GEORGE NEWS - An upmarket convenience store, a "very special" restaurant, as well as a medical centre are set to grace the prime Heatherlands property in Davidson Road on the corner of Barry Street opposite the George Hospital.
Georgians have been curious about the future of the property that used to house the practice of veterinary surgeon, Dr Charles Deacon.
Deacon retired in 2010 and sold the property to local businessman, developer, and Walk in Doctor owner, Marius van Huyssteen.
According to Van Huyssteen the development of the land took longer than expected as residents in the area objected to his original plans.
Municipal Communications Officer Debra Sauer says the George Municipality received objections against a proposal by van Huyssteen to develop a hospital of 11 000m².
Following negotiations, the development was then reduced to approximately 40% of the size originally proposed.
Meanwhile, vagrants had moved into the historic building on the property and it soon became derelict. One of the squatters even attempted to burn it down.
After getting the necessary rezoning, Van Huyssteen first had a fence erected and earlier this year the first phase of the development kicked off - restoring and adding on to the old house, which will be home to the restaurant. The rest of the construction will begin in 2018 and the complex will open for business as soon as the restaurant's liquor licence is approved. This normally takes about a year.
Apart from the normal building costs, the municipal stipulations are adding a pretty penny to the development costs.
Van Huyssteen has to widen Plover Road on the northern border of the property, build a small traffic circle at the bottom entrance in Davidson Street at a cost of R1,5-million and dish out nearly R1-million for electricity upgrades.
With the establishment of Walk in Doctor in Heatherlands, his road capital contribution alone came to R32 000.
The right jockey
Van Huyssteen is looking for an innovative restaurateur who will bring a stunning concept to the prime site. "I want the right jockey with lots of style to ride this horse. It is a wonderful location and a restaurant appeals to me. Not that I want to be involved in the operational side of things. Not at all. But the restaurant game has a certain appeal and charm. I believe restaurateurs countrywide will jump at the opportunity to own a restaurant in the heart of the Garden Route at such a great location."
He is still negotiating with various role players regarding the convenience store and does not want to say more until the deal is done.
1 Caledon
Another of his buildings, 1 Caledon, on the corner of Caledon Street and Davidson Road next to the George Museum at the top of York, is being refurbished and will be ready for occupation on 1 January next year.
Van Huyssteen bought the property on auction for R7,4-million in December.
The building was one of several in the Southern Cape placed on auction in terms of the liquidation of the investment platform, Niflas Silhouette, which saw investors lose millions of rand.
Van Huyssteen says he is quite picky about which tenants he leases to. He has appointed Boshoff Visser Financial Services as the property leasing and management agent. Discovery is one of the current tenants staying on, while the legal firm, A Chimes and Van Wyk, will be relocating to 1 Caledon from Church Square in Courtenay Street.
Medical centre
The building activities next to Walk in Doctor opposite the Outeniqua Stadium in Langenhoven Street are also of Van Huyssteen's making. On completion at the end of October, the complex will be occupied by a variety of medical professionals, including a dermatologist.
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ARTICLE: ILSE SCHOONRAAD, EDITOR-AT-LARGE
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