Zendai Development South Africa, the local subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Shanghai Zendai, said yesterday its plan to develop a city in the suburb of Modderfontein is on track, and that the group is consulting with environmental, community and City of Johannesburg authorities.

The group appointed Atkins Global and Arup as its technical consultants on the project to create an R84bn city in the eastern suburb of Johannesburg. The Chinese company says it will develop the 1,600 hectares into the “New York of Africa”. “Atkins’s scope includes the strategic and operational framework for the development, including land uses, sustainability practices, spatial planning, design and landscaping,” CEO of Zendai Development SA, Anthony Diepenbroek, said.

Arup’s scope covered services and infrastructure master planning, as well as traffic impact assessments,. Zendai has said Modderfontein City will dwarf Sandton, which is the business centre of Johannesburg, and Rosebank, which is being expanded as an economic hub. Traffic congestion, environmental impact and the status of the Modderfontein nature reserve located near the development were the main concerns raised by residents, Mr Diepenbroek said.

He said efforts would be made to maintain the reserve. Zendai’s master plan for Modderfontein City includes five schools, a university, shops, a Gautrain station and a Chinese heritage centre.

Mitigation measures are being put into place to lessen the localised impact and to link into surrounding road networks — these include the completion of the 1.7km Marlboro Drive extension and the completion of 2.4km of roads which link to the London Road off-ramp.

Source: BD