Johannesburg Inner City Gets Makeover

Johannesburg's inner city is undergoing a major makeover.

A lavish food emporium is to be created in the previous banking related hall of the FNB building, influenced by the 4 star Parisian hotel, Hotel Coste. The building, which is located at the confluence of Harrison and Commissioner Street, was erected in the year 1941 by renowned architect Gordon Leith. The style of the building is that of classical fascism. The property has been sitting empty since 2002 when FNB relocated to Bank City at Simmonds Street.

The building has since then been purchased by property developers including Brian Green, Mark Batchelor and Peter Still who plan to turn the two storey bank hall into a classic food emporium with coffee, ice cream, deli, flowers, baked products and more. The makeover is intended to mirror the Hotel Coste courtyard with diners sitting below balconies and surrounded by classical statuettes and tumbling foliage. Indoor plants will line the hallway. The marble floor space in the FNB building is lined with marble columns. It is expected to retain a part of the financial past with the centrally placed counters remaining. Visitors will also be able to take advantage of unique views of the surrounding area through the tactically placed high windows. Some of the buildings in the neighborhood are centuries old such as the South African Reserve Bank, Victory House, Rand Club and the Standard Bank building.

The vaults in the basement are expected to be removed to be replaced with parking spaces for residents who occupy the 23 flats between the 3rd and 7th floors. The penthouse apartments have been kept for Green, Batchelor and Still themselves where a splash pool is being projected.The entire renovation will shine a new light on this once dormant property and unleash its full potential.

Milpark is another area on investors' minds. Several buildings there have been converted into investment property such as office as well as retail space, displaying the demand for the area. It contains a lot of budding bistros, bars as well as décor shops, making it super trendy and a huge advantage for investors.