Cape Town 2010

Main Cape Town 2010 Transport Hub works underway

2009-09-07T09:03:00.001-07:00

Civic Centre road works
Originally uploaded by coda

Hertzog Boulevard at the Civic Centre will be the location of the main 2010 transport hub during the FIFA World Cup. Apart from the 7,000sqm site allocated to the station, the area will also serve metred taxis and other forms of transport. The upgraded Cape Town station and the planned new long distance bus terminal are both within walking distance.

From this station, spectators will use trunk and feeder shuttle services to the stadium, V&A Waterfront, and surrounds. Works are expected to be complete by April 2010.

Have your say! Cape Town's Integrated Transport Plan

2009-08-25T08:05:00.000-07:00

The City of Cape Town’s Transport Department is in the process of reviewing and updating its Integrated Transport Plan.

Copies of the updated ITP are available at all subcouncil offices and public libraries. Alternatively, please click on the links below to view/download the document.

Integrated Transport Plan for the City of Cape Town 2006 To 2011 (PDF, 5.8mb)
Executive Summary : ITP for the City of Cape Town 2006 To 2011 (PDF, 1.2mb)

We strongly encourage you to review the updated ITP and provide us with your comment by Monday, 28 September 2009.

Please submit your written comments:

By post to: ITP Public Participation Office, P.O. Box 494, Cape Town, 8000

Fax: 021 424 5588

By e-mail to: Lindiwe.Gaika@af.aurecongroup.com or Tamara.North@af.aurecongroup.com

Robben Island and Green Point stadium in the distance

2009-08-25T07:59:00.001-07:00

Robben Island in the distance
Originally uploaded by DanieVDM

Just another day in magnificent Cape Town. Spot the stadium!

Green Point Elevated Circle nearing completion

2009-08-20T02:07:00.001-07:00

Raised cirlce
Originally uploaded by Blyzz

The magnificent Green Point Elevated circle is heading towards completion. The raised structure will will allow pedestrians to walk easily and safely from Somerset Road, the 2010 FIFA fan mile, to the stadium. Granger Bay Boulevard, currently under construction, will provide a new link to the V&A Waterfront.

The Green Point IRT station to serve the stadium will be connected to the Western Boulevard end of the circle ensuring easy movement for spectators from the station under the circle towards the stadium precinct.

Cape Town Station: The transformation continues

2009-08-17T09:58:00.001-07:00

Progress - Cape Town Station - Aug. 2009
Originally uploaded by Berylmd

For the first time in over 30 years, Cape Town Central Station, a key transport hub during the 2010 FIFA World Cup will is being upgraded and transformed into a safe, clean and accessible transport hub.

The R500 million upgrade will see the main concourse revamped to ensure an improved flow of commuters and a more visually appealing interior. The deck will house a traders area, retail opportunities will exist along Strand Street and a new lightweight steel facade will line the Strand Street facade providing a dramatic welcome to all commuters.

Other improvements included a large public square, links to the IRT system and a long distance bus terminal nearby. Works remain on schedule for completion, a few months before kick-off.

It's been worth the wait.

Work on red IRT system lanes underway!

2009-08-16T06:18:00.001-07:00

Red IRT lane on Otto du Plessis Drive
Originally uploaded by warrenski

The first stretch of the 3.7m wide durable red-coloured surface is put down over the steel latticework. The surface of this lane is designed to endure a minimum of 3 decades of abuse!

Stay tuned for updates about other parts of the IRT system.

Green Point Stadium Webcams

2009-08-15T19:54:00.001-07:00

Keep an eye on the progress of Green Point Stadium. The stadium is currently 85% complete with the last few glass panels of the roof being installed. Seat installation is well underway and the facade steel structure is advancing at a rapid pace.

Stadium lease attracts great interest

2007-04-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

Stadium lease up for grabs

By Linsday Dentlinger

The city has called for proposals for an operator of the 2010 World Cup Stadium and the urban park next to it.

