Lesedi Council and private developers, Flanagan & Gerard Property Investments have come together, facilitated by the council's joint venture partner Marble Gold (Pty) Ltd to develop the 35,000sqm of retail.
Fernridge Consulting, a company that specialises in research for retail property developments, recently rated the mall as an "excellent retail development proposition."
Flanagan & Gerard executive director, Patrick Flanagan, says, "We're thrilled with the leasing progress. With a high number of the major national retailers already secured, we are going to be picky with the remaining opportunities, as we believe in providing a top quality tenant mix which matches the shopping needs of Heidelberg and the surrounding region."
The mall's shoppers will come from its primary catchment area, incorporating Heidelberg, Nigel and southern Springs. It also captures smaller surrounding towns to the south such as Balfour, Grootvlei and Greylingstad and will intercept traffic as far afield as Harrismith. Heidelberg's easy macro access via the N3 highway ensures it also acts as a central town serving the retail needs of towns such as Villiers, Frankfort, Cornelia and Vrede.
"In all these towns, there are no formal shopping centres. Heidelberg Mall will to become a significant regional retail asset for these communities and will add a unique retail option to the entire region with a complete one-stop shopping variety under one roof, and it also complements the existing, smaller-scale retail.
"Another benefit to mall's prime location at the Jacobs Road interchange of the N3 is its high visibility. Making it easy for everyone to get to the mall, it will also include an integrated taxi rank."
Heidelberg Mall will become the region's first regional shopping centre, saving many shoppers from the long trek to Johannesburg. It also has important added benefits for the local community, as an estimated 800 to 1200 permanent jobs will be created once the mall opens.
Besides its anchor tenants, retailers already signed up for Heidelberg Mall include Mr Price Group, Truworths, The Foschini Group, Ackermans, Identity, Pep, Pick n Pay Clothing, Cape Union Mart, Old Khaki, BT Games, Toys R Us, Drimac, MTN, Cell C, Vodacom, Bargain Books, Signature Cosmetics, Barber SA, Cappuccinos, Ocean Basket, Capitec Bank, Nedbank, FNB, Wimpy, Steers, Fish Aways, Debonairs and Mugg and Bean.
