Premier Alan Winde and the Provincial MEC of Infrastructure, Tertuis Simmers, launched the Western Cape’s largest inner-city housing development in Cape Town on Friday, 25 July.
Dubbed Founders Garden, the R2 billion development will consist of approximately 1476 social housing residential units and approximately 1162 open market units, bringing the total to over 2630 units.
The site is situated right next to the iconic Artscape Theatre Centre.
The high-rise development is set to include an Early Childhood Development Centre, among other public services and amenities. It is also conveniently within walking distance of the Cape Town Railway Station, the MyCiti Civic Centre Station and health services.
Simmers says Founders Garden is the second of three major inner-city, mixed-use, affordable housing developments in Cape Town for this year alone, and the largest public sector housing development in the CBD.
It follows the unveiling of the Leeuloop Precinct earlier this year. That development will yield 840 housing opportunities and has already gone out to tender.
“I am extremely proud of how the Western Cape Government is accelerating the delivery of housing opportunities. Just over 100 days ago, Premier Winde and I unveiled the Leeuloop development, also situated in the Cape Town CBD.”
Premier Winde says it’s a model of infrastructure development the province is keen to replicate going forward.
“It is a perfect example of how we are approaching affordable housing development – always striving to bring services, housing and recreation closer to communities, while enhancing access to economic opportunities for our residents. We have only just begun. We will keep pushing forward, utilising partnerships and innovation to bring dignity and opportunity to affordable housing beneficiaries.”
Simmers says public-owned land needs to be utilised for the benefit of people, and to deliver affordable, dignified housing opportunities where it is needed the most.
“To us, it is about more than just housing. It is about turning public land into opportunity. We are ensuring that we deliver housing opportunities closer to places of employment, and close to transport and economic nodes because we believe that infrastructure must promote spatial justice, empower communities, and create job and economic opportunities for all.”
The tender to procure a developer and a social housing institution for the Founders Garden development was advertised on Friday.