In spite of legal action challenging the building of the stadium, advertisements were placed in local and national newspapers at the weekend for a 30-year lease on the stadium after 2010.

Tenderers have until May 10 to submit their proposals.

Bidders will have to support their proposal with a viable and achievable business plan as well as an operational model.

The mayoral committee member for finance, Ian Neilson, said yesterday that the city would not stipulate the type of business it would allow at the stadium and that proposals would be considered with a "completely open mind".

"People might have ideas we have not thought about. But we will have to be persuaded that it is a workable proposal and given strong assurances that it is financially viable in the medium to long term."

Investec has already guaranteed the city R185 billion for the operating lease in lieu of a shortfall in the budget to build the R2.85bn stadium, should the tender process not yield suitable alternatives.

Investec has put the value of the tender at a present-day value of R260m, once costs of managing the stadium and the urban park have been deducted.

Neilson said the city anticipated good proposals if informal approaches made to the city to date were anything to go by, but that they would have to be in line with the environmental Record of Decision of the provincial Department of Environment, Planning and Economic Development.

Over the past month the city has already been approached by several potential operators testing the waters for developments ranging from a casino to a hotel and shopping complex.

Neilson believes that the location of the new stadium, at a new entrance to the Waterfront via Granger Bay Boulevard, makes it even more attractive to investors.

"We want people to come up with ideas. We don't want to be too prescriptive. The urban park is a major responsibility and people have to demonstrate the skill to turn it into a success," he said.

Neilson ruled out the possibility of the city council running the stadium post-2010, saying the council preferred it to be run according to business principles, as this would give greater guarantees of success.

The top tier of seating at the stadium will be removed after the World Cup, creating more space for commercial use and reducing the stadium capacity from 68 000 to 55 000 seats.

Neilson said the zoning of the common for community use would have a bearing on the consideration council would give to the proposals.

If the successful proposal warranted another rezoning process, this would require public comment.

Proposals will follow the city's normal tender procedures, but Neilson said there would be some level of political decision-making involved in determining the type of development that would be allowed at Green Point Stadium.

The successful tenderer would also have to commit to running the urban park which, according to the city's call for proposals, will become "the newest icon and landmark in the City's array of unique assets".

The city says the stadium will be designed to accommodate football, rugby, concerts and events.

Neilson said the city wanted to appoint a post-2010 operator as soon as possible so that the stadium design could take their requirements into consideration.

Published on the web by Cape Argus on April 11, 2007.

Massive progress in less than one week

2007-04-13T14:57:00.000-07:00

Construction has truly begun. 75% of the existing stadium has been demolished in less than one week. Over 5,000 cubic metres of land on the golf course site has now been prepared for the laying of foundations for the new stadium. Significant progress has been made in such a short period of time, this really is a great start of greater things to come.

The public meeting which was held to discuss the R100 million plus urban park has revealed that at least two athletics tracks will form part of the urban park along with 11 sports fields. That is apart from the new tennis centre being built by Tennis WP.

Hope you enjoy the images.

1. http://farm1.static.flickr.com/186/457057713_28714eb460_o.jpg
2.http://farm1.static.flickr.com/171/452819138_6c59d272dc_b.jpg
3.http://farm1.static.flickr.com/178/452323159_2e96fa269a_b.jpg
4.http://i129.photobucket.com/albums/p210/rfataar/ByeByeIII.jpg

The show must go on

2007-04-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

By Anél Powell

THE partial demolition of Green Point Stadium is going ahead, despite the threat of legal action by the Cape Town Environmental Protection Association.

Sean Flanagan, group executive director of Murray & Roberts, who with WBHO (Pty) has the R2.85 billion contract to build the new stadium, said yesterday that work on the site was "quite advanced".

He said the earthworks on the Metropolitan Golf Course, where the new 68 000-seat stadium will be built, was "going well" and almost done. This included excavations and the diversion of bulk services from the area.

