Cape Town - Irate residents have raised concerns regarding the demolition of a building built in 1929 in Regent Road Sea Point which is set for the development of a hotel while the Sea Point City Improvement District revealed the commercial strip reached half a billion rand over the last five years to seven years and continues to grow.
The City’s Deputy Mayor and Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Eddie Andrews confirmed that development was set for 57 Regent Road, Sea Point which is also home to Brad’s Grill Sea Point and Canonbury buildings.
“The City’s Development Management Department can confirm the approved building plan for 57 Regent Road proposes a hotel and the demolition process commenced on Thursday, 24 October 2024,” he said.
Details of the development have yet to be revealed.
Heritage Western Cape was also approached for comment about the development but did not respond.
Via their Facebook page, The Atlantic Seaboard Community Forum, residents said they were horrified that more developments would see heritage buildings being demolished and an increase in congestion.
The Weekend Argus also approached Sea Point Fresnaye Bantry Bay Ratepayers Association for comment but they did not respond.
In a statement, the Sea Point City Improvement District said local property developers said that commercial investment to the Sea Point commercial strip tops half a billion rands over the last five to seven years and the area continues to boom.
“The Sea Point CID, with its emphasis on top-up security and cleansing services and show little tolerance for anti-social behaviour such as graffiti, littering and public misdemeanour, and this is a major contributor to increased investor confidence,” they said.
“The CID was the initiative of a group of local role players from both the business and security areas, supported by the local authority.
“They got the green light from local business and property owners, about eight years ago and started to make inroads into what was fast becoming a rather rundown and seedy suburb.”
“Sea Point started to see the turn around just over 10 years ago when the notorious Sizzlers murders (in which eight men were killed in an attempted robbery) took place and residents, led by the local police forum, gave an anti-crime memorandum to government officials.
“Business owners supported the formation of the CID which assisted with the clean-up of the area.
“The increased security attracted investment as slum buildings were cleaned up.
“Refurbished upmarket residential/ retail ‘mixed use’ buildings such as, The Firmount, then followed suit and this soon led to other exciting developments along Main and Regent Roads.
“In the past three to five years the area has seen the development of several upmarket venues, the most well-known being St John’s Piazza, the Arthur’s Road development, the ABSA bank refurbishment, Da Luz Mall and new King’s Hotel complex, the Atlantic Christian Assembly building and conference centre, the Palms retirement centre, the Equinox (formerly Medical Centre building), the new commercial hub beneath the Ritz Hotel and most recently, refurbished shops and office space on the corner of St John’s Road and Main Road.”