The City of Johannesburg says its Development Planning Department is facing significant challenges following the closure of the Metro Centre in Braamfontein due to structural defects identified in a technical report, with physical records for property development, compliance, and legal processes having been temporarily locked inside the premises.
According to a press release issued by the municipality, the Development Planning Department recently received approval for limited daily access to the Metro Centre with staff members allocated two hours each weekday to retrieve files. “However, logistical difficulties and limited workforce have hampered the process, leading to backlogs in retrieval and proper filing efforts.”
The City has also had to reinforce its security measures around the building to prevent vandalism.
While the Development Planning Department is mobilising additional staff from its offices across the city to support record management efforts and to facilitate the retrieval and filing of records, the City says it is prioritizing the urgent appointment of a service provider to scan/digitize all building plans and town planning records via a secure digital platform for remote public access with the procurement process for the service provider expected to be finalised by the end of July 2025.
“The City is working with National Treasury to appoint a Transactional Advisor for the redevelopment of the Metro Centre which will ensure that the City moves away from renting office accommodation from the private sector but utilises its own refurbished offices that will be fit for purpose … In this regard, National Treasury has commenced with the SCM processes, which should be finalised by the end of June 2025.”
The City says its Development Planning Department is relocating to new offices in Newtown.
Services to the public will be available from the 25th of June 2025.