Turf has been removed from the golf course, and some of the grass will be replanted in city parks.

"The next thing is the foundations. We are advancing and we are very happy with the work that is being done." The partial demolition of the existing stadium had already begun.

Flanagan said the contract for the complete demolition of the stadium was still being finalised. "The whole stadium will go ultimately. But for now, we are keeping parts of it for offices (for sub-contractors)."

Cronje said part of the existing stadium would be used as a construction yard while the new stadium was being built.

The contractors have an October 2009 construction deadline to meet, according to Fifa requirements.

But the latest threat of legal action, this time by a group of environmentalists, could mean a costly delay for the City of Cape Town.

The association is asking the court to set aside decisions by the city and provincial government, which it claims were pushed through without adequate public participation to meet Fifa's requirements.

They have applied for a Cape High Court interdict to halt construction of the semi-final venue.

Pieter Cronje, spokesman for 2010, said last week that construction on the site would continue even though the future of the stadium had yet to be decided in court.

The city's legal team is this weekend working through the two files of legal documents served by the environmental group.

Published on the web by Cape Times on April 8, 2007.

Cape braces itself for 200 000 soccer fans

2007-04-06T14:56:00.000-07:00

Cape braces itself for 200 000 soccer fans

By Anel Powell

Cape Town must "brace itself for an influx of at least 200 000 football fans" during the 2010 World Cup, says MEC for Transport and Public Works Marius Fransman - four times the number originally predicted.

But he is confident the city's transport infrastructure will cope. "Funding is on track and the World Cup transport can happen."

The visitor numbers will give an indication of how much investment is needed to upgrade transport and meet accommodation needs.

'This is an exciting prospect and also a major challenge'

"We have to make sure the transport action plan is up and running and responds to these numbers," Denis Lillie, project director of World Cup 2010, said.

"This is an exciting prospect and also a major challenge," said Fransman. He said work had already started on several of the transport upgrade plans.

"All key projects are either on stream or the design has been completed."

These include the widening of lanes on the N1 and N2 and the extension of the Khayelitsha rail corridor by 4.5km.

He said R450-million had been allocated for the Koeberg interchange.

The city will host eight games and a semifinal

Janine Myburgh, president of the Cape Town Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in a separate statement that the Koeberg interchange would play an important role during 2010 as it connected the city with the Winelands, which would provide both accommodation and attractions for the football tourists.

"The increasing reliance on road transport, the poor state of public transport and the dramatic increase in car ownership combined to make the Koeberg interchange one of the most pressing problems in the city and it deserves urgent attention.

"We are glad that it is to receive priority treatment, but at the same time we are concerned about possible delays to other projects."

Fransman said other critical projects, such as the N1 bus lane, would start even if there was not yet funding for them.

About R1,9-billion has been allocated by all three spheres of government to improve Cape Town's transport infrastructure.

The long-awaited public transport operating entity, that would allow for the integrated management of road and rail transport, has been endorsed "in principle" by national government, said Fransman.

He said the agreement between the city and province would be signed by the end of May. "We've created the institutional mechanism for cooperation to happen."

The city's transport portfolio committee meets today to discuss 2010 transport projects. Rail, as a high capacity public transport system, has been identified as a critical focus area.

The R60 million upgrade to Athlone, Heideveld and Langa stations is expected to start in August.

The visitors' survey, done by transport specialists Axios Consulting, shows that the 50 000 estimated last year was a gross underestimation of the number of people expected to be in Cape Town during the 2010 event.

Fransman said 40 000 of these visitors would be from other African countries.

During the peak period, between the eighth and 14th day of the World Cup, the city's hotels and registered accommodation facilities will have to handle an average of 125 000 overnight stays. This excludes the 10 000 media representatives expected in the city during that time and the people who will stay with friends or family.

The city will host eight games and a semifinal during the World Cup.

Lillie said the English Football Association had already indicated that it would base its team in Cape Town, a "major economic coup" for the city.

