On the 26th of April 2023, the Cape Town City Council will consider authorising public comment on the ten-year renewal of the King David Mowbray golf club. The lease timeframe, and the introduction of a new two-year cancellation clause, follows the municipality identifying the site for mixed-use development, including residential, in a pre-feasibility study concluded in 2022.
The lease renewal timeframe will enable continued usage of the site while the City undertakes the necessary planning for substantial upgrades to municipal infrastructure to enable future development.
The current lessee is a registered NPO responsible for the estimated R6 million annual maintenance and security cost of the property, aside from the R10 000 per annum golf tariff applicable to all golf courses on City land for the 2023/2024 financial year. The City has however noted that the lessee has made significant contributions to the upgrading of the property over time.
“The proposed lease period enables secure use of the site and saves costs while the City plans for substantial infrastructure upgrades to enable future mixed-use development, including road network improvements, electrical and waste water treatment infrastructure. These development planning and infrastructure processes will take some time, hence the proposed ten-year lease period and the new two-year cancellation clause,” commented Alderman James Vos, Mayoral Committee Member for Economic Growth.
The City said it would provide further details on public participation should Council authorise the comment process.