"We started the management by conducting a turnover analysis for the entire centre," explains Sean Paul, MD of Spire Property Management. "The increase in free parking from one to three hours has increased the 'dwell' time within the centre - with Pick n Pay, an anchor tenant, reporting an 18% increase in turnover.
"We have many plans in place to revitalise the centre. Amongst these are plans to implement a lighting retrofit for the centre - much like the one undertaken at the Cape Quarter which is now set to enjoy an annual saving of R1 million."
Other changes that will be implemented where needed are increased signage opportunities for tenants within the centre and possibly a tenant reshuffle to improve the flow of foot traffic through the centre, so that all tenants receive maximum exposure.
According to Paul, the area is expanding rapidly and there is opportunity for growth in the office space component of DeVille, as there are benefits to the office tenants by having access to the retail shops and gym. "Durbanville is a high quality decentralised node and we are confident that smaller companies will benefit from operating out of the available office space," he concludes.
