Concor, a major black-owned contractor, is hard at work with Growthpoint Properties on The Groove, the newest student housing project in Braamfontein, Johannesburg, that is strategically located just outside Wits University’s South Gate.
The scope of the project includes repurposing parts of the existing structures on the site of the former Doves & Kloppers funeral parlor, which became a renowned landmark on the bustling Enoch Sontonga Avenue. These existing structures will provide additional services and facilities to approximately 899 students that will occupy the massive 13-story skyscraper upon completion.
The project, which will bring the much-needed addition to the Southern African country’s shortage of student housing, began in November 2021 and it is projected to be finished in a year, according to Concor site agent MacDonald Ngobese.
Fitness of Concor for the Groove project
According to Ngobese, Concor has a well-established reputation for completing complicated projects on time and on budget while remaining very competitive in terms of pricing. These, he believes, put the organization in a great position to secure deals like this.
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The effective completion of fast-track projects is dependent on having a highly competent and experienced core team on-site to carefully monitor subcontractors and rigorously adhere to the construction schedule. This also necessitates continuous and in-depth contact with all stakeholders, ranging from the customer to operational partners and municipal governments.
The scope of the job encompasses everything from full fit-out to joinery. The extremely constrained work environment, since the location borders busy metropolitan roadways and the M1 freeway, is one of the problems. Two Concor tower cranes have been constructed on-site to aid with space restrictions and to accelerate material transportation in the interest of a quick building pace. While one crane is operating 13 hours a day on manufacturing, the other is speeding up off-loading and material delivery positioning.
