December 13 205 15:30
Estienne de Klerk, Growthpoint Properties SA CEO
Growthpoint Properties (JSE: GRT) has opened the Sandton Drive Link Bridge, a R26m infrastructure investment.
Spanning the key arterial route of Sandton Drive, the new pedestrian bridge directly connects Growthpoint’s premium office building, The Place at 1 Sandton Drive, with Sandton City shopping centre.
Designed for safety, accessibility and visual impact, the bridge not only significantly improves convenience for tenants of The Place but also makes it safer for pedestrians to move through Sandton Central, South Africa’s leading business district. By directly linking the two buildings the bridge also connects commercial, retail, residential and public spaces in Sandton Central and Sandown. It also provides street-level pedestrian access convenient for those accessing the services of U.S. Consulate, which neighbours The Place.
The new bridge was developed in close partnership with Sandton City, the Sandton Central Management District and the City of Johannesburg. It is the result of years of planning and a shared commitment to the future of Sandton’s economic hub.
“Sandton Drive Link Bridge is a safe crossing that stands as a beacon to the persistence and partnerships that got this project across the line,” said Estienne de Klerk, SA CEO of Growthpoint Properties.
“Thank you to everyone who believed in this vision and made it a reality. This is an investment that will benefit countless people for many years to come,” he said.
Representatives of Growthpoint, Sandton City and its co-owners Liberty, Standard Bank Group and Pareto Limited, and the bridge’s professional team, together with tenants of 1 Sandton Drive and representatives of Sandton Central Management District, the U.S. Consulate and the media were among the first to walk across the bridge, and over Sandton Drive, at the official opening today.
The bridge underscores Growthpoint’s continued investment in its core portfolio, driven by active asset management and a commitment to precinct-led value creation, the group said.
“This is placemaking in action,” said Timothy Irvine, Head of Asset Management: Offices at Growthpoint. “We’ve enhanced the value and positioning of The Place while improving the safety and experience of everyone moving through this important node,” he said.
Constructed with a focus on durability, safety and design, the bridge features stainless steel balustrades, a glass-covered viewing deck, and lighting.
Growthpoint’s investment in Sandton Central extends beyond its property ownership, which includes assets directly adjacent to The Place and Sandton City, such as The Towers in Alice Lane as well as the Discovery head office, which anchors the Sandton Summit mixed-use precinct where the residential development, Olympus Sandton, recently commenced construction work.
“Through projects like the Sandton Drive Link Bridge, Growthpoint continues to shape South Africa’s leading urban environments by creating places where people, business and investment thrive. It reflects our strategy of value-adding investment in our quality portfolio of core assets and precincts,” said Neil Schloss, Head of Asset Management at Growthpoint Properties.
alistair@propertyflash.co.za
