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The development being planned consists of a hotel (in our opinion, apartments in disguise), an ill-defined 3-storey shopping complex, restaurants, a gymnasium and other retail outlets. The hotel, intended for the Clifton side of the pavilion, will protrude significantly above the existing view line. If approved, it will become the first residential development (aside from the Waterfront which, contextually is very different) on the seaside of the beach road.
On the Cape Town side, a very vaguely defined 3-storey shopping complex is planned which, like the hotel, will significantly obscure views, far more so than any previous building on the site. The shopping complex will comprise restaurants, a gymnasium and other retail premises. It leaves the door open for virtually any type of commercial activity, from night club to convenience store to fast food outlet. The plans and the proposal are purposefully vague in order, once approvals have been given, to allow commercial exploitation of public land. It is poorly designed, a cheap solution, and will be a significant blot on the landscape.
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