Cape Town’s Foreshore precinct could soon see another major affordable housing development, after the City of Cape Town’s Mayoral Committee approved plans to release a municipal parking lot at the Civic Centre for redevelopment.
The proposal, announced this week, recommends that the open-air staff parking site be transformed into a mixed-use development featuring affordable housing, retail space, offices, and upgraded public areas in the heart of the CBD.
The site, situated next to the Civic Centre and close to major public transport routes, will go before Council on Wednesday, May 27, for approval to begin a public participation process.
City of Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said the redevelopment forms part of the City’s broader affordable housing pipeline aimed at unlocking well-located housing opportunities in the inner city.
“We are recommending that this parking lot be released by the City to unlock yet another affordable housing development right in the heart of the inner-city. This is how we are making underused public assets work for Capetonians,” he said.
According to the City, the redevelopment is expected to attract an estimated R1.5 billion in private sector investment into the CBD while contributing to the continued regeneration of the Foreshore area.
The project is also expected to create about 3 500 jobs during construction and throughout the development’s lifecycle.
Mayoral committee member for economic growth, James Vos, said the project reflects the City’s intention to repurpose underutilised public land for broader economic and social benefit.
“This parking site presents a unique opportunity to support inclusive growth while ensuring that well-located public land is used more efficiently for the benefit of all residents,” he said.
The City’s Human Settlements department will support planning for the site to maximise affordable housing opportunities, alongside other planned inner-city land release projects in areas such as Woodstock, Salt River, and Roeland Street.
If approved by Council later this month, the redevelopment proposal will proceed to a formal public participation phase, during which residents and stakeholders will be invited to comment.
The project is expected to generate around R230 million in sales income for the City, along with an estimated R50 million annually in rates and service revenue.
Affordable housing activist group Ndifuna Ukwazi has welcomed the decision, describing it as an important step toward addressing the city’s housing crisis and spatial inequality.
"It reflects growing recognition that well-located public land should be prioritised for affordable housing instead of underutilised parking infrastructure or exclusive private development," they said.
The group shared that in April this year, they commemorated the second anniversary of the #Land4PeopleNot4Parking campaign - a campaign calling for the Western Cape government-owned parking lots (as well as the Parliament parking lot, currently used for the temporary parliament site) to be used for social, affordable, and inclusionary housing.
"As part of reflecting on the campaign and imagining what these sites could become, Ndifuna Ukwazi partnered with the NowNow Competition to invite architects, designers, and members of the public to submit proposals envisioning the future of these spaces.
"We now call on Premier Alan Winde and the Western Cape Government to release these sites for social, affordable, and inclusionary housing," they said.
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