Construction of the Boardwalk Mall, of which the first phase is scheduled to be completed by the end of the year, has officially commenced.
Developers of the R500 million project, Flanagan and Gerard Group, together with Emfuleni Resorts, a subsidiary of Sun International, recently celebrated this milestone with a sod-turning event at the construction site.
In attendance was the Eastern Cape MEC of Finance, Economic Development, Environmental Affairs and Tourism, Mlungisi Mvoko, Executive Mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, chairperson of Emfuleni Resorts, Bongi Siwisa and managing director of Flanagan and Gerard, Paul Gerard, along with several of the precinct’s longstanding and new retailers and other stakeholders.
Two-thirds of the mall’s development site in the Boardwalk Precinct transferred to Flanagan and Gerard Group last month, with Emfuleni Resorts holding the remaining third.
Simultaneously, the plans for the Boardwalk Mall received all the necessary approvals, clearing the way for construction.
Since the mall will be an extension and upgrade of the Boardwalk Precinct, its retail space will more than double to 23 000m².
At the event, Mvoko said that the Boardwalk Mall is a landmark development for Nelson Mandela Bay.
“The development augurs well for our agenda of growing the provincial economy by creating jobs,” he said. He congratulated Flanagan and Sun Boardwalk for providing a welcome boost for the Eastern Cape economy in general and the Nelson Mandela Bay economy in particular.
Mvoko praised the fact that R290million of all goods and services would be procured locally, helping to revitalise and expand economic opportunities.
“By providing people with a variety of hospitality experiences, the Boardwalk Mall will also have a direct impact on tourism numbers.”
Bhanga described the development as “forward looking” and well-located on the metro’s beautiful beachfront. “We must design a vision of the city that is owned by everybody and the Boardwalk Mall talks to this, helping to position ourselves as a sporting and entertainment destination,” Bhanga said.
Siwisa added that 23 years ago, she stood at this site and proudly turned the first sod of soil, breaking ground for the then upcoming Boardwalk development, that was going to add a new vista to Nelson Mandela Bay.
“Today, I am proud to stand here again as part of the sod-turning ceremony for this extension and upgrade project, that will enable redevelopment of this precinct and provide much-needed employment and an economic revival in our metro.”
Gerard said that during this extraordinary time in history, it had become clear that people need convenient retail and enjoyable experiences in safe environments within their communities, close to where they live, work, commute and learn.
“One of the most inspiring aspects of the Boardwalk Mall and the extended Boardwalk Precinct is that it will provide a genuinely exciting, engaging and immersive experience and an enjoyable meeting place where locals can also fulfil their daily retail needs.
“Besides providing much-needed convenient and curated shopping, the mall will also integrate and optimise the city’s beautiful beachfront attractions to create an unmatched and unmissable leisure, entertainment, dining, hospitality, events, conferencing, relaxation and shopping experience for the entire family,” he said.
The Boardwalk Mall will offer a refreshing array of retail with 80 stores. Big names in retail include, Checkers and Checkers Liquorshop, Pick n Pay and Pick n Pay Liquor, Woolworths, Clicks, Dis-Chem and NuMetro.
In addition, the mall’s tenant mix includes, The Magic Company, Spur, Fishaways, Debonairs, Steers, Wimpy, Ackermans, Pick ’n Pay Clothing and The Crazy Store.
The Capital Hotel Group will build a hotel at the top of the mall and the hotel lobby will enter from the mall. This will be complemented by all the appeal and excitement of the Boardwalk precinct, including events at the new Sun Park Square.
The project is set to create approximately 1000 temporary jobs opportunities during construction and once the mall opens, the precinct will have about 1 500 permanent jobs available.
The official opening, which marks the completion of the second phase, is scheduled for September 22, 2022.
