NJR Steel’s purpose built 4 000m² warehouse and distribution facility is Bridge City Business Estate’s first greenfields project.
Tongaat Hulett Developments and NJR Steel are celebrating the opening of the Bridge City Business Estate’s first greenfields project – a purpose built 4 000m² warehouse and distribution facility.
“Bridge City is coming of age because of its strategic location and completion of the half diamond interchange giving direct access to the M25. This successful project demonstrates just what can be achieved at Bridge City,” says Brian Ive, a development executive at Tongaat Hulett Developments, which is driving the development of this mixed-use precinct in partnership with eThekwini Municipality.
NJR Steel has a network of 16 branches in five provinces, and serves customers all the way from Richards Bay to the Eastern Cape. The new NJR Steel facility on a 7 761m² site in the 17 ha business estate is already fully operational. It has a shop that is open to the public and offers steel as well as hardware products; a distribution centre which serves as a hub from which customers can collect and the company can deliver products; and a reinforcing bar line which cuts and bends reinforcing bar for engineering projects for all sectors of the building industry.
According to Durban branch manager, Mike Smith, NJR Steel acquired the property about two years ago. Construction commenced in May 2016 and the new Durban operation was completed in just under a year.
“The end result offers a bigger yard, easier access and greater convenience. NJR took occupation on May 1,” he says.
“We were previously in New Germany but had sadly outgrown the facility about six years ago. The design of the building that we have erected in Bridge City has taken into account our customers and suppliers and allows ease of access for loading and offloading of materials. We can service up to four interlinks within the facility at any given time, as well as cater for customers collecting daily requirements.”
Ive and Smith believe location is the key reason why businesses will choose Bridge City.
“With the location of the airport at La Mercy, many business have moved north. In particular, there is a lot of development in uMhlanga and the northern region. Our business is now centrally situated to provide fast and efficient service,” Smith says.
Ive says the completion of the M25 half-diamond interchange and freeway leading to Bridge City at the beginning of the year significantly improved access to the town centre and the business estate for road users and for the R20 billion GO!Durban bus rapid transport network (BRT).
In addition, he says, Bridge City businesses will also benefit from good visibility from the busy M25 and the convenience of being just 3 km from the N2.
“Bridge City Business Estate offers fully serviced and platformed sites, making them immediately available to buy, take transfer and start construction. This overcomes protracted delays experienced by many potential investors in other parts of the city. However, at present there are just six sites left ranging in size from 2 500 m² to 2.9 ha.”
Ive says the location of Phoenix Industrial Park directly across the M25 is another important consideration for businesses.
Since its launch in 1982, Phoenix Industrial Park has evolved into an important economic hub along the burgeoning northern corridor of Durban. It is home to over 460 businesses, making it one of the largest industrial complexes in the country. As far back as 2013, one of the chief challenges to growth in the area has been the availability of affordable land for business expansion.
Bridge City is the second leg of the successful Effingham joint venture public private sector partnership between Tongaat Hulett Developments and the eThekwini Municipality. It is a mixed use development that includes residential, retail - including the 48 000m2 Bridge City shopping centre - recreational, medical and commercial and light industrial facilities.
