The Grand Comoros Retirement Estate in St Francis Bay, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, has finally broken ground after three years of meeting EIA approvals and excitement is already mounting for relieved retirees that the first phase of 130 homes are scheduled for completion by the end on 2023.
Owners of the development company, Edge Construction, say it is with great excitement that they announce this retirement estate is finally under way with the first machines having commenced site works last month. “Since having launched the project in December 2019, its taken the developers Edge Construction 3 years to obtain all the necessary environmental and council approvals.”
The Grand Comoros Retirement Estate will consist of a first phase of 130 homes, clubhouse with restaurant and bar facilities, full gymnasium with indoor plus outdoor pools, and a medical centre with 24-hour nursing. Edge Construction have also announced there will be a second phase to the development consisting of 40 to 50 garden cottages which will be for purchase and/or rental.
Director of Edge Construction, Jacques Schafer, says apart from the excitement, the management team is extremely excited and relieved to finally get the project going. “It’s been a long haul, with many touch and go moments to get this project across the line.
“We knew there was a lot of red tape to get through to get it to this point, but we did not anticipate the struggle we endured. In order for the project to get the green light to proceed Edge Construction had to go through an Environmental approval process, a subdivision and consolidation and then finally a rezoning process.
Owing to the nature of the vegetation in the area, and more specifically on the site where The Grand Comoros will be constructed, the developer was required to provide the Environmental Department with an offset agreement where another piece of land is declared as a private nature reserve in lieu of the ‘loss’ of vegetation where the development will occur. ‘
“This process cost us a lot of time and also impacted the financial viability of the project. However, we understand it’s so important to preserve our environment and ensure we maintain the natural beauty of the area,” Schafer says.
Engineering and Advice Services (EAS) are the consultants who have been involved with the approval processes from the initial stages and will be involved throughout the project to ensure all policies, procedures, health and safety, and all the other requirements necessary of the developer are adhered too in order to least affect the surrounding community.
Stu Davidson and Sons, together with Cape Courts & Civils, have been appointed to attend to the civils and infrastructure works which will be done over a 6-month period. Building works will start in early January 2023, consisting of the boundary wall and front gate house and then moving onto the first phase of houses planned to be finished by the end of next year.
A few retirees spoken to, and some planning to retire in the next few years, who have booked units, are also incredibly excited. The delays to the start of construction had made them a bit anxious about their future but now they are already looking forward to making the move into a new home at the end of 2023!
Photos supplied: 1. First grounds breaks. 2. Bou and Jacques , directors of Edge Construction
St Francis Chronicle 