No lease agreement renewals to pave way for Gweru industrial park

GWERU City Council will not renew lease agreements on premises located behind the Government Complex to pave way for the establishment of an industrial park that will extend to Fairmile Motel along Bulawayo Road, Southern Eye has established.

According to council, Gweru Sports and Recreational Club and Midlands Academy of Music's lease agreements will not be renewed.

In a letter addressed to the two institutions, chamber secretary Vakai Chikwekwe said Gweru Sports Club and Midlands Academy of Music have until January next year to wind up operations.

"I wish to advise that council is in the process of preparing the CBD [central business district] extension layout plan covering the area currently occupied by Gweru Sports and Recreational Club and the Midlands Academy of Music," the letter read.

"The layout plan is intended to create additional commercial stands to accommodate more investors who have shown interest in investing in Gweru due to its size and strategic location within the province."

Chikwekwe said the environment, works and town planning committee recommended at its meeting in May that council should not renew the two institutions' leases.

He said the council was looking for alternative space to accommodate the two.

"You are, therefore, given six months' notice within which to wind up your business and vacate the premises by January 31, 2019," the letter further read.

Early this year, the local authority announced that it had put up plans for an expansion of the CBD that would see the construction of shopping malls and other business premises from 10th Street along the Harare-Bulawayo Road.