The renovated new Pine Crest mall in South Africa has been launched after an innovative US $13.5m, 14-month multifaceted refurbishment by owners Vukile Property Fund.
Pine Crest which served the community of Pinetown, KwaZulu-Natal, for nearly 30 years is the first shopping centre in the town, and it is still the biggest retail centre in Pinetown CBD.
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Pine Crest mall
The multifaceted refurbishments began in January 2018 and included the addition of a new floor of retail beneath the original centre and a stylish overall design. The new floor was constructed by converting the centre’s ground-level parking, which added an indoor-outdoor food court, that is unique to the town.
According to Itumeleng Mothibeli, Vukile MD South Africa, the redevelopment of the mall has been delivered using a customer-centric market space value design to ensure that the product will appeal to the entire community and the broader Pinetown ecosystem.
“Pine Crest’s upgrade is focused on the people of this great community; their expectations and the experiences that they enjoy. We hope that this approach will result in the enhanced user experience for our most valued stakeholder, the shopper,” said Mothibeli.
The mall features more retail brands and better customer flows as well as additional space of approximately 4 000m². A portion of Pine Crest’s ground-level parking was converted into a new retail level with a friendly entrance that is perfect for pedestrians using the bustling Kings Road, which links to nearby taxi facilities.
The conversion also added an indoor-outdoor food court that is unique in Pinetown. It features eight eateries, plenty of seating and a children’s play area. The new food court celebrates Pinetown’s glorious weather and is designed to be the heart of the centre.
Added features
The development has a food court that links directly to a greatly improved open-air parkade that is set to include the western terminus for Phase 1 of the eThekwini Municipality’s newly introduced GoDurban bus route.
An eco-friendly, energy-saving equipment has been added to the centre in the project. Escalators and lifts were replaced with modern, energy-efficient models. The mall is also now illuminated with the latest low-energy lighting systems. It air-conditioning upgrade means a cooler mall in all senses; improved air-conditioning, gentler environmental impacts, greater cost efficiency, and a better overall experience.
The project created more than 600 jobs during construction phase and staff employment figure being in the region of 100. Pine Crest has been rebranded with a new name, new logo and a fresh look that is more engaging for shoppers.
20 new brands will settle in the mall including Hi-Fi Corporation, OK Furniture, Tekkie Town, Soviet, Ideals, Street Fever, Old Mutual and Torga Optical. New eateries at Pine Crest include Spur, Steers and Fishaways and Galaxy Bingo adds to the entertainment.
