Rawson Developers have once again confirmed their faith in Cape Town’s central Southern Suburbs by buying two new sites for redevelopment – and on the first of these properties – the first sales launch will be seen within three months.
View of Main Road Rondebosch, where Rawson Developers has purchased several small houses (visible on the left hand side) for a future development.
Paul Henry, Managing Director of Rawson Developers, says that the total outlay for the new sites is in the region of R70 million.
These new developments will bring the total number of new projects launched by Rawson Developers in the Rondebosch, Claremont and Kenilworth areas to eight.
The first site is in Upper Kenilworth. It covers 6,500 m2 and is currently occupied by a typical 1960s block of flats, which Henry has described as “lacking any intrinsic architectural merit and is therefore ripe for demolition”.
Rawson Developers will erect a five storey apartment complex in its place which will face north and will have good views of the southern spine of Table Mountain – because none of the adjacent buildings are higher than two stories.
The apartments will vary in size from 39 m2 studio units to 45 m2 one bedroom units and 60 m2 two bedroom units. Each two bedroom unit will have its own balcony.
The price range, said Henry, will be set so that it is absolutely right for the current market, i.e. from R700,000 to R1,1 million.
Parking will be provided for residents and their guests on site in an adjacent two level parking facility and the entire site will, as always, be protected by security fencing. A trademark feature of this development, as with all of Rawson Developers’ latest projects, is that units will be accessed via an upmarket foyer which will be manned on a 24/7 basis by a concierge.
“Let me assure any prospective buyers that, as at Rondebosch Oaks, River’s Edge, River Song and The Rondebosch (Rawson Developers previous developments in this precinct), these units will offer excellent value and will be ideal for the buy-to-let investors. The number of these investors,” said Henry, “is constantly increasing as investors once again realize the value of investing in well positioned and desirable residential developments.”
Henry added that the development is already zoned for apartments/sectional title development and as the new complex will undoubtedly be an improvement on the old one, planning approval, with all necessary amendments, will be achieved by May 2013. Rawson Developers hope to start marketing this development in June this year, with construction starting in January 2014 and handovers are scheduled for March 2015.
The second site purchased by Rawson Developers is close to the Rawson Property Group Head Office at 222 Main Road, Rondebosch – on the corners of Main and Klipper Road – opposite the attractive Great Westerford office complex. The site is presently occupied by rows of single storey homes and shops, some in a bad state of neglect. In their place, said Henry, Rawson Developers will erect a six storey apartment building made up of 80 one and two bedroom units, but at this stage, he said, he cannot give a date for the launch. However, he did say that whatever design is chosen, it will definitely complement this historic Rondebosch precinct.
At another site in the Rondebosch area, Rawson Developers is in the final stages of obtaining approval for a 40 unit security estate where every one of the homes will be freestanding. Henry said that he hopes to be able to make an announcement on this development soon and, he said, nothing of this sort, in the development world, has been seen in the central Southern Suburbs in recent years. The average price here, he estimates, will be around R3 million.
“The new purchases,” Henry repeated, “will keep Rawson Developers active in Cape Town’s central Southern Suburbs and entrench them as one of the Cape’s most active developers.”
“There are,” said Henry, “great advantages in being able to keep one’s construction staff permanently busy without any layoffs – and I am happy to say that it looks as though we will be able to achieve this.”
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