century city #4
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Century City Edits #4 - the Green issueTRANSCRIPT
green issuesep/Oct 2012
edits
magazine
Welcome to our “green” edition of City Edits, which is printed on Triple Green paper, in celebration of Spring, the thawing of winter and the “greening” of our city.
As you will read in this edition, Century City is full of “green” news, from new green buildings under construction to recycling facilities being launched, as well as our ongoing environmental conservation at Intaka Island and throughout our city within a city where only recycled water is used for all irrigation.
Happy reading!
Maggie RowleyCommunications Manager | CCPOA
Publisher & PaPer folder: Michael Beatham | 079 767 6343 | [email protected] & Production ManaGer: Alex Tulleken | 082 221 7541 | [email protected] & online editor: Michele Attwood | 079 586 7926 | [email protected] ManaGer: Tyrrone Lloyd | 072 017 2156 | [email protected] & layout: Elinore de Lisle | 083 574 8937 | [email protected] Photo: Kingfisher photographed at Intaka island by Colin Baxter
century city security Spring is a great time in Century City. It is a time when the city literally bustles with life – the landscaping and gardens come out of hibernation, the sports clubs are energised, runners and walkers take to the trails and the canoeists are out in full force.
It also heralds the return of Century City’s Natural Goods Market, with the first one of the new season set to take place on Sunday 30 September. So as not to clash with other important events on the Century City calendar, we have moved the market to its new slot on the last Sunday of the month.
It is also a busy time for the CCPOA, with a lot of energy being focused on growing our green status and further improving our carbon footprint – see the edits elsewhere in this issue on our recycling initiatives, and developments at Intaka Island.
Chris’s Corner
Chris BlackshawCEO | Century City Property Owners’ Association
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Our Growing CityMore ‘green’ offices for century cityA new 3,800m2 office block is to be built by the Rabie Property Group, at a cost of around R80million, in the Bridgeways Precinct of Century City near Virgin Active.
The four storey building, Number 3 Bridgeways, will be ideal for a single corporate user, but will also be easily sub-divisible for multiple users if required.
Rabie director Colin Anderson said it was being built on spec, as demand for offices at Century City had ballooned, with vacancies falling to a record low and little or no vacant space for 1000m2 or more currently available.
He said Number 3 Bridgeways will be built according to green building principles submitted to the Green Building Council of South Africa (GBCSA) for a Green Star Rating in both the Design and As Built categories.
Bridgeways brings to three the number of office blocks already underway in the new 150,000m2 Bridgeways precinct. It follows the Business Centre and Chevron, both of which are currently under construction and both of which
are also going to be submitted to the GBCSA for Green Star ratings.
Anderson said it is hoped that Bridgeways would in fact become the country’s first all “green” precinct, but this will be dependent on future owners and tenants buying into the green building philosophy.
“We have included numerous green building principles in some of our previous developments in recent years, but the first time we went all out for a Green Star rating was two years ago on the Aurecon building at Century City, which was the first building in the Western Cape to receive a Green Star Rating from the Green Building Council of South Africa and the first building in South Africa to be awarded a 5 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating.For further details contact Giles Balmer or Sedica Knight on 021 550 7000.
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Bridgeways
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Our Growing City2
new investment opportunityAn exciting new commercial development providing smaller office users the opportunity to purchase in Century City is to be launched shortly by the Rabie Property Group.
To be known as the Quays, the development will comprise 39 units ranging from 41m2 to 228m2 and priced from around R750 000 inclusive of parking. Occupation is scheduled for early 2014.
As such it represents an ideal opportunity for both investors and owner occupiers looking for an affordable entry into commercial property ownership at Century City.watch out for details in the media and on the rabie website www.rabie.co.za
lower interest rates boost sales and affordabilityThe recent surprise drop in interest rates has further buoyed the property market at Century City, which is reporting a significant uptick in residential sales inquiries. So says Brian Usher of Property World, the official on site estate agency.
The Reserve Bank surprised the market last month when it announced a 50 basis point cut in the Repo Rate to 5% effective from July 20, 2012.
