From the restored Salisbury House in Jeppestown to the drop in office vacancies, by way of the Hillbrow Tower, the urban development zone, Woolworths and strange landscaping ideas, Neil Fraser has a full plate.

I HAVE been away on leave this past week so I am offering a variety of issues - a bit of an urban potpourri!

Salisbury House
Nearly six years ago (Citichat 47/2002), I wrote about a small node of urban regeneration in one of the forgotten inner city suburbs, Jeppestown.

Neil Fraser

"Jeppestown was founded by CEG Julius Jeppe, who moved from Pretoria to Johannesburg in 1886. The Ford and Jeppe Estate Company was established by Julius Jeppe Snr together with his son, Sir Julius Jeppe, and their partner LP Ford. An 1894 description of the suburb says it comprised '421 buildings, two churches, a masonic temple, St Mary's Collegiate for Girls and a library', adding that 'there were even rumours of electric light for each house'. By 1896 there were 5 647 people living in Jeppestown which, in 1897, was described as 'the most ambitious and the best area' among the 'neat little suburbs on the outskirts of the town proper'.

"I'm not sure how accurate that description is as the area was acknowledged as a 'mixed area in terms of social class, Jeppe essentially forming part of the mining perimeter of old-established white working-class districts'. Clive Chipkin (Johannesburg Style) quotes an 1897 description of the inner city suburbs of those times as 'rural Booysens in the south, grimy Fordsburg in the west, patrician Doornfontein on the north-east and domesticated Jeppe for the man of limited purse in the south-east'.

"In 1890 St Michael's School for Boys was opened and was the forerunner of the well-known Jeppe High School for Boys. St Mary's School for Girls was subsequently established. The east-end of the suburb became known as Belgravia, where there existed a number of 'desirable residences in a locality where social advantages are to be obtained'. The transition between Jeppestown and Belgravia was marked by a toll-gate across the roadway next to a building called Salisbury House."

Built in 1903, Salisbury House boasted ground-floor retail while the upper level provided residential accommodation with verandas edged in cast iron "broekie lace". An example of Victorian architecture and construction, its veranda-style design was based on assembling cast-iron components ordered from a catalogue of the Glasgow foundry of Walter Macfarlane.

In November 2002, I wrote: "As with so many of our jewels supposedly in the safe-keeping of public authorities, the building has been desecrated by vandals. Many of the magnificent panelled and lead-lighted doors are gone, all brassware and many floors of broad Oregon pine floor-boards are gone as are the fireplace surrounds and sanitaryware.

"But the good news is that the building is being leased from the council by the School of Practical Philosophy which is seeking funding to restore [it] and place it back into everyday use as a much-needed extension to its educational facilities. The SPP owns and occupies the original St Mary's school building directly to the north of Salisbury House, where it has established the St James Preparatory School."

Well the even better news was that later, to its credit, the Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) provided funding for the restoration of the building. I was taken through it again a couple of weeks back and it has been restored with a real eye to original detail. Wonderful job!

Just one fly in the ointment, and a rather large fly at that! The building stands on the corner of Marshall and Berg streets and its veranda extends the full width along the pavements of these two streets supported by cast iron columns that are positioned on the very edges of the kerbs. Not long after I first visited the building in 2002, the architect contacted me regarding the vulnerability of the columns to traffic and I put her in touch with the Johannesburg Roads Agency in the hope that it would erect a protective barrier, but apparently little transpired.

In October 2005, an "out-of-control” vehicle "took out” the columns on Berg Street and the entire balcony on the east end of the building collapsed. A claim was submitted through the JPC's insurance brokers but absolutely no response has been forthcoming! So this finely restored building now has an unprotected, partly destroyed eastern elevation through which the elements are slowly but surely seeping and negatively affecting the interior restoration.

Three years for an insurance claim? Surely that must be some kind of a record, but not one of which the council can be proud!

Woolworths Foods
Following the rash of suburban Food Stores it is good to see Woolworths bringing its brand into the inner city again with a 500m2 "micro store" at 28 Harrison Street.

This is evidently something of an inner city prototype and "its success could herald the roll out of a number of similar stores which the group is currently considering in major CBDs across South Africa".

The store is targeted at convenience-food shopping for the day-time office market. "In addition to lunches and a good range of prepared meals, the store will provide all the basics from bread and milk to fresh produce and general groceries.

"There is a move to return to the CBD and a substantial number of companies are investing in offices in the area." Should the demand reflect a need to stay open later than 6pm on weekdays and 12pm on Saturdays, we might see a 24-hour operation back in the city, which would be great news.

A year after taking ownership of 28 Harrison Street in October 2006, the owners, Amdec, "had transformed office vacancies of 12,500m2 of the 19 500m2 building to full occupancy by August 2007 and upgraded the address to the highest standards". Woolies will be a valuable addition.

Urban development zone tax incentive
A recent media report covered the "re-launch” of the urban development zone (UDZ) tax incentive. The "window” period for the UDZ was scheduled to end in 2009 but, following representation by a number of cities, this has been increased by five years to 2014.

The article quotes the City as stating that: "It includes sectional title and shared ownership, as well as first buyers of new or renovated/refurbished buildings." Not too sure of the accuracy of that statement, I didn't understand the UDZ to be targeted at "first buyers”, but maybe that is a new ruling!

I've also had a number of buyers of sectional title apartments tell me that the South African Revenue Services (SARS) has rejected their tax claims on the basis that the benefits only come into effect if the property is used for income-generating purposes - ie rentals or, I would assume, if one ran one's business from the property.

