44
CONSTRUCTION WORLD
JUNE
2014
PROJECT PROFILE
ew flooring, new light-
ing,
wider
walkways
and reconfiguration of
central areas and some of
the stores are just some
of the modern enhance-
ments which add to the
appeal for shoppers and
visitors to the centre. The 35 818 m
2
(GLA)
Randburg Square is owned by Johannesburg
Stock Exchange listed property loan stock
company, Vukile Property Fund and managed
by JHI Properties, a member of Excellerate
Property Services.
It is conveniently situated in Randburg
CBD close to the intersection of Jan Smuts
Avenue and Bram Fischer Drive, about
300 m from the main Randburg taxi terminus
north of Johannesburg. An office block of
15 127 m
2
and a multi-level parking garage
completes the current offering.
“The redesign process has enabled us
to attract 23 new retail stores to the centre
and we now have a top quality tenant mix
to cater for Randburg Square’s diverse shop-
pers. We anticipate good growth in residen-
tial demand in Randburg going forward,
which should augur well for the centre in the
future. We have already seen footfall to the
centre increase by about 20 percent since the
main refurbishment work was completed
in the last quarter of 2013,” says Vukile CE
Laurence Rapp.
Comments Jaco Nel of JHI Project
Management and project manager respon-
sible for the refurbishment: “This upgrade
has enabled us to reposition 24 existing
tenants within the centre and adjust the
tenant mix to provide a vibrant, value-added
shopping experience to the people of Rand-
burg and visitors to the centre,” he says. Nel
worked on the project under the guidance of
Vukile Property Fund’s Johan le Roux, senior
manager – projects and Itumeleng Mothibeli,
asset manager.
Launched in the late-1970s as Sanlam
Centre Randburg, the retail areas had long
been in need of an extensive revamp to
enable the centre to successfully compete
with contending centres that have since been
developed in the catchment area.
“With almost 100% of the retail shops
having been upgraded, the mall has
attracted some of the major national tenants
such as Shoprite (including OK Furniture),
Woolworths, Edgars, Foschini, Jet Stores,
Truworths, Nedbank, Pepcor, Mr Price and
Ellerines – and foot traffic has increased
considerably,” says Nel.
He says the inspiration for the redevel-
opment was due to great commitment from
retailers who needed a revised asset to take
their businesses to greater heights seeing the
promising potential of the centre.
“The management team also saw an
opportunity to strategically reposition the
tenant mix to meet the needs of the changing
and more diverse market for which the
mall now caters. The current tenant mix
caters for all these customers through a
LIGHTER, BRIGHTER,
Carried out over three
phases at a capital
investment
of approximately
R207-million, the
upgrade of Randburg
Square Mall has
delivered an overall
improved, fresh retail
experience which has
seen the centre enter a
new phase which
is expected to trans-
late into positive
future growth.
Jaco Nel, project manager, JHI Project
Management.