"As a department we want to give the assurance to international teams that we will be able to offer a world-class transport system in a safe environment," Fransman said.

Lillie said the official fan park in the CBD would be on the Grand Parade, while three others have been proposed for Philippi, Athlone and Bellville.

These fan parks would be built to take traffic away from the central city.

Richard Gordge, director of Axios Consulting, said national travel demands during 2010 would depend on the match schedule.

He said the study, which was done in interviews with the supporters' associations of major teams, hoteliers and airport officials and in online surveys, showed strong local support for the hosting of World Cup matches in Cape Town.

"It is sad that a small number of people who are opposed to the tournament have been hogging all the headlines in the Western Cape, even though the majority of local people want Cape Town to be a key World Cup venue," Fransman said of the latest legal challenge against the building of the stadium.

Meanwhile, the city's mayoral committee on Wednesday approved a recommendation to recognise the Metropolitan Road Traffic Management Co-ordinating Committee as the co-ordinating structure for road traffic management.

This article was originally published on page 1 of The Cape Times on April 05, 2007

Andrew Boraine on 2010 (September/October 2006)

2007-02-22T12:39:00.000-08:00

Well done the Russians! Their team won the Homeless Soccer World Cup in the final against Kazakhstan, played in front of a packed crowd on the Grand Parade. Last week’s Homeless World Cup was a fantastic occasion for soccer, for homeless people and for Cape Town. Congratulations to the Big Issue for pulling off such a successful event.

As Capetonians and visitors mixed together on the Grand Parade throughout the week, trading their country’s flags and friendly banter, we also caught a glimpse of what the 2010 World Cup could be like in Cape Town. The City and the Province are working on ways in which Capetonians will be able to actively participate in 2010, though public viewing points or ‘fanfests’, a concept which German cities organised so successfully earlier this year.

There are likely to be a range of public viewing places set up for 2010. The Partnership has proposed that a Central City ‘fan-mile’ is planned from the slopes of District Six to the Grand Parade and through town to Green Point, following the traditional routes of the Minstrel Carnival, the Malay Choirs and the Christmas Choirs. Capetonians know how to celebrate in style – every year for over 100 years, people have taken over the streets of the Central City to participate in the month-long New Year Carnival, and this is the heritage that can be used to welcome the world in 2010. The design of the Central City fan-mile can also build on more recent popular events such as the annual switch-on of the Festive Season lights and the Adderley Street Night Market.

Of course, this assumes that we can also get all the other things for 2010 in place in time – not just the Stadium Precinct, but also transport, telecommunications, training and practice venues, sport development, tourism infrastructure, accommodation, disaster management and security, to name a few. There is a serious commitment from both the City and Province to address these issues, with teams of officials and consultants now in place. The 2010 World Cup is not a ‘holy grail’ that can address all the challenges facing our city. However, the event represents a ‘moment’ in the development trajectory of Cape Town which, if used correctly, will show that we can rise above those things that hold us back from believing in ourselves and our city. In other words, if we can pull off a complex project like 2010, what is limiting us from tackling our other development challenges?

Here’s to Cape Town – the party capital for 2010! But also, here’s to Cape Town, the caring city, the city of culture and innovation, the city that is a home for all.

ANDREW BORAINE
Chief Executive
chiefexec@capetownpartnership.co.za

Party capital of 2010

2007-02-22T12:37:00.000-08:00

CAPE Town is positioning itself as the “party” capital of the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup, which will bring the city a significant financial injection, create new business hubs and instil a greater sense of civic pride in its residents, says Cape Town City Acting Manager, Mike Marsden. The city has finalised its financial planning and risk assessment and submitted the first draft of its business plan to the national treasury, which will decide in November on the allocation of funds. The city will only proceed with its plans once funding is secured. Projected costs include R2.8bn to upgrade Green Point stadium to which the city can contribute R400m without affecting its existing commitments. A further R1bn to R7bn is needed for public transport upgrades. Viewing sites will cost a further R800m. Transport upgrades that would bring long-term benefits entailed new rolling stock for the commuter rail system, upgrading Cape Town central station, a dedicated airport/CBD bus service, upgrading public transport and walkways connecting the station to the stadium. Major envisaged benefits included increased employment in the construction and hospitality sectors, increased tourism and investment.