One disenchanted purchaser writes: "This has arisen as quite an issue for residents who have bought redeveloped apartments in the inner city (often very up-market lofts et cetera) for their own residential use. Firstly, the SARS directives were not made clear to prospective buyers (neither by SARS, as no-one there knows much about the UDZ, nor by developers/agents). In fact, new apartments are still being sold with the expectation of a 30 percent tax rebate. No-one seems to be aware that the new owner cannot claim these incentives unless he chooses to rent out the apartment (income generating).

"Secondly, it seems highly contradictory that the UDZ benefit, meant to encourage inner city investment, is now excluding the very residents that want to live in their own refurbished apartments. Surely one cannot expect much interest or rejuvenation in the city if these beautiful apartments are being used solely for rental purposes and those who are passionate about buying and living in the CBD are pushed away because they cannot receive their UDZ benefit? I'm sure you are well aware that those people renting apartments (in general) have neither the passion nor interest in maintaining the apartments, nor the apartment buildings, nor the surrounding areas."

Hillbrow Tower
I received quite a large amount of email regarding the refusal by Telkom to re-open the Hillbrow Tower to the public and regarding the proposed "sosatie”/soccer ball. Here's one comment: "The thought of a 'realistic' soccer ball skewered on the shaft below the superstructures is both unimaginative and appalling.  Something less yechh and more high tech, such as a very lightweight rotating frame with colour LEDs (to be in tune, politically/environmentally and Eskom friendly) that outline the ball panels at night (see the TV logo used on the UEFA broadcasts), see-through by day, would be something I could live with.

"If put at the very top (strengthen the existing topmast, the 'ball-frame' can be prefabbed elsewhere and choppered into place), it signifies super, achievement, victory, success - anywhere else it signifies a half-mast, semi-conscious (dare I say 'half-assed'?) half-job."

Traffic island landscaping
Have you noticed the rash of traffic island upgrading in the suburbs? If you have, you will have noticed the vast amount of stone being used (not the easiest to keep clean of litter) and the use of ghastly giant pre-cast 'jugs' that have been placed on some of them. I've been wondering if someone is planning to put huge pre-cast soccer balls on top of them!

The writer quoted above regarding the Hillbrow Tower, also raises the landscaping aspect:

"When is the City going to realise the value of getting good design from good designers to make their expenditure really count? Take a look at the 'traffic island whimsy' that is going on in Sandton - the absurd additions to the roadside at the Sandton Drive and William Nicol intersection (southwest corner) and now also showing further north at Grosvenor Crossing. The latter even ignores practical aspects, such as non-pedestrian planting areas aligned with the pedestrian crossing lines of the intersection.

"There are some 'stepping stones' elsewhere, but hardly trafficable and leading into the vehicle areas - making jaywalkers out of anyone trying to use them. And those huge fake-roks and precast giant 'jugs' randomly scattered for 'effect'? I suggest they hold some open competitions for design and artwork, rather, for these instances and make it a world-class city with quality urban area land/road/scape design."

Amen brother!

South African innovation
Two reports in South Africa - the Good News caught my eye last week. The first concerned a Modular Traffic Light System that is currently being tested on the corner of Sandton Drive and Grayston Avenue, Sandton. Evidently an international study conducted by the University of Adelaide in Australia found that 30 percent of all accidents around the world involved impacts with street poles or traffic lights.

The modular system being tested is created from individual plastic segments that stack on top of each other and are then held together in compression by a lightweight rope. In the event of a collision only broken segments need to be replaced. Brilliant idea - now all we have to do is to develop a system that keeps the bulbs working!

The other report was in regard to an invention by post-graduate students from the University of Cape Town called "WhereisMyShuttle". "By installing GPRS devices on buses, the system offers commuters real-time tracking and scheduling services via their cellphones." You also are advised about abnormal bus activities - "such as late arrival times or detours from designated routes". Another brilliant idea - only, in Joeys, that would keep cellphones pretty busy!

Office vacancy figures
Finally, the latest office vacancy figures from the South African Property Owners' Association show that vacancies have dropped to a 10-year low of 9,9 percent for the second quarter of the year, compared to 28 percent in 2000 and 15 percent 12 months ago.

What is clearly influencing the office vacancy figures is the large amount of refurbishing of previous office space to residential accommodation. Rentals have moved up by 23 percent in the first quarter of the year, according to Rode & Associates.

Have a good weekend
Cheers, Neil

Parktown and Westcliff Heritage Trust tours
Billiton's Art Collection: this is a walking tour, on Saturday, 2 August.

Natasha Fuller, the curator of Billiton's art treasures in its building on Hollard Street, leads a small group of members through this exciting collection. There are large works rising up in the atrium, smaller paintings in offices, on the landings and the passages so it involves winding through the building. Numbers are strictly limited, so book early. Please note that no drinks, eats, et cetera are permitted.

The cost is R75 and booking is through the trust's office with Eira Bond on 011 482 3349 as it will be necessary to provide your car registration details. Meet Gill Sagar and Dennis at 17 Simmonds Street (between Main and Marshall streets) outside the basement and enter together at the same time. No late comers will be allowed in.

Melville Koppies: annual general meeting on Saturday, 16 August.

Melville Koppies is holding its AGM, and Sue Krige has kindly agreed to bring a group to do a presentation, "The Sophiatown experience in conjunction with the Trevor Huddleston Memorial Centre”. St Joseph's Home and Sophiatown border on part of Melville Koppies West, so we are all linked in the past and present.

The AGM will be held at the lecture hut, Melville Koppies Central, at 2pm. Park in Kafue Road, Emmarentia.

Related stories:

• Citichat: Talking about the city
• Citichat archives: Talking about the city 
• Jeppe undergoes revitalisation 
• Tall tales with Neil Fraser