Construction of Umlazi Station Mall to start soon

The construction of US $24m Umlazi Station Mall in South Africa is set to commence soon with the planned two-phase development expected to open in October 2019.

The Umlazi Station Mall development forms part of a partnership with the Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa), which will be upgrading the station precinct to a modern commuter environment, together with the eThekwini Municipality, which is investing in the development of the Feeder Facility as part of their Integrated Rapid Public Transport Network (IRPTN), planned in consultation with and for the benefit of the local taxi associations.

The IRPTN project by eThekwini incorporates the upgrading of the access road infrastructure, while the mall infrastructure will also address pedestrian safety, as well as facilities for local traders. The co-ordination of the development interface between the partners in this co-operative investment is being undertaken by EMRE. Mandulo Retail Fund is the owner and developer of the mall.

According to the developers, despite the development of Umlazi Megacity and KwaMnyandu Shopping Centre, more than 50,000 people of Sections J, K, L & M around the Umlazi Station Mall, do not have access to modern shopping facilities.

“According to Prasa data, Umlazi Station remains the only super-core Metrorail station in Umlazi, with more than 28,000 commuters passing through the station daily on their way into and out of the city,” the developers said. Nedbank CIB Property Finance is the financing partners for the project which is anticipated to bring significant retail development finance expertise and also to ensure that there is additional value for the community.