After a tumultuous back-and-forth on the issue of “What’s happening to De Poort?”, Drakenstein Municipality is officially allowing for development to take place at Paarl’s white elephant.
Years of uncertainty and lack of direction may finally reveal light at the end of the tunnel now the municipality is in its final stages of leasing the property for a lease amount of R31 587,50 per month, excluding VAT.
The municipality’s acting Executive Director of Planning and Development, David Delaney, told Paarl Post the successful applicant, The Kinesis Group (Pty) Ltd, was approved by the Municipal Council on 29 March.
“The rental contract is complex and will be finalised as soon as possible,” Delaney said.
This after Drakenstein Municipality received and considered three applications from developers. The item served before the Drakenstein Municipal Council on 29 March.
As to the dream De Poort now holds, he explained that “Drakenstein Municipality’s leasing criteria involve the development of De Poort into an integrated and multifunctional space that will mainly serve the tourism industry in the Paarl and Drakenstein area.
“It is envisaged that De Poort will become an integrated facility that will deliver a range of leisure and small scale retail operations to the local community.”
This includes a residential component which will enable the organic renewal of existing uses/operations/business types within the wider area which is expected to complement and encourage this vision.
According to information provided in the agenda of the municipal council meeting, a bus parking facility will be part of the first phase of the proposed development.
According to Delaney, the entire site will be developed, which includes open areas where the successful tenant/developer will be financially liable for the developmental investment.
The municipality was asked whether the lease contract required a signed guarantee, in case any official development leads to a potential bankruptcy scenario, in that the developer would then be held accountable for any rehabilitation work of the premises.
“Yes,” answered Delaney by adding that this clause will form part of the rental contract and “will be managed as such”.
The premises will initially be rented at R379 050 per annum, after which it will be reviewed in line with the specifications of the development.
“In relation to rent and services payable, calculations will be based on regular valuations as value is added to the property,” Delaney said. “Inheritance tax does not apply, as the premises will be let.”
Furthermore, he spoke about past routine maintenance that has been carried out on De Poort over the past 10 to 15 years.
“Previous developments on the site were funded by the National Lottery and Cape Wineland District Municipality,” Delaney said.
Situated on almost 4 000m² of prime property in Southern Paarl, De Poort played host to many fruitless efforts to develop an interactive heritage facility and wagon museum at the “gateway” to Paarl. It never really took off due to lack of finances and collaboration between the De Poort board of directors and the Drakenstein Municipality.
