Located on the on the corner of Outspan and Rivonia Roads in Morningside, Sandton, the community centre was recently purchased by Flanagan & Gerard Property Development and Investment and Grapnel Property Group which have secured the rights for this vibrant redevelopment.

1 April 2008 will mark the centre’s last day in its current guise. It will be completely demolished to make way for a new AAA grade retail centre with a unique tenant mix designed to provide convenient, quality lifestyle retail to the immediate trade area, which includes some of South Africa’s wealthiest suburbs: Morningside, Duxberry, River Club, Sandhurst, Sandown, Rivonia and stretching into the eastern portions of Bryanston.

Construction, which will incorporate the site’s existing infrastructure, including electricity supply, will commence some six to eight weeks after demolition within a safely contained site.

The redevelopment will create a substantially larger two-level Morningside Shopping Centre with a vibrant new tenant mix which is both exciting and relevant to its market. It is set to open in May 2009.

The new architectural design is ‘Aramani’ inspired with clean lines expressing simple elegance and a palate comprising shades of white creating a timeless classic.

The new design utilises the fall across the site to offer ground floor shopping at the Rivonia Road level and ground floor shopping off Waggon Street to the west of the site. The two levels will be linked by lifts and escalators in a naturally lit central atrium. Vehicle access to the centre will be available from both roads.

As part of the Morningside Shopping Centre redevelopment the new owners, in conjunction with the JRA, will be improving the roads in the immediate area, such improvements are to include inter alia, the rationalising of access and egress to and from the site and the signalisation of the Outspan Road / West Road intersection. Rivonia Road will also be gaining three extra lanes in the vicinity of the centre – two for southward bound vehicles and one for those travelling north.

Generous open and covered parking will be provided, with the open parking featuring one tree for every three parking bays in line with the emphasis on indigenous landscaping and the aesthetic ‘greening’ of the site.

Furthermore a number of green building technologies are being investigated to ensure the new centre is as energy efficient as possible. Initiatives include maximising natural lighting, air flows, shading, the recirculation of water and even harvesting of rain water for irrigation.

Having experienced a steady flow of requests from retailers seeking space in the new prime grade retail development, John Rowberry of Flanagan & Gerard explains that in light of the important role that Morningside Shopping Centre plays in its community, a highly selective leasing process is being undertaken.

“Our research has shown that the community most wants those tenants which will provide its daily needs. Existing tenants which have proven both successful retailers and popular with customers will be retained while the intention is to broaden the offering. Our emphasis will be on personally run businesses rather than brands and franchises,” says Rowberry.

The planned tenant mix will be led by a niche food store, and should encompass, specialist food stores, services such as banks, hairdressers, health and beauty professionals, book and music stores, unique coffee shops and patisseries, restaurants and fast food stores and speciality traders that will add to the offering to cater for needs of the community.