R20m lease deal for Dbn complex

A leading lady's clothing retailer is the latest business to give the thumbs up to a renovated complex and its extensions in Durban Umgeni Road following a R20m lease deal over 7 years.

Milady's was housed at the station complex in NMR avenue but needed to move due to the growth and expansion of the group, but to stay in close vicinity of their head office building.

The Lion Match complex houses a number of listed buildings. The conversion of the low yield factory space provided the Jonsson Group, whose head offices have been in the main Lion Match building for six years, with an annex for subsidiary Jonsson Workwear. In total - together with Milady's who are next door – this added 5,000sq m to the 20,000sq m business park.

"With the ongoing concerns regarding successfully sourcing power for new developments and the growing trend towards sustainable developments, the rejuvenation of the old warehouse buildings has been particularly inviting," explains Dean Jay of Jay & Nel Architects.

"By adapting older buildings to meet the needs of the current market, and rejuvenating and refurbishing what exists rather than constantly creating new, as professionals in conjunction with developers, we are moving in tandem towards a more sustainable built environment" he adds.

Freer adds that the problem for some years was the shortage of quality space in and around Umgeni Road, as many of the buildings are older and lower grade. "However, the Lion Match Renovation and other upgrades in the node are changing the perception of the area," she says.

"We are still experiencing huge demand in the commercial sector, from smaller users to large corporates and blue chip business, which reinforces confidence in the marketplace that demand for good quality buildings, still exceeds supply.

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