The commercial banks followed suit, reducing the mortgage rate from 9% to 8,5%.
The latest drop in interest rates has brought the mortgage rate to its lowest in 39 years.
“And, according to Absa, it has made mortgage repayments on home loans about 35,9% lower than they were in December 2008 when the mortgage rate was 15,5%,” Usher added.
The fact that the lower interest rate was boosting affordability was partly behind the re-emergence of first time homebuyers as well as investors in the property market. Usher said they were optimistic for the year ahead.for further information contact brian usher on 021 5550105
The Quays: One of Century City’s latest residential developments being snapped up by buyers
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Century City NewsMadiba day at sinenjongo Staff from the Century City Property Owners’ Association and two of its stakeholders, Rabie Property Group and Ratanga Junction, joined forces to feed the more than 800 learners and staff at Sinenjongo High School in Joe Slovo Park in commemoration of former President Nelson Mandela’s 94th birthday and the 67 years he spent fighting for democracy for South Africa. All learners and staff at Sinenjongo High School were treated to a boerewors roll, chips and cool drinks, which were served by an army of volunteers from the three companies, including the CCPOA CEO Chris Blackshaw, Ratanga General Manager Bill Taylor and Rabie MD Leon Cohen. So smoothly did the operations run that all 800 people had been served within 17 minutes – something of a record even for Ratanga, which has been known to feed up to 10 000 people in any one day!
shoot-out at century cityBraving the winter rain, dozens of drenched onlookers watched in horror as police, paramedics and other emergency services descended en masse on the scene of an armed cash-in-transit heist in Century City with sirens blaring.
Bodies laid sprawled across Century Boulevard opposite Vodacom, the driver of the cash van into which another car had crashed was slumped behind the steering wheel, the screams of those injured in the cross fire pierced the air, and the scene was littered with spent bullets and abandoned automatic rifles and machine guns.
Or so it seemed to those looking on in terror and to the emergency services personnel when they first arrived at the scene. It was only on closer inspection that the latter realised that all was not what it had initially seemed, but rather a very realistic simulation of a cash-in-transit heist gone wrong. Rather than a real emergency, they were in fact in the midst of a practice exercise designed to test their emergency response readiness.
The exercise, of which the City of Cape Town’s Disaster Management were informed beforehand, involved a medical emergency response from four ER24 paramedic teams, traffic control by a City Traffic officer, four Century City response vehicle teams and two City law enforcement officers, as well as the SAPS who also had to secure and investigate the crime scene. In all there were 10 response vehicles crowded at the scene.
search, share, connectThe Century City Community Portal is your online gateway to the Century City family.
Advertise just about anything to anyone on the notice board or post vacancies on the job board. To join costs nothing, so visit www.centurycity.co.za, click the Century City Community link, and follow the prompts to receive a unique user profile login. User profiles and posting are exclusive to community members, but both boards can be viewed by all site visitors. Coming soon: an online voucher system that allows you access to discounts and vouchers from various Century City outlets and businesses.
Intaka Island5
educational Garden opens in intaka islandAn Indigenous Educational Garden opens this month in Intaka Island, Century City’s award-winning wetlands nature reserve.
Modelled on the garden on the Green Point Common, the Intaka Indigenous Educational Garden will comprise three components, namely, medicinal plants, sand plain fynbos (Intaka Island has some of the last remaining sand plain fynbos species) and water-wise indigenous garden plants.
Each of the 40-odd species of plants in the garden will be identified with plaques and a short description.
education lapa boosts intaka facilitiesA new outside education lapa has been built on Intaka Island to meet the growing demand for its environmental education facilities.
Funded by generous corporate and public donations, the Intaka Island Environmental Education Centre, which includes an indoor activity room, opened in 2011. Since then, visitor numbers and demand have grown substantially, and the addition of a second weather proof educational facility will double its capacity, thus further assisting Intaka in realising its enormous environmental educational potential and its goal to accommodate around 17 500 visitors this year.
