Residents opposed to new development
Bo-Kaap has been earmarked for a high-rise apartment building
THE Bo-Kaap Civic Association is fuming over a high-rise development that has pitted the organisation against Heritage Western Cape and the City of Cape Town in court. This comes after the City approved the development of 100 Buitengracht Street, which is set to provide residential apartments and exclusive shops.
“It’s a 60m building and we feel that it will change the entire look and feel of the area,” spokesperson of the association, Jackie Toking, said.
The building in the pipeline is set to be 60m high, 18 storeys, 249 apartments and three basement levels of parking. The building is to cost R1 billion.
In a 53-page objection the association filed, it detailed what effects the 60m building will have in the future.
“As residents of the Bo-Kaap experience daily, the growing influx of tourists is a reality that has to be managed in the interests of the economy. Clearly, this is a significant City management issue, yet with pivotal implications for heritage management,” the objection said.
“The fourth over-arching issue is about the many negative social impacts that inappropriately large projects may have on the communities in their vicinity.
“Bo-Kaap is already invaded on a daily basis by commuters who park on its streets to the detriment of the life of local residents. The development is not desirable from the perspective of local residents.
“Because of the sheer number of apartments contained in the proposed development, its construction would result in very significant gentrification of the Bo-Kaap.”
Toking added: “When you are in court and hearing all of this you feel really insignificant as a community and I feel like in this instance, money talks.”
City officials did not respond at the time of going to print.