In the next few years, the Sea Point Promenade will feature more trees and landscaped gardens, more public art, a new seawall with new paving and improved facilities, becoming an even more popular and inclusive space for all Capetonians.
These are some of the exciting plans under way to upgrade and rehabilitate this much-loved public space.
Recent visitors to the Promenade will have noticed new play equipment for children, new irrigation systems being laid and a number of indigenous trees being planted to provide shade in the future. This forms part of the first phase of the City’s R6 million beautification process.
Meanwhile, an important part of the upgrade – the much-needed rehabilitation and repair of the sea wall – is continuing on schedule, with the section between Three Anchor Bay and Mouille Point being tackled first. This R35 million project will involve special high-strength concrete cladding to reinforce and resurface the damaged sea wall. The granite from the current sea wall will be used to build a splash wall and low seating along the paved walkway.
After a trial of different paving bricks, a selection has been made and these bricks will be used to pave the 4.5km of the promenade walkway.
Another exciting initiative is the Public Arts Programme, which is currently being finalised. This will see a number of temporary art exhibits being displayed in this public space, and is connected to the 2014 World Design Capital project.
“The end product will be quite amazing,” says Councillor Beverley Schafer, Ward Councillor for the Atlantic Seaboard.
“We are looking forward to amazing things coming up. I am meeting artists all the time and can’t believe how excited everyone is, they are now able to create art within policy and legislation and are thinking about what they can do within this framework.”
The upgrade to the Promenade comes after a lengthy public participation process during which ideas and proposals were discussed and investigated.
Councillor Schafer says that inconvenience as a result of the upgrade is unavoidable, but is being kept to a minimum. An alternative pathway is in place to avoid the sea wall construction site.
