Baywest 40% over jobs targets

THE R1.7-billion Baywest Mall in Port Elizabeth has exceeded job creation targets during its construction phase by more than 40%.

Independent auditors BTKM have confirmed that since construction began in the middle of this year, almost 4300 people have been employed on site.

This represents a 43.3% increase on the 3000 direct jobs developers initially forecast for the project's construction phase.

The Baywest development was a massive economic driver for the region, Baywest managing director Gavin Blows said.

"Not only is the construction phase creating much-needed jobs, but once the mall opens in April, a further 1500 permanent jobs will be created for the mall's operational phase," he said. The project's community liaison officer had been inundated with CVs from Nelson Mandela Bay residents wanting to be considered for employment once the mall opened, he said.

"We are using the CVs to compile a database which we will pass on to our tenants when they look for employees for their stores.

"Although the decision on who to employ rests with the stores, we are doing what we can to help people find employment," Blows said.

But employment would not end once the mall opened.

"Because Baywest Mall is kicking off the development of the entire Baywest City precinct, construction will continue once the mall opens as other developments get under way.

"Baywest City will be to the Eastern Cape what Century City is to the Western Cape," he said.

Construction would shut down only partially during December.

Construction milestones being wrapped up on site included completing the mall's 65000m² roof this month, as well as completing a bridge over the N2 freeway, part of the R300-million Baywest roads development project.

Roads developer Basil Read is on course to complete the first phase by March. This includes linking the western suburbs to the N2 by extending Sherwood's Walker Drive with a multi-lane road that will encircle the mall.

With the fittings of many of the 250-plus Baywest Mall stores already under way, Blows said everything was on track for the handover to the major tenants in January. - Business Reporter