Cape Town CCID to push regeneration boundaries

The city centre is cleaner and safer than it has ever been - and the time is now ripe to push the boundaries of the city's regeneration, says the new chairman of the Central City Improvement District (CCID), Rob Kane.

"We have seen growth (in the city) but I don't think that we have pushed the boundaries enough," said Kane.

Kane, who has taken over from property consultant and long-distance swimmer Theodore Yach, said central Cape Town could do more to become a 24-hour city.

But the CCID needed staff and resources to take the city to the next level that would put it on a par with other international cities.

The CCID was established in 2000 by the Cape Town Partnership, which formed a year before with a mandate to eradicate crime and grime in the city centre.

A decade later, there are 200 CCID security officers and 65 cleansing staff working in the city centre.

Crime has dropped by more than 85 percent. But Kane said the CCID had to shift its focus to marketing the city "without taking the eye off the ball for cleansing and security".

He said: "The city is safe and secure, we have got that tagged."

Kane acknowledged the work of his predecessor, saying: "The CCID is very well managed and runs with oiled wheels."

He added: "I am aware that I am stepping into fairly large shoes. Without Yach's input, the central city would not be what it is today."

Yach, who has stepped down as chairman after five years but will remain a CCID director, said Kane had the ability to take the city forward.

As a director of Vunani Properties, which has been involved in major city projects such as a multimillion-rand mixed-use development in Greenmarket Square, Kane said more could be done to increase the city's appeal.

The daily life of the city should be extended beyond 6pm, to create a more European-style urban environment.

This was possible because of the increased number of residential units in the city. He said formerly derelict buildings had been successfully converted into residential and retail spaces.

Kane would continue the CCID's negotiations with the government for the use of state-owned land in the city for development. He said District Six's development had "lagged" behind the rest of the inner city because most of the buildings were government-owned.

Kane, a qualified civil engineer, has worked in 15 countries. But he said Cape Town stood out because of its beautiful streetscape, diversity and potential. "Now we need to go forward and market the city and its attractions and get businesses to come back," he said.

Cape Times

Posted at 07:47AM Mar 02, 2010 by Editor in Industry  |  Comments[1]