Loftus Park, the new mixed-use green precinct next to the Pretoria’s legendary Loftus Versfeld Stadium, celebrated its official opening on 3 May.
Official ribbon cutting ceremony: left to right Thinus Delport Abland Director, Tswane Executive Mayor Counsellor Solly Msimanga, Marc Wainer Redefine Properties Executive Chairman and Willem Strauss Blue Bulls President.Loftus Park is in the heart of Pretoria’s sporting, cultural, diplomatic and schools hub. Its First Phase, which includes an exciting open-air piazza surrounded by restaurants, convenience retail, hotel, a premium Virgin Active health club, added parking for stadium game-goers and some 29 000m2 of A-grade office space, began trading on 29 March this year.
The property was launched by Executive Mayor of the City of Tshwane Solly Msimanga at an official ribbon cutting ceremony attended by representatives of its owners and developers, JSE-listed diversified Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT) Redefine Properties (JSE: RDF) and Abland, one of South Africa’s top property development companies. Loftus Park’s tenants and other key stakeholders also joined the celebration.
Speaking at the official opening, Mayor Msimanga said: “Congratulations to the visionary leaders who could see this concept before the brick and mortar was put together… I hope that Loftus Park, the hotel that is coming, its future phases and the business that are here will thrive and grow, creating employment, further investment opportunities and returns... We have always said that we want to have a world-class city, and this is the beginning.”
Andrew König, CEO of Redefine Properties, said: “Loftus Park furthers our goal to be the landlord of choice for quality space in excellent locations. Nestled next to the landmark Loftus Versfeld Stadium, this vibrant new precinct champions sustainable development and will be accredited as a 4-Star Green Star building. We believe it will become an icon in its own right and our investment is a testament its strength, and also that of its community, the city and its future. We are excited about the Loftus Park precinct and its upcoming phases, and we are confident it will be a winning address for a wide-range of tenants, especially those seeking modern, efficient workspaces.”
Grant Silverman, Marketing Director of Abland, added: “We are delighted to bring Loftus Park to life. For Abland, this realises our passion and vision for the immense potential of this property. It has set a new standard for quality mixed-use precincts in Pretoria. This market-defining development creates a fresh and unique opportunity for businesses and retailers to position themselves in prime space within one of Pretoria’s up-and-coming central nodes.”
Anchor brands at Loftus Park include Checkers, Dis-Chem, and PNA, as well as restaurants Casa Bella, Turn & Tender, Salsa, Rocomamas, and Seattle Coffee Co, and tasty treats from Vos Biltong. Services at Loftus Park include Postnet and Levingers, bank ATMs from Nedbank, Capitec, FNB and Absa, and health and beauty brands Sorbet, Sorbet Man, and Eyeland Optometrist. Vovo Telo is located inside the famous Sinbin, first constructed in 1929 as a tennis clubhouse and later becoming an infamous pub, this building was deconstructed and then reconstructed brick-by-brick as part of the development.
A new 152 room Protea Hotel by Marriott, with breathtakingly panoramic rooftop views of the city, will also open in this phase. Still to come is Phase Two of Loftus Park, which adds add another 7 600m2 to the development with a proposed hospital. Then, 13 000m2 of office space will be introduced in Phase Three.
All this delivers on Loftus Park’s promise to tackle both work and play by bringing business and leisure together in one unrivalled precinct.
Once the demand-driven development is complete, it will offer some 55 000m2 of space centred around its community and the important business of healthy, balanced living. Its curated variety of convenient everyday and after-work essentials have been specially selected to support its office space and its neighbours.
Loftus Park is also expected to be a boost for its greater node, based on the strength of its integrated work and play environment. Its fun family-orientated atmosphere, big screen, water feature, compelling art installations, play area, and generous secure parking, are all complemented with excellent connectivity, walkability and green spaces.
The new Loftus Park has enhanced the transport links in this community. Loftus Park is already at the epicentre of the city’s key suburb of Arcadia, within walking distance from the University of Pretoria and the Pretoria Boys & Girls High Schools, and it enjoys excellent proximity to a vast number of embassies, the Union Buildings and museums. The developers’ investment has now also placed Loftus Park directly onto the Gautrain network. A Gautrain bus stop alongside the precinct now connects it seamlessly to Centurion, Sandton, Rosebank and OR Tambo International Airport via Hatfield Station.
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