NEW R400m BOUTIQUE CONVENIENCE CENTRE FOR SOMERSET HITS ALL THE RIGHT NOTES
(Somerset West) – Acclaimed national mall developers Abacus Asset Management are hitting all the right notes with their latest venture – a 16,000m² office and convenience shopping centre on the corner of the busy R44 and De Beers Avenue in Somerset West.
Set alongside a rehabilitated water body with views of the mountains and the ocean, The Sanctuary combines AAA-grade office space with South Africa’s leading convenience shopping brands, a cutting edge gym and a niche eateries to suit every taste.
The R400-million, three-storey Stauch Voster (Cape Town) designed building will offer 8,000m² of retail space on the ground floor and a further 8,000m² of office space and a gym on floors one and two.
On track to open in October next year (2016), the three-storey centre has already secured anchor tenants Woolworths Food, Pick n Pay and Virgin Active. Other firsts being introduced by the centre include South Africa’s first Burger King drive-through restaurant in the Helderberg region, which opens this December, as well as popular Gauteng steakhouse franchise, Turn ‘n Tender, which opens with the centre next year.
Abacus Asset Management leasing director Eradus van Antwerpen said the centre would primarily serve Somerset West , Strand and Gordon’s Bay residents. It was the first restaurant hub for Somerset West, he said, adding that the centre would boast extended trading hours and a safe trading environment along a high traffic node.
Abacus Asset Management managing director Gavin Blows said the development was in response to the high demand for premium office space in area and the growth in the residential market “The centre will provide a new dining destination for the residents of the Somerset West and Strand areas, as it will consist of at least eight eateries,” said Blows. “The popular Turn ‘n Tender steakhouse franchise has chosen The Sanctuary as their first offering in the Western Cape, which supports our research of an under-supplied dining demand in the Somerset West and Strand areas.”
Designed to be sensitive to the water body which it surrounds, the centre will also allow for restaurants to trade internally or externally, depending on the weather. The water body, which serves as a storm water retention facility, is being rehabilitated, with the developers implementing a water and landscaping maintenance programme to ensure the natural environment is preserved.
Blows said that prior to Abacus purchasing the property, the water body had been polluted from various sources in the area, which had led to the degradation of bird and plant life around
the pond.
“Since ground-breaking, over 5,000m3 of polluted soil has been removed, the banks the pond have been shaped and, in due course, vegetation will be planted to encourage the return and growth of the bird life in the area,” he said. “A bird and plant education route is planned, and a specialist company has been appointed to monitor the quality of the water once the centre is operational.”
The centre would also feature high-speed connectivity. “As with all new Abacus developments, the shopping centre will be fully networked with optic fibre. Vodacom will provide voice and data services to all retail and office tenants with speeds far in excess of what is currently available,” added Blows.
Abacus Asset Management is chaired by Jaco Odendaal, one of the most successful retail developers in South Africa, and has completed projects around the country, including the recently opened R1.7-billion super-regional Baywest Mall in Port Elizabeth and Matlosana Mall in Klerksdorp. Abacus is also the developer behind Waterstone Village, Eikestad Mall, Cape Town’s Cape Gate shopping centre, Dainfern Square in Johannesburg and the award-winning Mooirivier Mall in Potchefstroom.
The Sanctuary set to become premium Somerset West and Strand office and restaurant hub, offering quality late-night retail trading:
• 6,000m² AAA-grade office space
• 8,000m2 high quality convenience retail
• 2,000m2 Virgin Red gymnasium
• Development upgrades protect the environment
• Firsts include Burger King drive-through and Turn ‘n Tender steakhouse
For leasing enquiries
contact (021) 886 52 62