FACT SHEET: 2010 FIFA World CupTM

2007-02-22T12:28:00.000-08:00

The biggest event

The biggest sporting event in the World - unique window of opportunity for Africa, South Africa and Cape Town

Mutual commitment from FIFA and SA Government

Scope: Germany
· 2006: 194 nations, 64 sold-out games, 32 teams
· 3,36 million spectators in 12 stadiums
· 18,4 million spectators at Fan Fests in 12 host cities
· 800 000 visitors expected, 2 million plus came
· Average 2 240 hotel rooms per team per night
· 25 000 hospitality workers
· Estimated 25-30 billion cumulative TV audience in 240 countries
· 18 000 plus media representatives

Scope: South Africa
· Provisional income 2007 – 2010: US$ 3 billion plus, investment in soccer development
· 500 000 visitors?
· Run-up events/opportunities: workshops, draws, congress, FIFA Johannesburg office, opening, closing ceremony, International Broadcast Centre
· 10 venues, 9 host cities
· Teams need base camps, training venues, influx of supporters

Goal for Cape Town:
· Party capital
· Successful event
· New and upgraded infrastructure and facilities
· Economic opportunities
· Promote as desirable destination for travellers and investors.

The 2010 Green Point stadium

· World-class, FIFA compliant and sustainable stadium,
· Not excessive
· The total cost - R2,85 billion.
· The City of Cape Town will contribute R400 million
· Provincial Government just over R100 million
· National Treasury will fund R1,93 billion (NB: stadium specific, not discretionary funding)
· Contingencies provided, but National Treasury asked to provide central allocation for major contingencies
· Site specific and “location” costs at R642 million part of R2,85 billion
· Sustainability modelling – low, base, high scenario
· Joint City/Province business plan has three strategic pillars:
· compliance with FIFA requirements for hosting the games
· optimizing the developmental impact and leaving a legacy
· maximising promotional, positioning opportunities: leverage
· Transport, Safety and Security and Public Viewing Areas are three key work streams plus 18 other areas

Transport
· R1 billion plus jointly provided by all three spheres of government to improve Cape Town’s transport infrastructure
· Major investment in the rail system
· Development, enhancement of strategic transport corridors and major routes
· Restructuring road-based public transport services into unified, integrated public transport services
· Investment in long distance public transport facilities
· Investment in Non-motorised transport facilities (NMT)
· Intelligent Transport Systems and Travel Demand Management
· Stadium Precinct Infrastructure and inner city distribution system
· Comprehensive overall operational management of the support systems including safety and security
· Airport to City Link.

Supporting budgets, strategies and plans

· Upgrades and new infrastructure planned to service the stadium and to ensure a successful hosting of the event.
· Substantial amounts from City/Province operational budgets
· Western Cape included in plans, public viewing areas

Investment in the metropolitan area

· R1.2 Billion to ACSA for Cape Town International Airport upgrades
· R1.2 Billion to SARCC for new and refurbished rail rolling stock
· R420 Million to SARCC for station and signalling upgrades
· R7 Billion investment in the V&A waterfront, plus 2010 related investment
· Six new approved new hotels to be constructed
· Release of developable land to raise finance
· Upgraded IT&T infrastructure (if Cape Town hosts the IBC)

Process
· Design done
· Government funding obtained
· Construction: pre-qualification done, now cost tenders
· Record of Decision: appeal period, finality
· Negotiation with rightholders
· Appointment of contractor
· On site first quarter 2007 (funding, ROD in place, no other hurdles)
· Completion end 2009