The Chronicle

BULAWAYO, Friday, December 22, 1967 — Work will begin next year on what will be Bulawayo's tallest building — 17 storeys not counting the lift housings. The new skyscraper will be on “Harold's Corner” — Fife Street/Eighth Avenue.

Asked to comment on this project, Mr Michael H Barry, a director of Urban Development and Investments (Pvt) Ltd., said yesterday that building would begin in June.

He declined to state “at this stage” the value of the building, or to give its height. But from other sources it was learnt that it would be 17 storeys.

It will be the largest building project on the 1968 programme for Bulawayo.

Others being planned by the now frantically busy building industry indicate that for the first time since the start of the recession in the early 1960s, the 1968 total will approach £3000 000.

The City is acutely short of architects and draughtsmen to cope with work on offer. It is also short of artisans, said architects and builders interviewed yesterday.

Mr Barry said the building at Fife Street/ Eighth Avenue would consist of shops on the ground floor, offices on the second floor, and flats on the higher floors.

The site was sold to Urban Development and Investments by Standard Buildings (Pvt) Ltd in September.

At another corner of the same block – at Eighth Avenue/ Abercorn Street – Brest Buildings also changed hands in September. The buyers are a consortium of which the principals are Netherlands Bank (Rhod) Ltd and the South African Mutual Assurance Society (Old Mutual).

Strong rumours are circulating in Bulawayo that the new building on this site will be a £750 000 undertaking and will house the headquarters of the bank in Bulawayo.