For several years the once thriving Parow Station Arcade, stretching all the way from Cloete Street to Oldham Road crossing Voortrekker Road, has been a trading place synonymous with the area. Over the years, however, the area has experienced a societal decay with crime such as theft and robbery occurring regularly.
Today informal traders, mostly fruit and vegetable sellers, operate in the area with shops, clothing stores and a butchery aligning the arcade. Dirt and rubbish are a common scene along the streets adjacent to the arcade.
Now however, there are plans to have the area upgraded to its formal glory.
Last week Eddie Andrews, deputy-mayor of the City of Cape Town, and Mayco member for spatial planning and environment, outlined these plans.
“The project intends to upgrade Parow Station Arcade from Voortrekker Road (Oldham Road) to Cloete Street, including the public open space (trading area) located on Alexandra Street. Most of the upgrade is related to improving the landscape finishes in the area. The area is currently degraded and in need of an upgrade.
“The layout has also been rationalised to accommodate the current traders in the area and will accommodate the large numbers of pedestrians in the area. Further improvements will be implemented for the trading area located on the public open space in Alexandra Street,” Andrews explains.
Parow Station Arcade is located between Oldham Road on the Voortrekker Road end and Cloete Street on the Parow Station end.
“Most pedestrians come from the Cloete Street end nearby taxi rank, railway station and make their way to and from Voortrekker Road. The route is also a main access to various businesses along the Parow Station Arcade for pedestrian clients.
“The contractor is aware that the area is highly pedestrianised and will make provision for accommodating all pedestrian movements in the area of the works and access to all business premises along Parow Station Arcade during the construction period. No business access will be closed off during construction or otherwise,” he says.
Franchesca Walker, Ward councillor, says this has been a long awaited project and good news story that served at last month’s subcouncil meeting.
“It is a big investment for the business owners and abutting owners. The central business district (CBD) will receive a new facelift that will enhance the area. The traders will also benefit and receive a welcome area to trade in, and strict conditions will be in place to take care of the investment,” she says.
Plans
Andrews also shared the scope of work with the newspaper.He explains that all intersections within the proposed scope of works along the Parow Station Arcade are already raised intersections and will be treated to new brick paving to match the new surrounding sidewalk and pedestrian brick paved areas.
Proposed landscaping includes varying paved finishes to the pedestrian/trader areas and roadway, trees, irrigation, concrete seating with artistic finish, and bollards, he says.
A new proposed dual channel system is also proposed along either side of the raised trading bays. The existing collector pipe sizes were found to be below the minimum sizes, as per the City of Cape Town’s engineering services guideline and the project therefore makes provision for new stormwater infrastructure, Andrews explains.
The City was asked about the cost of the project but was informed that it does not publish project costs for safety and operational reasons associated with ongoing extortion challenges and threats.
The completion date for the upgrade is 12 July 2026 provided there are no unforeseen delays, Andrews says.
