This expansion will compliment the Mall’s substantial retail offering.

Pending rezoning approval, Zenprop hopes to commence with construction of Zevenwacht Village in June 2008 for opening in 2009.

A 3rd phase is also in the pipeline, which will see a further 6 000m2 of freestanding space allocated to the development of a state-of-the-art sports complex, housing one of the major national gyms and a host of specialized sports-related retail.

This will bring the total GLA of the development – originally envisaged as a small neighborhood shopping centre of 16 000m2 – to just over 70 000m2.  “The doubling in size of the original centre, and the decision to introduce two additional specialized retail nodes will allow us to create a substantially stronger, multi-dimensional retail experience that could potentially draw consumers from a far wider catchment area than initially expected”, said Adam Blow, Director of Zenprop Property Holdings (Pty) Ltd.

“The extension of Okavango Drive through Kuilsriver to link up with the Stellenbosch arterial will aid this immensely by offering easier access to the centre from outer-lying areas”, he added.

According to Sean Kimble, Divisional Director at Zenprop, Zevenwacht Mall is currently just over 80% let.  “We have some extremely interesting deals pending, including a number of entirely new retail brands from the Dubai-based Retail Corp stable. Getting the mix right is of paramount importance, and we have been fortunate be able hand pick the best on offer” he said.

Built to a similar contemporary winelands aesthetic as the mall, with lots of natural light, organic elements, and glass roofed walkways, Zevenwacht Village will accommodate approximately 50 additional lifestyle, design, and décor outlets currently unaccounted for in the larger mall. A number of additional upmarket eateries will complete the mix. 

The intention is to link the two centres via an underpass, allowing for ease of vehicular and pedestrian flow between the two buildings on either side on Van Riebeeck Road.  The new site will also offer a further 1000 parking bays.

With ground-breaking developments such as Design Quarter in Johannesburg, Vangate Mall in Cape Town, and Maponya Mall, Soweto’s first mega-mall, Zenprop have earned a formidable reputation for pioneership and innovation.  “We pride ourselves on our ability to interpret and respond quickly to the needs of the market – even if it means that we need to adjust strategy or change direction,” said Adam Blow.  “At Zevenwacht, we set out with one vision, and realized that the socio-economic forces at play within the area demanded another. With burgeoning interest in the region, and residential development at an all time high, we’ve simply allowed the development to evolve accordingly”. 

Not surprisingly, real estate sales within the area at large – and the forthcoming off-plan marketing of upmarket units at the nearby Zevenwacht Lifestyle Estate – are being greatly facilitated by the development of Zevenwacht Mall, according to Malieta Botha of Seeff Properties. 

Construction at Zevenwacht Mall is on track for opening in April 24, 2008, with the opening of Zevenwacht Village anticipated for June 2009.