FEATURES
NEW RESIDENTIAL APARTMENTS IN KZN
Growthpoint Properties has commenced the development of Kent, its first greenfield sectional title residential development in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Adjacent to the landmark upmarket 37 000m² La Lucia Mall, the R140 million apartment project will create a mixed-use lifestyle with all the amenities anyone could want – shopping, dining, a park, gym and more – within a short walking distance. Growthpoint is known for the quality of its investment-grade real estate developments and the market response to Kent has surpassed expectations. It is already around 90% sold out, with only a handful of units still available. Kobus Blom, Growthpoint’s KZN regional development manager, confirms that the development answers a genuine demand for modern, quality residential accommodation for young professionals in the area. “We’re confident that it will enhance its surrounding neighbourhood and contribute to the great local lifestyle,” he says. HIGH-RISE BUILDING The Kent apartments are being built in a stand-alone 10-storey building alongside the mall. Construction is scheduled for completion in November 2022 and Kent will welcome its first residents in time for Christmas. Construction of the building’s first three levels of the above-ground parking deck will be completed in early 2022. Thereafter, one floor will be completed each month over seven months. The user experience of each apartment is a carefully considered factor of the overall development. One of the main drawcards of Kent is that 90% of its
SEPTEMBER 2021 SOUTH AFRICAN BUILDER
one- and two-bedroomed apartments have sea views. It offers secure parking, card access control, an entertainment area with a swimming pool, petfriendly ground-floor apartments with dedicated gardens and Smeg appliances. Furthermore, Kent will feature lobby cubicles where residents can collect their shopping from selected La Lucia Mall stores, managed by on-demand shopping service OneCart. The beautiful public La Lucia Park is alongside Kent, complete with an equipped playground, an outdoor gym and benches. Virgin Active La Lucia is also right next door and the La Lucia Mall Tennis Club is adjacent to both the mall and the library. THINKING GREEN Growthpoint has adopted a green development ethos backed by the extensive expertise it brings to all its projects. For Kent, this includes using low-VOC paint coatings and cost-effective, energyefficient light fittings. The building will also have a dedicated generator to power apartments in case of load-shedding. Growthpoint managers at the launch of the development emphasised that the company and its contractors would seek to create employment and skills (the construction of Kent has created approximately 500 job opportunities) and would support 30 local SMMEs. The development of Kent prioritises contracting employment and services from the local community wherever possible.
(Above, from left): Craig Davis, leasing manager, Greg Worst, regional head: Durban office and Marius Els, development project manager, at all of Growthpoint Properties.
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