The ceremony was held at Alice Lane, corner of Alice Lane and 5th Street in Sandton, Johannesburg. The managing director of Abland, Richard Cotrill, opened the ceremony after which Robert Legh, chairman of Bowman Gilfillan, addressed attendees.
On completion, the Alice Lane precinct will be an iconic development that will change the Sandton skyline. The Alice Lane project involved the demolition of the Standard Bank building which was previously situated on site, to make way for three new buildings totalling 70,000m2 of rentable space. Phase one was completed and occupied in August 2013, while phase two and three will be available from November 2014 and September 2016 respectively.
The third building is to be the new 19 storey home of Bowman Gilfillan's Johannesburg branch. The building will offer 35,000m2 of rentable space, of which Bowman Gilfillan will occupy 22,000m2. The remaining 13,000m2 will become available for occupation from early 2017.
The P Grade development is owned by Standard Bank Properties, Pivotal Property Fund and Abland. The style of the development is contemporary iconic, designed to suit the business environment and the location. The precinct is proudly 'green' having been built according to environmentally friendly building principles. The first two buildings have been awarded four star Green Star design ratings from the Green Building Council of South Africa.
Alice Lane is centrally situated in Sandton, a prime business location in South Africa, opposite the Sandton City Shopping Centre. It is in close proximity to various amenities and offers access to public transport. The Sandton City Shopping Centre, Sandton Convention Centre, the Sandton Towers Hotel and the Sandton Gautrain Station are all within walking distance of Alice Lane.
A Gautrain bus stop is located on Alice Lane adjacent to the property. The Alice Lane development will feature a central, landscaped piazza situated between the three buildings. This public space will be pedestrian friendly, contain a naturally green environment and will provide amenities such as various service related retailers, a Virgin Active Classic gym and a branch of the Standard Bank.
The piazza offers tenants a central point where they can relax or conduct meetings. The general public will have access to the piazza and its benefits, inviting them in to the traditionally exclusive office precinct environment.
