News / National
Doubts over Egodini project
15 Sep 2018 at 16:52hrs | Views
The construction of the $60 million Egodini Mall in Bulawayo has suffered notable delays, raising questions on whether the contractor would be able to beat a set 15-month deadline.
The hyped Egodini Mall is being implemented by South Africa-based civil engineering company Tearracotta Construction (Private) Limited.
Tearracotta won the tender to develop the shopping mall at Basch Street bus terminus, popularly known as Egodini, in 2012.
As part of the deal, the company was awarded a 99-year lease to run the terminus.
The company's director Thulani Moyo is, however, confident that the project, which commenced in March, is still on track.
"The site was not a vacant site when we commenced and had a large number of informal traders, taxi operators, businesses and commuters utilising the facility," he said.
"On handing the site over to the developer, we encountered a slight delay in relocating certain occupants to their new trading facilities."
Moyo said once successfully decanted, the developer was able to hoard off the site and grant access to the main contractor to commence initial works, primarily being the completion of technical studies that could not be done with the general public still present on site.
He added that a final topographical survey of the site was undertaken to confirm the preliminary civil engineering design of the development in terms of existing levels, positioning of retention lines, relocation of existing services and cut and fill quantities and levels adding that in order to complete the structural engineering design, a comprehensive geotechnical study of the substrate soil conditions has been successfully completed.
"The project has already commenced, hence that is why there are certain activities on site. There are absolutely no delays. The site was handed over to the developer with an agreed timeline for Phase one to be open for trading in November 2019. The developer is still on target to meet this date and it is premature to suggest otherwise.
"The second and third phases will be open for trading in October 2020 and November 2021 respectively," he said.
The hyped Egodini Mall is being implemented by South Africa-based civil engineering company Tearracotta Construction (Private) Limited.
Tearracotta won the tender to develop the shopping mall at Basch Street bus terminus, popularly known as Egodini, in 2012.
As part of the deal, the company was awarded a 99-year lease to run the terminus.
The company's director Thulani Moyo is, however, confident that the project, which commenced in March, is still on track.
"The site was not a vacant site when we commenced and had a large number of informal traders, taxi operators, businesses and commuters utilising the facility," he said.
"On handing the site over to the developer, we encountered a slight delay in relocating certain occupants to their new trading facilities."
Moyo said once successfully decanted, the developer was able to hoard off the site and grant access to the main contractor to commence initial works, primarily being the completion of technical studies that could not be done with the general public still present on site.
He added that a final topographical survey of the site was undertaken to confirm the preliminary civil engineering design of the development in terms of existing levels, positioning of retention lines, relocation of existing services and cut and fill quantities and levels adding that in order to complete the structural engineering design, a comprehensive geotechnical study of the substrate soil conditions has been successfully completed.
"The project has already commenced, hence that is why there are certain activities on site. There are absolutely no delays. The site was handed over to the developer with an agreed timeline for Phase one to be open for trading in November 2019. The developer is still on target to meet this date and it is premature to suggest otherwise.
"The second and third phases will be open for trading in October 2020 and November 2021 respectively," he said.
Source - dailynews