The Garden has been established in partnership with Kirstenbosch, which has provided Intaka with a number of the plants, and with the assistance of acclaimed botanist Dr Clive McDowell, who is also a member of the Intaka Island / Blouvlei Environmental Committee.
The Intaka Educational Garden is situated at the foot of Bird Mountain on the 2km circular walking trail within Intaka Island and is open to the public seven days a week from 7.30am until 5.30pm from May until end September, and from 7.30am until 7pm from October to end April. There is a nominal entry fee of R10 for adults and R5 for children under 12 and pensioners. Children under 3 years of age get in free.
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Intaka Island
orientation toursof century cityThe CCPOA is looking to launch regular orientation tours of Century City from
early next month. Many people working and living in the precinct are unaware of all that our city within a city has to offer. These free, two-hour tours aim to change that and will be particularly useful to newcomers to the precinct.
Tours will be held on the first Monday of every month starting Monday 1 October 2012.please email bianca [email protected] or telephone her on 021 5526889 to book a tour. pre-booking is essential.
intaka island joins My schoolThe MySchool MyVillage MyPlanet fundraising
programme is one of SA’s biggest community support programmes that raises essential funds for schools, charities and environmental organisations. Intaka Island has been accepted as a beneficiary and requires 100 signed application forms to activate their donations. As a MySchool card holder you can change your beneficiaries at any stage, and we are urging our stakeholders to do so in support of this precious wetlands in the heart of Century City. visit www.myschool.co.za or email ccpoa environmental manager, [email protected]
intaka education centre is GreenThe Intaka Island Environmental Education Centre, a multi-purpose, environmentally friendly building, is aiming to be completely powered by renewable energy.
The structure itself was built with as many environmentally friendly materials as possible and boasts a number of cutting edge sustainability elements outlined in the accompanying diagram.
century city’s Mr GreenWe chat to Colin Anderson, a director of Rabie, who has been driving the group’s move into green building.what was the first building where you employed green building principles?Although we have included numerous green principles in some of the other developments in recent years, the first time we went the “full Monty” was on the Aurecon building, the first building in the Western Cape to receive a Green Star rating from the Green Building Council and the first in South Africa to be awarded a 5 Star Green Star SA – Office Design v1 rating.should all new developments be green star rated? I think we are a while away from that. There will always be occupiers who are cost sensitive, although I do not believe green buildings are that much more expensive. do green buildings make economic sense? Anything that can improve cash-flow must make
commercial sense. Internationally, green buildings have been known to achieve higher rentals than lower rated ones and are in higher demand as more tenants start to demand sustainable buildings. More tenants are starting to understand the principle of total cost of occupation and therefore are not using the rate/m2 as the sole determining factor.
The Green Star rating process strives to make buildings more efficient and encourages professionals to design better and more efficient work spaces. Therefore, a Green rated building is more likely to be a ‘future-proofed’ building, resulting in improved rental growth and higher capital values. where to now? We believe that Green is the way of the future and have started implementing green principles into the design of our next major office precinct, Bridgeways, where the first three buildings will be going for Green Star rating. It would be fantastic to be the first precinct in the country where all building are Green Star SA rated.
century city recycling facility to open shortlyCentury City is launching a recycling facility as part its Integrated Waste Management Plan aimed at reducing the precinct’s carbon footprint.
Four separate igloos - glass, tin, paper and plastic - will be situated at the Century Avenue Public Transport Interchange and should be operational by end of September, allowing the Century City community to separate and drop off their waste for recycling.
The facility will be serviced by Waste Plan, Century City’s preferred waste service provider.
This follows the success of pilot recycling projects at the CCPOA offices and depots, and at six buildings in Central Park: the Pavilion, Amazing Vouchers office block, the Dermatology Centre, Teneo House, as well as The Clubhouse and the Endeavour Creche.
Alan Liebenberg, Century City’s Environmental Manager, said on average over 80% of litter collected by the CCPOA was being recycled and currently just over
60% of Central Park’s waste.As an incentive to these property owners Waste
Plan charges just R12 to take away the contents of recyclable bins, against R22 for general waste.
