New site soon a-buzz with business activity

The Innovation Centre fast nearing completion, with a view of the piazza in the foreground. At the opposite side of the piazza, the Enterprise Building is almost ready for tenant fit-out in the new year. A view of the Sappi building in the background, situated next to the Innovation Centre.

The big move is, at last, afoot! Plans are in place and preparations are moving swiftly ahead for The Innovation Hub Management Company to move from temporary premises at the CSIR to their new offices in the Innovation Centre on the Hub site towards the middle of this month. And so, as planned, before the year is out, The Innovation Hub will be buzzing with activity at its new site!

The first tenant is scheduled for occupation a month later, by the middle of January 2005, to be followed by tenants moving into the maxum Business Incubator and the Enterprise Building in February and March 2005.

Finishing touches on site before the end-of-year break this year are focused on completing the road surfacing to the north of the two core buildings. The road works at the Meiring Naude/Cussonia Road bridge across the N4 freeway has been completed and final touches such as road markings and the cleaning up of the construction site are underway - good news for motorists frequently travelling in that area.

Construction to the bridge across the N1 freeway, which gives direct access to The Innovation Hub precinct, is also nearing completion. The Western approach roads are ready for the expected traffic flow, while approval from the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality has finally enabled the completion of the Eastern approach roads as well. Contractors WBHO have implemented a double shift for their construction workers, including weekends, in an endeavour to complete the job by the end-of-year break. If all goes well, The Innovation Hub will be accessible across the bridge by end of this year.

The building façade has been closed up, while that of the Koppie room in the Innovation Centre - so called as the room has a view directly onto the natural hillside that is an integral part of the site - will also be completed later this month. This natural hillside and the rest of the 30 ha not under construction on the 60 ha site, will be kept pristine in accordance to the Environmental Management Plan approved for the site.

And in terms of the IT infrastructure, the data centre/Telkom switch has been handed over for the installation of the IT equipment, which means that voice and data services will be available on site by the end of December this year. The standby generator and uninterrupted power supply have also been successfully commissioned, and the commissioning of the air conditioning system and CCTV is in progress.

During the first few months of 2005, the contractor will be completing a number of construction activities, including the de-snagging of the Innovation Centre to ensure high quality finishes, while the tenant fit-out process in the Enterprise Building will be ongoing.

The Innovation Hub team takes this opportunity to thank the project and site managers, and the construction teams, for a concerted effort to work miracles and deliver on deadlines to make this month's occupation of their new premises a reality!

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