Empty shops filling up at last

OBZ Square, the new UCT residence on Main Road, is still struggling to let their premises after months of vacancy, but Obs Gateway, the new block at the confluence of Lower Main and Main Road, is filling up with new tenants after years of delay.
Obz Gateway now houses a nail parlour, Alison’s Nail Boutique, a hair salon called Change Room and a tattoo parlour.
This leaves one shop, the largest one, vacant at Obs Gateway. The owner of the building, Robert Gulliver, said that if smaller businesses want to let the premises, he will consider splitting it into two spaces. But he is interested in letting the premises out to a gym or a pawn franchise.
All of the four apartments on the second storey have been rented out, except for one two-bedroom flat going for R6 500 per month.
Meanwhile, Grant Willis, director of UCT student housing, downplays the empty shops at the ground floor of Obz Square by saying that they didn’t expect to fill them within the first months after the opening of the residence in January this year. "Chances were remote to have a full house," he said, adding that UCT wanted to see first what type of clientele applied and whether they were suitable.
Grant says that three prospective tenants have been interviewed, but says it is an on-going process. He also expressed interest in recruiting a gym. Because Obz Square is a student residential complex, Grant says that they want eateries, coffee shops and retailers, but no bars and pubs.
Retail space at Obz Square costs R120 per square metre per month and the shop sizes range from 66 square metres to 300 square metres.
Obs Gateway’s completion was a slow process, with tenants complaining that they had to start off using generators because the building wasn’t ready for an electricity connection. Similar problems were apparently experienced with telephone lines. The problems seemed to have been sorted out recently.
Robert said the heritage status of the area delayed completion.
Kim Sueng Hee, owner of the Change Room salon, said only minor problems remain, including the lack of visibility and signage. Robert said that signage will be up within a week.