THE CONSERVATION OF SOUTH BEACH

6.5 PUBLIC-PRIVATE PARTNER SHIP (PPP) PROJECTS

6.5.4 THE CONSERVATION OF SOUTH BEACH

An Analysis of a Degenerating Urban Area and Recommendations for its Renewal:

A Case Study of Sontb Beach, Durban

area litter-free; residents must be educated on methods of keeping their neighbourhood clean. This will make them understand how important it is to live in a healthy and clean environment.

An Analysis of a Degenerating Urban Area and Recommendations for its Renewal:

A Case Study of South Beach, Durban

The conservation of historic buildings is important in preserving the significant heritage of an area. Council has plans for preserving these buildings, but these plans need to be implemented. The buildings requiring conservation are therefore located on Point Road, and the Children's' Hospital, which is located on Prince Street. They have been identified as merely individual sites, and not necessarily as pockets. The eThekwini Council has identified these three buildings as buildings with historical, architectural, and cultural significance.

Mr. Prange had stated that these buildings are of such significance, and therefore need to be preserved.

Building owners need to be prompted and motivated as to why their buildings require preservation and conservation. Therefore, these owners must be identified and identified to a workshop where they can understand the need for preservation. Thereafter, incentives need to be offered to these building owners in order for them to be induced to preserve their buildings. Possible incentives include the following:

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A competition between the owners of buildings that need to be preserved must be held.

• The winner of the competition will receive an award, as well as a 50%

reduction on further renewal costs every five years from eThekwini Municipality, for the next 20 years.

Such incentives will motivate building owners to maintain the standards of their buildings.

Significant buildings that have good architectural, cultural or historic heritage also give communities and residents of the area a sense of attachment to their place of residence. Culture sets cities and nations apart. It attracts investment into the area. Conservation will also increase the communities' confidence in their area with the creation of a positive community identity. The heritage of an area also increases tourism.

The Children's Hospital on Prince Street is dilapidated and needs to be restored with a new coat of paint, new windows and doors, and new roof tiles. Its design gives it a unique appearance and this design element must be preserved to enhance the heritage of South Beach. It is currently being used as a creche and should be upgraded to better meet the resident's needs. The current condition of the creche is non-conducive to the hygiene of the children attending the centre, and it is also unappealing to the community of South Beach. It needs to be re- vamped to improve its physical condition. The land use of a creche should be maintained, as it is currently a compatible land use within South Beach. A creche

An Analysis of a Degenerating Urban Area and Recommendations for its Renewal:

A Case Study of South Beach, Durban

is much needed for the community of South Beach, as there are several parents with children residing in the area whom seek the services of a day-care or creche facility. The building seriously requires rehabilitation on its inside and conservation to its exterior. The private sector, i.e. architects, conservers, technicians and engineers, need to work with council to preserve these buildings.

Council therefore needs to contract them in order to make the necessary amendments. These include:

• Contracting preservers and architects to maintain the aesthetics of the building'S exterior, by the city council

• Getting the plans passed and approved by council

• Engineers should be contracted by council to repair and upgrade the plumbing, sanitation, and water works of the Children's Hospital

• A project manager needs to be hired, probably on the part of the engineers, in order to monitor the implementation of the project, as well as to monitor it as an ongoing process upon completion of the project. This will be needed to ensure that the maintenance of the building is carried out.

Photograph 7: A building requiring rehabilitation - the Children's Hospital.

Location: Taken from South Beach Avenue

An Analysis of a Degenerating Urban Area and Recommendations for its Renewal:

A Case Study of South Beach, Durbau

Photograph 8: A building requiring rehabilitation - the Children's Hospital.

Location: Taken from Prince Street (same building as Photograph 7)

The Children's Hospital must be rehabilitated to conserve it as the piece of architectural heritage that it is. Cultural heritage mobilizes communities by reducing poverty and increasing economic growth. It also increases the quality of life of the residents of that particular area. It preserves amenities and allows a mixture of activities (World Bank, www.worldbank.org, 13 June 2002).

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Proposed Renewal of Buildings

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Building Requiring Rehabilitation

[] Building Requiring Conservation

An Analysis of a Degenerating Urban Area and Recommendations for its Renewal:

A Case Study of South Beach, Durban

Table 8: Schedule of Projects

Improving the South Beach Increasing Policing

Increasing Road safety of South Beach

Institutional

A Park or Playground Capital

Public Participation Initiative Institutional

Enhancing Maintenance Institutional Levels

Street Revitalisation for Capital Erksine Terrace

Buildings Requiring Capital Rehabilitation

Old Primary School Capital Rehabilitation

Flats Requiring Capital

Rehabilitation

Conservation of South Beach Capital

R = Realistic

ppp Realism Long term

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eThekwini

eThekwini

eThekwini

Ethekwini, Residents Businessmen, NGO's, CBO's, parastatals Landlords, residents, eThekwini

Private Sector, in collaboration with eThekwini Private Sector, in collaboration with eThekwini Private Sector, in collaboration with eThekwini Private Sector, in collaboration with eThekwini Private Sector, in collaboration with eThekwini

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Unrealistic, requiring large-scale capital private invesbnent. Longer-term projects.

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