Upmarket development in Windhoek’s central business district (CBD) is on the rise and has boosted the revival of this inner-city area, while plans to transform the city into a trendy leisure destination after dark have progressed and there is also a growing trend of CBD living.
Mayor Muesee Kazapua has noted that despite numerous challenges, Windhoek has seen significant developments over the past few years, including the construction of FNB’s head office and the Hilton Hotel.
Other key developments in the area are the mixed-use 77 on Independence Avenue and the multimillion-dollar phased refurbishment of Gustav Voigts shopping centre.
77 on Independence, which offers a combination of retail, residential and office space, links Independence Avenue to the Old Breweries Craft Market, a precinct that already boasts some high-quality retailers, businesses and service providers, a gym and an art gallery.
The three-level Gustav Voigts complex, built in the 1970s and located beneath the four-star Avani Hotel and Casino, was the country’s very first mall.
Carel Fourie, CEO of Oryx Properties, the owner of the centre, says, “We’ve undertaken this refurbishment partly as a result of the growing demand for upscale inner-city shopping, driven by the professionals in the surrounding offices, banks and government buildings.”
Fourth-generation Voigts family member and Wecke & Voigts store manager and buyer Adriane Jandrell confirms that there’s been an increase in the number of professionals frequenting the department store, which opened its doors 125 years ago.
The Avani Hotel and Casino has similarly seen an increase in patrons over the last year and a revamp of the casino is complete.
Ronald Uwukhaeb, marketing manager of the Hilton Windhoek, notes, “In 2011, Hilton Windhoek became Namibia’s first five-star accommodation establishment, and since then Windhoek has become a hub for retailers and professionals. The new 180-room Hilton Garden Inn is sited next to the existing Hilton Windhoek.”
“Council stands ready to avail land for developments that it deems will make positive impacts in the livelihoods of our people, particularly in the western suburbs of the city,” mayor Kazapua said last year. The City has also committed to operational upgrades to improve traffic flow and improved park maintenance.
More information from Karina Van Den Heever,
Tel: +27 21 4182466
Cell: +27 84-347-3358
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