Banking giant First National Bank (FNB) on Tuesday
unveiled the first phase of its BankCity campus revitalisation project in the
Johannesburg central business district (CBD).
The unveiling was attended by FNB executives and
staff, as well as Johannesburg Mayor Herman
Mashaba.
Speaking at the unveiling, FNB CEO Jacques Celliers said the investment
attested to the company’s commitment to inner-city revitalisation and to the
city and the country, with investments at the company’s other campuses also
being pursued.
The unveiling comes amid protests and unrest
unfolding across sections of the city, with Celliers noting that the company
was not blind to the problems facing the country. However, he indicated that
FNB served as a beacon of hope, with its investments in projects such as the
BankCity campus showcasing that its commitment remained firm.
The revitalised BankCity precinct offers a ‘work,
eat, play’ experience through a combination of 34 retail tenants that are open
to all residents and visitors of the inner-city and the nearly 12 000 FNB
employees who occupy its properties spanning 181 000 m2.
The revamped BankCity precinct hosts various retail
outlets offering a diverse range of eateries, shopping and lifestyle options
for employees, as well as all residents of, and visitors to, the inner city.
Celliers noted that this formed part of the
company’s commitment to enterprise development and enabling the growth of small
businesses, as, except for one flooring supplier, all the businesses contracted
to provide materials and construction services for the upgrade were Gauteng
based.
Moreover, the first phase of the BankCity upgrade
created 150 local jobs and the retailers in the precinct employ about 231
people.
It took nearly 130 000 hours to produce brand
new retail spaces and a colourful Fraser street surface which connects
Pritchard and Jeppe streets.
A notable facet of the precinct is an iMadiba
installation. The iMadiba project is a global initiative involving an
international network of artistic recreations of Nelson Mandela’s Robben Island cell.
At BankCity, this Madiba micro-museum entails a
meeting space seating area, which conforms to the exact size specification of
Madiba’s cell on Robben Island. Celliers indicated that this space was created
to engender personal reflection and promote conversation and dialogue.
The unveiling of the revamped precinct coincided
with FNB’s celebration of its 180th anniversary and the fact that it was the
country’s oldest bank.
Meanwhile, FNB Corporate and Retail Estate
CEO Lee-Anne van Zyl said
FNB aimed to create an environment that was safe and welcoming for staff,
residents and visitors to the inner city.
Mashaba commended FNB and the private sector for
contributing to inner city development, taking the lead from government’s drive
to revitalise the city.
He also confirmed that the M2 highway, which had been closed for repairs and had impacted traffic flows in the inner city, would reopen, as scheduled, in October. https://www.engineeringnews.co.za/article/fnb-unveils-first-phase-of-revamped-bankcity-precinct-2019-09-03
