City delays CBD rejuvenation plan
After two years of input by urban renewal experts, a plan to revive the Windhoek city centre still lacks official approval.
Property manager Broll Namibia says the City of Windhoek is dragging its feet on a planned rejuvenation project for the city centre.
A committee was established in 2017 to steer the rejuvenation process. But project has stalled because the city council has failed to endorse the committee's plans.
Broll managing director Terrance Makari says policy regulations that would guide the revival had to be approved by the council.
“The first step in ensuring this takes place was to have the City of Windhoek approve the Business Improvement District (BID) regulations which would allow the future CBD entity to be formally recognised and to recover from CBD landlords a levy to be invested in driving enhancement projects within the established CBD area,” he said.
“This regulation was submitted for municipal council approval during the second half of 2018 and we are still eagerly awaiting approval of same.
“Without this approval, the [soon] to be established CBD entity would have no formal or legal rights to operate or charge landlords, nor would it be able to support or contribute to CBD initiatives except within their personal or entity capacities.”
According to him, the CBD committee provided both legal and financial support to have the BID Regulation drafted and submitted to the City of Windhoek.
“In addition, through consultation with similar CBD entities in South Africa, we have lent support to the City of Windhoek in terms of understanding the structures of such an entity,” Makari said.
The City embarked on a strategy in 2017 to revive the central business district, which had experienced a drop in rent income compared to other parts of the city.
A legal framework should have been put in place for an 'improvement district', which would need a management committee of property owners, a board and a budget management committee.
The envisaged changes are aimed at reducing crime, increasing business activity and raising the demand for property by means of creating an attractive, safe, and affordable CBD, Derick Bock, whom the City had consulted, explained back in 2017.
Bock was instrumental in the establishment of improvement districts in the Cape Town CBD.
“The CBD committee has in essence done their part in driving the municipal requirements to have a formal and legally recognised CBD body or entity established,” he said.
The City denied Makari's accusation, saying work on the project was continuing.
“Currently the regulations are still being consulted on at the various decision-making levels of the council and have as yet not been approved by the council,” City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said.
Following the completion of this consultative process, the regulations would be submitted to the city council for consideration. If approved, they would be submitted to the ministry of urban and rural development for gazetting, she said.
“The City has drafted the proposed Special Ratings Area Regulations that would enable the establishment of special ratings areas,” Amutenya said.
A special ratings area (SRA), also known as a business improvement district (BID), refers to a clearly defined geographical area, approved by a local authority, in which property owners can raise levies to fund 'top-up' services for that area.
“This is a voluntary process whereby property owners in a specific business or residential area may apply to the council to be considered as a special ratings area,” Amutenya explained.
OGONE TLHAGE
A committee was established in 2017 to steer the rejuvenation process. But project has stalled because the city council has failed to endorse the committee's plans.
Broll managing director Terrance Makari says policy regulations that would guide the revival had to be approved by the council.
“The first step in ensuring this takes place was to have the City of Windhoek approve the Business Improvement District (BID) regulations which would allow the future CBD entity to be formally recognised and to recover from CBD landlords a levy to be invested in driving enhancement projects within the established CBD area,” he said.
“This regulation was submitted for municipal council approval during the second half of 2018 and we are still eagerly awaiting approval of same.
“Without this approval, the [soon] to be established CBD entity would have no formal or legal rights to operate or charge landlords, nor would it be able to support or contribute to CBD initiatives except within their personal or entity capacities.”
According to him, the CBD committee provided both legal and financial support to have the BID Regulation drafted and submitted to the City of Windhoek.
“In addition, through consultation with similar CBD entities in South Africa, we have lent support to the City of Windhoek in terms of understanding the structures of such an entity,” Makari said.
The City embarked on a strategy in 2017 to revive the central business district, which had experienced a drop in rent income compared to other parts of the city.
A legal framework should have been put in place for an 'improvement district', which would need a management committee of property owners, a board and a budget management committee.
The envisaged changes are aimed at reducing crime, increasing business activity and raising the demand for property by means of creating an attractive, safe, and affordable CBD, Derick Bock, whom the City had consulted, explained back in 2017.
Bock was instrumental in the establishment of improvement districts in the Cape Town CBD.
“The CBD committee has in essence done their part in driving the municipal requirements to have a formal and legally recognised CBD body or entity established,” he said.
The City denied Makari's accusation, saying work on the project was continuing.
“Currently the regulations are still being consulted on at the various decision-making levels of the council and have as yet not been approved by the council,” City spokesperson Lydia Amutenya said.
Following the completion of this consultative process, the regulations would be submitted to the city council for consideration. If approved, they would be submitted to the ministry of urban and rural development for gazetting, she said.
“The City has drafted the proposed Special Ratings Area Regulations that would enable the establishment of special ratings areas,” Amutenya said.
A special ratings area (SRA), also known as a business improvement district (BID), refers to a clearly defined geographical area, approved by a local authority, in which property owners can raise levies to fund 'top-up' services for that area.
“This is a voluntary process whereby property owners in a specific business or residential area may apply to the council to be considered as a special ratings area,” Amutenya explained.
OGONE TLHAGE
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