City breathes new life into City Hall

The City's Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department is working hard to restore City Hall to its former iconic status as one of the grandest civic amenities in Cape Town (see Rhoda Kadalie's column). The Department has implemented a turnaround strategy for the facility, which is already in motion. If everything goes according to plan, City Hall should serve as a fully functional amenity within the next three years.

The turnaround strategy commenced about two years ago with a focus on the immediate urgent maintenance first, to ensure that the building is functional.

The following short-term improvements have already been made, at a cost of R2 million: Repairs to roof leaks; Repairs to the clock, which has also been automated; Electrical reticulation repairs; Repair of the pipe organ; Minor repairs to the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra back room area; Rewiring of and repairs to chandelier cables; Replacement of lettering on Main Hall chairs; Painting of the first and second floor walls and ceiling; Sanding and varnishing of Press Room; and, Sanding and varnishing of two rooms on the first floor.

The foyer has also been painted and the first set of four toilets is currently being upgraded and modernised. The next phase of work will commence shortly, including painting on the second floor, refurbishment of the remaining toilets, and restoration of the interior and exterior woodwork.

All of these improvements have been planned in liaison with the relevant heritage authorities. The City has also partnered with various private sector bodies on the project, including event organisers, who have thus far invested over R400 000.

The City is currently concluding the process of confirming suitable tenants for the third floor of City Hall for an initial period of three years. During September, applicants from the music, arts and culture fields were invited to respond to advertisements calling for suitable tenants. The City intends to work with these tenants to further position the City Hall as a centre for cultural and artistic events. The Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department received four submissions in this regard and will communicate their decision to the applicants in the coming week. This process should be finalised by the end of October.

The auditorium will continue to be used for Cape Philharmonic Orchestra events and will also be accessible to the broader community at an affordable rate according to the City's tariffs. Appropriate spaces throughout the building on the other floors will be used for ceremonial civic functions, exhibitions and concerts.

City Hall will host two events in October and November, namely the German Cultural Weeks Exhibition and the University of Cape Town's Architectural School Exhibition. The Toffie Popular Culture Festival and the Sparx Exhibition have already been booked for the first half of next year.

The City's Director: Sport, Recreation and Amenities, Gert Bam, recently briefed the Ward Forum and representatives from the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra, who are all in full support of the project. The Mayoral Committee has also authorised the continued investigation into the best long-term management model for the City Hall, in terms of Section 78 of the Municipal Systems Act.

The City's Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services, Councillor Brett Herron, says that significant media attention has been devoted to the condition of City Hall, by way of recent commentary and letters in the media.

"While City Hall is in definite need of refurbishment, the City has not neglected it in any way. The City's Sport, Recreation and Amenities Department is in fact implementing the turnaround strategy, in accordance with available resources. We regard City Hall as an important and iconic civic amenity and we are committed to restoring it to its former glory," said Councillor Herron.

The City apologises for any inconvenience during the refurbishment and thanks all those who regularly attend events at City Hall for their continued support and patience.

Statement issued by Councillor Brett Herron, Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member: Community Services, October 18 2010

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