Greenmarket Square Upgrading

Greenmarket Square, which celebrates its 300th anniversary in March next year, is being upgraded to enhance its role as a special, active and people-friendly space. Among the improvements are a newly configured market, the addition of a stage, revamped ablution facilities and better perimeter facilities that will enhance the "Cape Café" experience.

The upgrading will be completed in two phases.

Phase 1 includes:

• installing additional CCTV cameras and pedestrian lights
• lifting the granite cobbles, cleaning and relaying them at new levels to accommodate the restaurants that surround the square
• installing new bollards, benches and interpretive signage
• paving the existing sidewalks

Phase 2 includes upgrading the ablution facility. A stage will replace the ablution block roof to accommodate special events such as lunch time concerts.

The construction of phase 1 is well under way. The upgrading process will be divided to accommodate both construction and market activities. The upgrading of the first half of the square will be completed by 21 September. The market will then move over to the newly upgraded half adjacent to the restaurants which will then be open to the public.

From 21 September, a section of Longmarket Street (between Long and Burg Street) will be temporarily closed to traffic, but one way traffic will be accommodated from Burg Street down to Adderley Street. This measure is necessary for the construction to take place.

Some progress has been made on the second phase of the project, which will focus on upgrading the ablution block. Drawings were submitted to Heritage Western Cape and it approved the proposals subject to a 14 day appeals period during which the public can submit appeals to them.

A public meeting will be held on Thursday, 17 September at 17:30 in the Council Chambers, 11th floor, 44 Wale Street. All interested and affected parties are welcome to attend. Drawings for the ablution block will be presented and ground rules for the future functioning of the stage will be discussed. Tenders for upgrading the ablution block are currently being evaluated and a tender will be awarded before the end of this month, for work to start in October. Phase 1 and 2 will be completed by the end of November unless appeals are received.

For more information on the temporary road closure of Longmarket Street (between Long and Burg Street) in Greenmarket Square Market, please contact Osman Damon, City of Cape Town, on Tel 021 400 2433.