classified as a precinct
because of its unique physical attributes derived from being located at the harbour mouth with excellent harbour and sea views. The precinct can be split into two zones, the upper zone on Signal Hill itself, immediately adjacent to the business district and Quigney, and the lower zone fronting onto Orient beach, the harbour wall and the current container terminal. This lower zone has considerable longer term potential as a marina/harbour entrance development but, since its realisation requires the relocation of the currently operating container terminal, which may not be a realistic option, the development scenario used in this feasibility study focuses exclusively on the upper zone and establishes a development option that is viable irrespective of the container terminal outcomes.
Phase 4 (EVALUATION)
This phase is anticipated to be achieved in 2012. It marks the end of the first cycle of development earmarked for the Beachfront, Quigney and the CBD. At this point, the Agency proposes to be evaluated and the impact of all projects implemented need to be assessed. Thus a Socio-Economic Cost Benefit Analysis should be conducted and recommendations for the future of the Agency put forward. During this phase, municipal elections will be conducted and the outputs of this exercise are anticipated to assist the politicians (decision-makers) in determining the future desirability of the Agency.
