Joint developers on the Sandton Gate precinct project, Abland and Tiber, have broken ground on Phase 1 of the development, with the start of bulk earthworks.

Phase 1 will include 15 500 m² of commercial space, 13 000 m² of P-grade office space and a 2 500 m² gym positioned on the piazza level of the building.  

Additionally, the first phase will also include the development of 140 modern open-plan apartments, which will range from two- to three-bedroom apartments, as well as four-bedroom penthouses.

The residential development will be completed in parallel to the commercial development.

“From a commercial aspect, we are already attracting high-end commercial users. The precinct is very flexible and can cater to the tenants’ requirements when it comes to space. We can serve almost anyone in the industry that wants to be in a well-managed environment,” says Abland marketing and leasing director Grant Silverman.

Owing to the magnitude of the development and to ensure access into the precinct is seamless from all directions, new intersections on William Nicol, between Mattie and Sandton drive, will be introduced to deal with the ingress and egress traffic at the precinct.

“People like being within the Sandton area because it’s the richest square mile in Africa, but you don’t necessarily want to be in the middle of the congestion. We’re developing a pedestrian-friendly live-work-play precinct right on its doorstep, which will integrate commercial, retail and residential, making it unparalleled to other mixed-use precincts,” Silverman enthused.

He added that the precinct is being created with a safe and secure environment with seamless connectivity for everyone who enters the Sandton Gate precinct, where all amenities will be within walking distance.

The precinct will be Green Star South Africa rated and is being used as a pilot in the development of the precinct rating tool by the Green Building Council of South Africa.

The entire stretch of river adjoining the site will be rehabilitated and upgraded as part of the project, which the project developers believe will encourage cyclists and local residents to make use of the open space and the other amenities provided.