A problem building and notorious site located on the corner of Dummer Street and Main Road is finally being cleaned after it was sold to a new owner.
The property, which is situated opposite the Somerset West Police Station, fell to rack and ruin over many years, but plans are underway for a new community-oriented retail space and restaurant.
For the past three years residents vented their ongoing frustration about the building, including it being the target of petty crime as well as a health risk and generally being in a shocking state.
Just last week a sign erected at the site indicated the property had been sold. A tree feller was on site removing overgrown trees and shrubs since last Monday (13 February).
The property was the subject of a much-needed clean-up by a handful of residents on Saturday 11 February, who volunteered to take on the task themselves, after their pleas for a sweep of the area to the City of Cape Town and the owners had apparently fallen on deaf ears.
“During our clean-up, we found many stolen items from nearby homes, such as lights, garden gnomes and door bells, which again prove that vagrants who invade this property are directly related to increasing crime,” said Dummer Street resident Tiffany Schultz.
“Not only that, but for the past three years this property has deteriorated to a never-seen-before level of disgust. The pavement is full of human excrement, so now the matter is also a health concern.
“We gathered 29 bags of litter and found stolen items from homes in our street. Despite this great effort there is still a huge amount to clean up, as the place is like a dumping site.”
She thanked the volunteers who came out to make a difference, and for “being dedicated to keeping our town beautiful”.
Schultz added she is sad the building had been allowed to fall into complete disrepair and become an eyesore.
Jose de Abreu, the previous owner of the property, had been battling to safeguard the property since late 2019, despite building a fence and hiring security (“Building pillaged and plundered”, DistrictMail, 17 June 2019).
At the time, he had planned a R20-million development, but this was subject to inspections before any development approvals by the City’s heritage department (“Dilapidated house still a problem”, 22 July 2019).
“I dreamt of developing a beautiful building on this site, that would, inter alia, house my offices and enhance the area,” De Abreu said last week.
“But all these experiences left a bitter taste in my mouth, so when I got an unsolicited offer from a prospective purchaser last year, my company decided to sell. I understand the new owner intends to build as soon as plans are approved, so hopefully that site will look very different in the not too distant future.”
New owner Heinrich Brandt has been a resident of Somerset West for more than 30 years and is familiar with the history of the site.
He said it used to house a restaurant amid beautiful trees and a garden with a tranquil atmosphere.
“We want to develop something special for the community, but before we make the final decision we are in the process of making applications to the heritage department to ascertain exactly what we can and cannot do,” Brandt pointed out.
“The transfer of the property went through in January and we’ve started the first phase of the development, which is to clear the property and safeguard it until our applications are finalised. In the coming weeks, the eyesore will slowly return to a clean and safe site as we prepare for construction.”
Deputy mayor Eddie Andrews, also the Mayoral Committee member for Spatial Planning and Environment, confirmed the property is zoned for local business purposes and a site development plan to renovate the existing building and make some additions to accommodate offices and a shop had been approved in November 2019.
“Subsequent to this, a building plan was approved on 10 November 2021 and the approval was extended during 2022, to be valid until 10 November 2023.”