Waste Plan is also offering other companies in Century City the same rate as an incentive to join the recycling revolution.to get involved contact virgil brent of waste plan on 0861116699 or alan liebenberg on 021 5526889.
Century City Recycling8
Green Living9
Help the earth and your wallet with some of these quick and easy tips
Re-use Banana peels can be used, inter alia, to shine silverware and leather. Coffee grinds make great fertiliser for plants. Place crushed egg shells around plants to keep slugs away or mix them into soil as an excellent fertiliser.
GROw Even if you don’t have the space to grow your own veggies, growing herbs and salad leaves is ridiculously easy, saving you money and packaging.
waTeR South Africa is a critically water-stressed country; every drop counts. Don’t fill the kettle for just one or two cups of coffee. Sweep driveways and patios instead of using a hose. Fit a water-saving showerhead.
shOp Support local markets. Organic produce and locally-made
products support the earth and the local economy. There are many Cape Town markets to choose from and the Century City Natural Goods Market is back this month.
hOliday Be a tourist in your own city. Stay home or book into a hotel and explore the city and surrounds. Try something new. Coffeebeans Routes offers a Jazz Safari, a Beer Route, a Cuisine Route and a Fashion Route, to name just a few.
sTOp Take time out. Read a book. Take a walk. Play with your kids.
Clean White vinegar and bicarbonate of soda are wonder cleaners. Mix vinegar, bicarb and water for an effective cleaner, and use bicarb to clean drains and keep your fridge fresh. A water and bicarb paste makes an excellent stain remover.
OpT OuT Tired of junk mail? Stop all print, email and SMS marketing
from members of the Direct Marketing Association by opting out at www.nationaloptout.co.za.
lapTOps While laptops are more environmentally friendly than desktops, not all brands are equal. Apple has made huge progress; the MacBook Air is made from recyclable aluminum and glass, free of harmful toxins and meets Energy Star requirements. HP and Dell are rated as the top two companies in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, but in the case of the HP, most of its points come from sustainable operations, so research is essential. www.incredible.co.za or www.greenpeace.org
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Green LivingFive products for a greener life
Gaia filTeR juGH2O International has a range of water purifiers to suit every need, but for quick and easy everyday preparations, this GAIA Filter Jug with an analogue filter change reminder is ideal, saving on bottled water expense and storage and plastic bottle waste. www.h20.co.za
fOOd wasTe dispOseRFood waste accounts for 20% of
household rubbish. The InSinkErator waste disposal unit from H2O
International keeps bins and kitchens cleaner and fresher and reduces the
waste sent to landfills. Fits neatly under your kitchen sink. www.h20.co.za
COnsOl sOlaR jaRThe classic Consol preserve jar is fitted with solar powered LED lights and solar panelling on the lid and provides beautiful bottled sunshine that’s ideal for camping, event décor and al fresco dining and entertaining after dark. www.consol.co.za
an analogue filter change reminder is ideal, saving on bottled water expense and storage and plastic bottle
that’s ideal for camping, event décor and al fresco dining and entertaining
storage and plastic bottle www.h20.co.za
storage and plastic bottle waste. www.h20.co.za
pROOf sunGlassesLook good and do good with awesome shades in bamboo and other sustainable woods with a variety of lenses and tints. Plus, Proof South Africa plants a tree for every pair sold to help offset the carbon footprint caused by transport from the US. www.iwantproof.co.za
Have your Function
at the Junction
For a function with a difference contact us at: 021 550 8504 or [email protected] or visit www.ratanga.co.za
• Family Days • Launches • Birthday Parties • Concerts • Team Building • Matric Dances • Conferences • Weddings
• Tailor-made conference packages up to 340 persons
• Corporate events for groups of 60 to 7000
• Try our PILOT PARTY or WILD WEST themes
• MILD or WILD Year End packages
• Open 364 days a year
Ratanga
Rides OPEN
from
Fri 28 Sept -
Sun 7 Oct
RATANGA JUNCTION- Cape Town’s very own Theme Park
Have your Have your
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Century City Connect
Welcome to the Fast Lane!
