Brookside Mall rising from the ashes

Brookside Mall is looking as good as new. The once apocalyptic site of Brookside Mall has become a site of hope, as exactly a year after the mall’s devastating destruction, the walls are back up, and boasting Checkers Hyper’s signage.

The rebuilding of Brookside Mall, scheduled for completion this September, brings with it much needed job creation prospects.

Despite a certain amount of damaged confidence from concerned businesses, developer and the new owner of the Shoprite Checkers coming to Brookside Mall, Andrew Barnes, said there is a positive spirit and need for investment in the city.

“Every thing is going fine and according to schedule. Most of the building is complete and Checkers needs to start with the shop fittings. We have received positive feedback from the city, the traders, political leaders and the municipality.

“From the businesses concerned, there is a damaged confidence, but without a doubt there is a need for investment in the city. We see that there is a need for jobs and there was a concern for the community that was not being serviced.

“During the construction, 600 to 700 hundred jobs were created and there will be 500 or so more jobs created after the opening. This will bring a tremendous contribution to the city,” said Barnes.

Barnes praised the city and community for their resilience in rebuilding.

“We must not be blinkered by what happened before. We must understand that there are new norms and adjustments to those new norms. There is a deep respect for all walks of life who work and rebuild together,” said Barnes.