The Stellenbosch Municipality is expanding lower Dorp Street to diversify the precinct by including retail, commercial and residential spaces.

The development is being done by Dorpstraat properties, described as “retail property specialists” and shopping centre developers on its website.

^{Work in progress on the Van Rijn Meent precinct in lower Dorp Street in Stellenbosch Central. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto}

Also on lower Dorp Street, is another construction project where the municipality is adding a dual road, said Stuart Grobbelaar, Stellenbosch Municipality’s communications manager.

The intersection has a lot of traffic, he said, and the road has reached its limit of vehicles it can accommodate, especially during the peak hours and when it is busy in town.

“The idea is to ease the load on the road and make traffic flow significantly better,” he added. 

Dorp Street Service Station on  lower Dorp Street experienced a dip in sales as a result of the construction, said Jacques van Westhuizen, Dorp Street Service Station channel manager.

“People don’t want to be driving past the roads being so narrow,” said Van Westhuizen.

^{The Van Rijn Meent construction site in lower Dorp Street. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto}

The garage anticipates getting more clients after the completion of the road, he said. 

When the precinct is complete, the challenge will be getting the customers inside the garage shop, said Van Westhuizen. The customers might go to the precinct during the day, but come to the garage shop after closing hours, he added.

^{Stellenbosch Municipality expands lower Dorp street, making it a dual carriageway. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto}

Some of the customers changed routes, attempting to avoid the traffic jam around the construction site thereby negatively affecting their sales, said Kgabisi Mokalobe, supervisor at Shell Dorp Vida e Caffe Dorp Street Service Station. 

The development of the precinct will have a positive impact on people, but will affect the Vida e Caffe Dorp Street Service Station, he said.

“It will have an impact on us because [there were] customers who came to us because there was no other shop around,” he said.

^{Two construction projects, the development of Van Rijn Meent precinct and the municipal road expansion, are taking place currently in lower Dorp Street. PHOTO: Kwanda Mkhonto}

When asked whether the development might result in an increase in property value in the area and municipal charges, Grobbelaar said that would only be clear after the project is complete. 

“Municipal property valuation is revisited and updated every 5 years, […] as soon as that happens, there will be a clear indication of whether or not there was a big increase on property valuation or not,” said Grobbelaar.