The City has allocated R1.1m on feasibility studies for the creation of a commercial and recreation node at Strandfontein Pavilion.
This was announced at the City’s Hope Budget online presentation on Tuesday 29 July.
The “Budget of Hope” was designed to enhance access to services; like homelessness support, recreational spaces, and community libraries. It also looks at improving parks and public spaces, said Councillor Francine Higham, the mayoral committee member for community services and health.
Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews said that no new capital expenditure projects were on the cards for the Mitchell’s Plain and Strandfontein coastlines this year but he highlighted several smaller projects for the areas as well as recapping what was upgraded along the Cape Flats coastline in recent years, such as the fixing of “Broken Road”, and the installation of solar lighting, a rubberised play area and braai spaces.
The R1.1million allocated from the Hope Budget for Strandfontein, would be used for processing, assessments, feasibility studies, sub-divisions, land surveying and rezoning in preparation for a planned pavilion upgrade.
The multi-million rand plan, which was presented for public input in 2024, included significantly refurbishing the pavilion and its amenities, improving the quality and capacity of existing facilities, promoting facility clustering, multi-functionality and sharing to reduce operational costs and enhancing under-utilised land for development. Roll out is projected to start in 2026.
A further R4,4 million has also been allocated to improve facilities at Mnandi Beach, the City said in media release earlier this year but there was no new information in the presentation last Tuesday on how this budget would be rolled out.
Urban Catalytic Investements
Also included in the budget, under Urban Catalytic Investments, was an upgrade at the Mitchell’s CBD. The area was included among several “key precincts” that had been earmarked for development. The planned upgrades are aimed at preparing the area for “desification” by building social housing on pockets of lands near transport and business hubs.
The social housing would include “high-density, mixed use housing”.
More detailed technical studies are also planned for the development and expansion of Tafelsig.
Facts about Strandfontein Pavillion
- The pavilion was originally constructed in the 1980s as a day resort.
- It features a unique 300-metre-long windbreak promenade designed to mitigate the harsh south-easterly winds, enhancing the civic scale of the area.
- It has suffered from ageing infrastructure and declining conditions, with parts recently condemned by the City’s Building Inspector.
- The surrounding area has been shaped by storm wave surges and wind-blown sand, which present both challenges and opportunities for revitalisation.
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