A new R330 million shopping centre is being developed on Gauteng’s West Rand by the Bentel Group, in association with Pretoria-based Fontis Developments.
Confirmed anchors include Pick n Pay, Choppies Supermarket, Woolworths, Planet Fitness and Cashbuild, he says. Other national tenants include Truworths, Clicks, Identity, Exact, Mr Price, Sportscene, PEP, Tiger Wheel and Tyre and Lewis Furnishers.The mall is designed to serve the gold mining town of Carletonville and the neighbouring township of Khutsong. The Carletonville Mall, set to be approximately 25 500sqm and opening in September 2015, will bring a quality shopping destination right to the doorstep of Carletonville. In addition to Khutsong, the new mall’s catchment area also includes Westonaria and Fochville.
This is according to Selwyn Bentel, Director of the Bentel Group who, with his brother, Aubrey run the East Rand based privately owned property investment and development company. The group has a number of well-known developments on its résumé, such as East Rand Retail Park in Boksburg, Retail Crossing on the West Rand and the Dis-Chem Head Office and Distribution Centre in Midrand.
Selwyn Bentel says Carletonville Mall is one of their latest developments and a hugely exciting project for the group. He says the mall is going to bring a whole new level of shopping under one roof to the communities of Carletonville, Khutsong and surrounding towns.
Confirmed anchors include Pick n Pay, Choppies Supermarket, Woolworths, Planet Fitness and Cashbuild, he says. Other national tenants include Truworths, Clicks, Identity, Exact, Mr Price, Sportscene, PEP, Tiger Wheel and Tyre and Lewis Furnishers.
Carletonville Mall is already approximately 75% let. When it is complete and fully let, the mall is expected to have more than 85 stores, restaurants and service outlets. It will also have ample parking and a taxi drop off area.
The mall is located on the main access road to Potchefstroom, namely Station Road, which is the primary provincial road. With a new railway bridge, road interchange and pedestrian access bridge being built near the centre, access to the new centre for shoppers will be significantly improved and travel time reduced.
Selwyn says Carletonville is famed for being one of the richest gold-producing areas in the world and is home to Western Deep, one of the world’s deepest mines. However, as a mining town, he says it does not have the kind of quality shopping experience under a single roof that their new mall is going to bring to the town.
There is the Carletonville CBD, which serves a market. However, he says Carletonville Mall will be a shopping destination and will not compete directly with the CBD. “In fact, we believe they will complement each other and the new mall will raise the quality and variety of retail in the town.”
Carletonville Mall represents a major investment in the town outside its mainstay mining sector. In addition to the investment, the mall will create much needed jobs beyond the construction phase when it opens.
Selwyn says they have made a concerted effort to ensure local labour is used in the construction phase, through three community liaison officers who provide information and interact with the local community on the ground. He says more local jobs will come about when the mall opens and becomes fully operational.
A new township, Carletonville Extension 17, is being privately developed adjacent to the new mall development, increasing the mall’s primary shopper reach with over 2 200 housing units.
Many residents from Khutsong, which has been plagued by unsafe dolomite-heavy land, are in the process of being relocated, under the control and management of the local council to an area close the mall.
He says Carletonville Mall is one of several commercial property developments currently underway or on the drawing board for the Bentel Group.
The group also recently bought Benoni’s Northmead Square Shopping Centre, increasing its property portfolio, which is predominantly located in Gauteng.
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