PROPOSED REDEVELOPMENT OF ERF 144698 and 8210 CAPE TOWN Figure 1: The new building is to be on the block bounded by Buitengracht, Longmarket, Shortmarket and Rose Streets HERITAGE STATEMENT Prepared for Buitengracht Properties (Pty) Ltd AIKMAN ASSOCIATES: HERITAGE MANAGEMENT April 2016 PO Box 140 Tulbagh 6820 Ph 023 230 147 083 306 67 68 [email protected] CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY....................................................................................... 2 1. BACKGROUND ................................................................................................. 3 2. METHODOLOGY .............................................................................................. 4 3. STATEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE................................................................ 4 4. LOCALITY .......................................................................................................... 4 5. CONTEXT ........................................................................................................... 5 5.1 Historical Development ........................................................................... 6 5.2 Statutory and policy framework.............................................................. 9 5.3 Heritage status ........................................................................................ 11 5.4 Townscape and streetscape context ...................................................... 11 6. MAPPING ......................................................................................................... 23 6.1 The Bokaap.............................................................................................. 23 6.2 Riebeeck Square ...................................................................................... 24 6.3 Heritage Square....................................................................................... 24 7. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE ................................................................. 24 7.1 The site and buildings: ........................................................................... 24 7.2 The setting ............................................................................................... 24 8. HERITAGE RELATED DESIGN INDICATORS............................................ 25 9. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT................................................................ 26 9.1 Development constraints........................................................................ 26 9.2 The development proposals................................................................... 26 10. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS...................................................................... 29 11. IMPACTS......................................................................................................... 29 11.1 Archaeological and historical impact.................................................. 29 11.2 Impacts on Townscape and Streetscape.............................................. 29 12. SUSTAINABLE SOCIO-ECONOMIC BENEFITS........................................ 32 13. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................... 32 14. RECOMMENDATIONS................................................................................. 32 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The proposed consolidation of Erf 144698 and Erf 8210 and redevelopment of the property as a mixed use complex reaching a height of 60m is supported from a heritage perspective. The design has responded positively to urban design and heritage related design indicators and the mitigation measures such as the stepping back of the upper levels mitigates potential negative impacts on the townscape and streetscape setting related to Riebeeck Square and the Bokaap. Moreover this new development will increase the residential population of the city and make a major contribution to the local economy. It will significantly increase rates revenue and act as a catalyst for urban renewal. 2 1. BACKGROUND The property development company; Buitengracht Properties (Pty) Ltd intends erecting a new building on Erf 144698 and 8210. These two erven make up almost the entire block bounded by Buitengracht, Longmarket, Shortmaket and Rose Streets in the Cape Town CBD. Two small erven, Erf 1299 and 1300 with frontage to Shortmarket Street are in separate ownership and will not form part of the redevelopment of the block. The new building will have basement parking, will accommodate ground floor retail areas on all the street frontages and residential apartments in a 60m high building. As the development involves no listed activities in terms of Section 38(1) of the National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999) {NHR Act} there was no legal requirement that a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) should be undertaken. An urban design report was however commissioned and was prepared by BlueGreen planning and design. Its purpose was to describe the urban design, landscape, heritage, access and other “indicators” for the site in order to give guidance to the professional team and architects to inform the building’s massing, use and design. A report in support of the application for the redevelopment was submitted by Tommy Brummer Town Planners in terms of the City of Cape Town’s (CoCT) Municipal Planning By-Law (MPBL). Initially a number of departures were sought but plans have been amended and now no departures are required. The application before the CoCT is for: • Consolidation of the two erven into one in terms of the CoCT’s Development Management Scheme (DMS); • Council’s consent to build in the Central City Heritage Protection Overlay Zone (HPOZ). This followed a public participation process. On 9 March 2016 the Planning and Building Development Management Branch of the CoCT referred a memorandum received from the CoCT’s Environmental Resource Management Branch to the development team requesting comment. The thrust of the memorandum was that all of the heritage resources identified in the fairly detailed memorandum will be impacted on in a negative manner by the proposed development because of the design’s bulk and height. The memorandum called for a Heritage Statement to be prepared and the comment of Heritage Western Cape to be sought. It was then decided that an independent heritage practitioner be appointed to prepare a Heritage Statement to assess the impacts of the proposed development on heritage resources. 3 2. METHODOLOGY The programme has involved site inspections and an analysis of historical maps, aerial photographs, plans and documentation provided by the project team. Readily available published and unpublished material was used. Henry Aikman who undertook this study is an architect and founder member of the Association of Professional Heritage Practitioners. He has prepared more than 200 Heritage Statements and over 50 Heritage Impact Assessments over the last 15 years. Three of the latter were related to the development of buildings of 60m in height; The Pepper Club on Loop Street, The Pulse on the block bounded by Bree, Dorp, Loop and Leeuwen Streets and the Cliffe Dekker headquarters building on Bree and Prestwich Streets. The development team is made up of Tommy Brummer Town Planners, BlueGreen planning + design and Fabian Architects. 3. STATEMENT OF INDEPENDENCE The author of this report has no financial interest in the proposed development or any other projects being undertaken by the developers. 4. LOCALITY The property is on the periphery of the CBD of Cape Town. The precinct where the site is located is characterised by light industrial, office, commercial and some residential uses. 4 Figure 2: The site is on the northwestern edge of Buitengracht Street adjacent to Riebeeck Square Figure 3: The property is northwest of Riebeeck Square sited within the band of commercial properties lying between Rose and Buitengracht Streets 5. CONTEXT The historical development and the statutory aspects of the area are set out below: 5 5.1 Historical Development The original grid of Cape Town laid out in the 17th Century gradually expanded to the northwest until in 1772 a canal was dug defining the town’s northwestern boundary. Originally referred to as Nieuwe Gracht by 1790 it was referred to as Buiten Gracht. 1 The other parallel streets higher up the slopes like Rose and Chiappini Street only made their appearance early in the 19th Century when Schotscheskloof was developed to accommodate the town’s artisans and tradesmen in terraced houses many of which have survived. Figure 4: Extract from Snow Survey c1862 showing the block then made up mostly of small erven with larger dwellings facing Buitengracht The block bounded by Buitengracht, Longmarket, Shortmarket and Rose Streets originally accommodated residential buildings and some businesses but by the early 20th Century commercial activity came to dominate the block. Concrete frame construction techniques permitted taller structures to be built and replace older fabric. No 100 Buitengracht Street built in 1927 and the adjacent structure built in 1936 is typical of this period.2 A small warehouse was built on Erf 1300 in 1935 for Adderley Street retailers Cleghorn & Harris. Monotype House now occupied by Carol Boyes was built in 1968. These were primarily motor trade workshops and warehouses. Only one of the 19th 1 PICARD, H. 1968. Gentleman’s Walk. C. Struik. Cape Town. Pg 123. 2 The two structures were linked about 10 years ago, were heavily remodelled about 10 years ago and are occupied by Cape City Volkswagen. 6