A R60m project to rehabilitate an existing building in Marsh Street and turn it into the Mossel Bay Shared Services Centre was completed in September 2020.
Occupation of the facility has been delayed by a COVID-19-related shortage of the steel needed for manufacturing furniture.
This capital project created 48 jobs for the community of Mossel Bay, and created top-class offices for four Western Cape Government departments:
Because the original building was older than 60 years, the project required Heritage Western Cape approval before work could begin. While the original building had little actual heritage value, the project was approached with due sensitivity.
During excavations, the remains of an old stone house were found buried. This stone was used in the garden retaining walls and the excess donated to Heritage Mossel Bay for use on other projects.
The design philosophy was to keep the existing building as intact as possible, to reinstate the corrugated sheeting roof, to remove all asbestos, to keep the plaque bearing the name of the original architect and builder intact, to repair all the existing timber windows in the north block, and to reuse existing windows where possible.
The provincial Department of Health will take occupation on 26 November 2020 and it is anticipated that the other three departments will take occupation in January 2021.
Jandré Bakker
Head of Communication
Department of Transport and Public Works
Email: Jandre.Bakker@westerncape.gov.za