www.centurycityconnect.com
Get connected now! Visit our state-of-the-art Simulation Centre at Crystal Towers, Rialto Road. Phone: 084 558 0391
Century City Connect offers Century City residents and businesses a fibre optic backbone giving you:
• Unrivalled upload and download internet speeds• An open access network via which select Internet Service Providers can offer competitive packages tailored to your needs• Enhanced productivity through revolutionary broadband and data speeds, video conferencing and VoIP
century city connect signs up 6 isPs Century City Connect, Century City’s cutting-edge, open access fibre optic network that is enabling the country’s fastest voice, broadband and multi-media services, has signed up six Internet Service Providers and is negotiating with a further five.
Alfie Martin, a director of Century City Connect, said they had now taken fibre past all premises within the precinct – a benchmark used internationally to state the reach or success of a fibre optic network.
He said direct network access to 180 businesses has been completed so far with a further 120 expected to be completed by the end of September. Together this constitutes about 70% of all current businesses at Century City.
first 1Gbps access package signedMartin said they had been working closely with the accredited ISPs to introduce exciting new packages that varied considerably and included contended access packages of 20Mbps, 30Mbps and 50Mbps options as well as dedicated access packages ranging from 2Mbps up to 1Gbps.
“The first 1Gbps service has now been signed with a large international corporate user, which as far as we know is the largest and fastest managed service access package in the country today. The service selected by this customer will also include a fully resilient redundant link.”
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Century City Dinner ClubTwo-storey windows framing views of the Cape Town city skyline and Table Mountain, a three metre genuine Swarovski crystal chandelier, exceptional cuisine and superb service make Cin Cin Restaurant, the venue for October’s Century City Dinner Club, synonymous with elegance and ambience.
Guests will be treated to a three-course meal and whisky tasting, and some fabulous prize giveaways.
daTe: 12 October 2012Time: 7pmVenue: Cin Cin Restaurant, Colosseum Luxury Hotel, Century CityCOsT: R180 per headRsVp: [email protected]
Century City Events
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century city athletic club launch11 September | Century City Clubhouse
natural goods Market30 September | Central Park
century citydinner club12 October | Cin CinRestaurant, Colosseum Hotel
Still in its fledging stage, the Century City Athletic Club is set for great things. Learn more about your local running club, what nights we run on the 8km’s of scenic running routes throughout Century City, how to join to join the club and meet our Brand Ambassador 3 times Comrades winner Vladimir Kotov who will be taking us through his Comrades experiences as well as his training
for the upcoming New York Marathon.
CENTURY CITY ATHLETIC CLUB LAUNCH
Date: 11 September 2012
Time: 6pm for 6:30pm
Venue: Century City Clubhouse
RSVP: [email protected]
Delicious Snacks will be served along with a welcome drink, cash bar thereafter.
The launch takes place at the Century City Clubhouse on 11 septeMBer at 6pM. Delicious Snacks will be served along with a welcome drink; cash bar thereafter.rsvp: [email protected]
still in its fledging stage, the Century City athletic Club is set for great things. learn more about your local running club, what nights we run on the 8kms of scenic running routes throughout Century City, how to join the club, and meet our Brand ambassador, three times Comrades winner Vladimir Kotov, who will be taking us through his Comrades experiences as well as his training for the upcoming new york marathon.
Photographic competitionCalling all budding photographers – send us your spectacular sunset/sunrise photos of Century City. We are running a second Century City Photographic Competition, from September 2012 and running until end November 2012. Monthly winners will receive a breakfast for two at the Colosseum Luxury Hotel and be published in the City Edits Magazine. The overall winner will spend a night with a partner in the lavish African Pride Crystal Towers Hotel and Spa. please send photos to [email protected] terms & conditions please refer to the century city website www.centurycity.co.za
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Scene around Century City
