25 April 2008

By Ndaba Dlamini

THE City will spend over R120-million on upgrading the Nasrec precinct in preparation for the 2010 Fifa World Cup™. This was announced by Executive Mayor Amos Masondo at the Expo Centre at Nasrec, in Soweto, on Monday, 21 April.

He said the money would be used mainly to rent and upgrade the required halls and facilities from the Expo Centre.

"In addition, the City will provide various services relating to electricity installation, security and monitoring, waste removal, health and transport."

Nasrec is one of Johannesburg's oldest and largest exhibition centres. Thousands of broadcasters from around the world will be based at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC) at the site for the six week of the 2010 Fifa World Cup™. Germany hosted 13 400 accredited TV commentators, camera crew and technical staff at its IBC during the last World Cup, in 2006.

The upgrades to the precinct were approved in 2001 as a development node to bridge the spatial planning gap between the south and the north of Johannesburg. Already, the City has partnered with the private sector in investing R1-billion for the development of flats and a four-star hotel.

A planned 500-flat development will be used to accommodate media members working at the IBC. The flats will be designed to set up an active, vibrant interface with the new pedestrian promenade and transport hub, by having a retail spine abutting the promenade and square.

The hotel will be located next to the pedestrian promenade and square. It will comprise of 171 rooms, nine superior suites, one presidential suite and 161 standard suites.

To be developed by the Johannesburg Development Agency, the pedestrian promenade will provide the main link between the Expo Centre and the Soccer City stadium. A 25m bridge will be built across the widened Landbou Road and the railway tracks on to Stadium Avenue.

Situated to the north, parallel to Landbou Road, the Nasrec Station will also form part of the upgrade. It will be a fully functional railway station for the World Cup and will serve future industrial, commercial and residential developments planned for the area after the soccer tournament.

There will be three public transport systems in place during the event: the Bus Rapid Transit system, taxis and rail. A transport hub will be built to accommodate all these at the southwest end of the pedestrian promenade. It will have taxi, bus and rail drop-off and pickup points. The total public transport capacity of the hub is projected to be 23 280 an hour.

Masondo said once complete, Nasrec would be one of the most accessible precincts in the country, providing economic opportunities to the surrounding communities and the general public.

Significant changes were taking place in Soweto, with the tarring of all roads, the rapid construction of shopping centres and entertainment complexes and the growth of commercial opportunities.

"These developments in the Nasrec precinct will, no doubt, accelerate the 'rise of the south.'

Source: Joburg.org.za