The new Castle Gate lifestyle centre
Photo by: Simone Liedtke
The first phase of the new multibillion-rand Castle Gate mixed-use precinct development in Pretoria will open its doors to the public on November 26.
Home to some of the latest store concepts for the likes of Woolworths, Checkers, Dis-Chem and Builders Warehouse, Castle Gate was built with the aim of “making something that creates convenience and makes life easier,” says Atterbury development manager Raoul de Villiers.
Atterbury is co-developing Castle Gate with the Carl Erasmus Trust, with Atterbury being the leading property developer and investor.
Development of the convenience and lifestyle centre started in 2019, after three years of meticulous planning and approvals to develop the last portion of the original Waterkloof Farm, in Pretoria.
Despite a Covid-19 lockdown related delay earlier this year, and the construction challenges that followed (in terms of sourcing materials, manufacturing and supply), Atterbury was able to accelerate the development of the 23 000 m2 first phase.
Shoppers will have access to more than a dozen restaurants, cafes and fast food options, various health and beauty offerings, medical rooms and various other stores, including PNA, Crazy Store, Pick n Pay Clothing and Animal Affair.
Once all phases are completed, the sizeable development is expected to represent a total investment of R6-billion and 20 000 permanent jobs will have been created as a result.
A large-scale modern, multifaceted development, Castle Gate will ultimately also include 100 000 m2 of office space, 40 000 m2 of specialist medical facilities, and a hotel, as well as 1 100 residential units.
The development of the various phases will be rolled out in response to market demand, Atterbury says.
The precinct will also host 8 ha of protected green areas with walking and running trails.
The centre is eco-friendly and has a solar farm with the capacity to generate around 1 MW of power.
It also has access to three water sources, as it makes use of integrated rainwater harvesting, borehole water with on-site filtration and treatment and municipal water supply.
In terms of accessibility, Castle Gate is adjacent to the N1 highway and is easily accessible from Solomon Mahlangu drive, which has been widened as part of the development, and features a new intersection and traffic signals.
A new bridge was also built over the N1 highway as part of the project, with a convenient link road.