The down-at-the-heel inner city suburbs of Yeoville, Berea and Hillbrow will be getting a far-reaching facelift. Meetings have been scheduled to discuss the planned improvements.

Some areas in Hillbrow have already benefited from the City’s better buildings programme

MASSIVE public environment upgrades covering an area of 200 blocks will begin in Yeoville, Berea and Hillbrow this month. Some R171-million has been set aside by the City of Johannesburg specifically for the project, which is expected to be completed by the middle of the year.

Work will take place in Wards 62, 63, 64 and 67 and will include upgrades to high streets such as Rockey, Pretoria and Kotze, as well as other streets with high pedestrian and vehicular traffic. Residential streets will also receive attention.

"The level of intervention will be determined by the street classification," says the Johannesburg Development Agency, which is overseeing the project.

Landscaping, street lighting, paving and street furniture will be employed to beautify the areas. Infrastructure upgrades will include work on public toilets, storm water drains and supplying more litter bins. Public art works reflecting the diversity and unique identity of these areas will also be introduced.

The Governor's House in Hillbrow will be restored as a heritage building and transformed into a community facility. The Hillbrow Recreation Centre will be renovated and the space between the two buildings will be developed into a sports and recreation area. Both buildings will be managed by the City's department of community development.

Streets in Berea, Yeoville and Hillbrow will be re-paved

Five parks will also be upgraded, with work starting on the parks in early February. A key focus will be to provide safety and security in these parks.

The project forms part of the five-year plan by the City to rejuvenate the inner city, with specific outcomes identified in the Inner City Regeneration Charter. Through its charter commitments, the City aims to create "high-quality public spaces" in the inner city.

Six broad categories have been defined by the charter - urban management, safety and security; economic development; community development; transport; residential development; and public spaces, arts, culture and heritage. In the next few years, over R2-billion will be spent by the City in various parts of the inner city.

Residents and interested parties are invited to attend any of four meetings scheduled to present details of the intended improvements:

• Monday, 14 January at 6pm: Ward 63, Hillbrow Recreation Centre, corner King George and Pretoria streets.
• Tuesday, 15 January at 6.30pm: Ward 67, Yeoville Recreation Centre, corner Raleigh and Fortesque streets.
• Wednesday, 16 January at 6pm: Ward 62, Hillbrow Recreation Centre, corner King George and Pretoria streets.
• Thursday, 17 January at 6pm: Ward 64, The Palace, Region F Social Services Building, corner Soper and Tudhope streets, Berea.
  

For further information, contact the Johannesburg Development Agency on 011 688 7856 or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .