South Africa plans R2.2bn redevelopment of Pretoria's vacant Telkom Towers precinct
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Public Works Minister Dean Macpherson says the department will refurbish all nine buildings in the long-vacant Telkom Towers precinct, with a Request for Information due to the market as early as next week.
South Africa's Department of Public Works and Infrastructure has announced plans to redevelop the long-vacant Telkom Towers precinct in Pretoria at an estimated cost of between R1.8 billion and R2.2 billion, with all nine buildings on the site set to be refurbished.
Minister of Public Works Dean Macpherson said at a press briefing on Thursday that the department had finalised a memorandum of understanding with the Infrastructure Finance and Implementation Support Agency (IFISA) and would issue a Request for Information (RFI) to the market as early as next week.
The RFI will seek market input on the technical refurbishment and upgrading of the precinct, potential public-private partnership models, commercial viability and funding, as well as the long-term operation and maintenance of the property.
"Once completed, the department will have 106,000 square metres of gross leasable area that can be used to maximise state revenue through existing or new clients," Macpherson said, adding that the redevelopment is expected to create more than 5,300 direct construction jobs.
Macpherson said the RFI would also look at including nearby government-owned properties, including Public Works House, the department's head office, and the Central Government Offices building. Refurbishing Public Works House is estimated at about R2.2 billion and could unlock 63,768 square metres of office space and about 5,700 jobs, while the Central Government Offices is expected to cost about R560 million and provide 41,739 square metres of office space and about 1,600 jobs.
He said the three projects could together create more than 12,700 construction jobs and unlock about 212,000 square metres of office space. The minister has separately ordered a review of a forensic report into the R700 million acquisition of the Telkom Towers complex, citing significant inadequacies in the original report.