Here’s how the refurbishment of Johannesburg’s Metro Centre is progressing

2026-03-23 - 13:21

The Johannesburg municipality is preparing to be without a permanent home well into the next decade. Johannesburg’s Metro Centre was closed almost three years ago, and 15 departments under the city’s umbrella were in or have completed the final stages of moving to temporary offices. The city’s departments have been scattered across six buildings; six departments are housed in one building in Newton, with the remainder housed in buildings already occupied by city entities. Details of the moves and the progress of the Metro Centre refurbishment were shared last week with the Section 79 committee on Economic Development and seen by The Citizen. Johannesburg Property Company (JPC) signed a 24-month lease agreement for 45 000 m2 of office space in April 2025. That lease was extended by seven years and 11 months in December, with the city earlier clarifying that it was paying R95 per square metre for 31 176 m2 of office space used at the Newtown premises. At a total of R2.96 million per month, excluding services, the rental of the Newtown premises could cost at least R281 million, excluding parking and services, over the duration of the extended lease. Five of the six buildings used to house displaced Metro Centre staff are currently occupied by city entities, with amendments made to the existing nine-year leases. Feasibility study over a year away As of February, a Transactions Advisor (TA) for the public-private partnership of the Metro Centre refurbishment had been appointed. The work of the TA is being funded through a conditional grant from the National Treasury called the Programme and Project Preparation Support Grant (PPPSG) “The PPPSG supports the institutionalisation of efficient systems for programme and project preparation, as guided by the Division of Revenue Act,” the document reads. As of February, the refurbishment project was at the needs analysis report, technical options analysis, preliminary costing and risk identification phase, with that phase at 23% completion. The last planning phase – the preparation and submission of the feasibility study report – is set to begin by the first quarter of 2027. Once submitted, a public participation process must be conducted, followed by an opportunity for Treasury to view the feasibility report and make its recommendations. Assets still at Metro Centre As of the 19 March report, many assets remained in the Metro Centre because larger items could not be moved from the upper floors. “The non-operational lifts at Metro Centre had delayed the relocation of furniture earmarked for transfer to the Newtown Building. “The JPC repairs and maintenance department is overseeing this process, with a service provider appointed on 22 December 2025 to repair the goods lift and two passenger lifts. “Once these repairs are completed, the relocation of all assets will resume without further delay,” the report stated. These assets include the property of the departments of health, development planning and group corporate and shared services. Health assets are to be moved to clinics across the city’s regions, while development planning archives remain in the dilapidated building. The planning doc stated that surplus furniture would be donated to schools and orphanages, subject to the City Manager’s approval. The Citizen contacted the JPC for comment on the process of moving and digitising the city records, but was redirected to the Department of Development Planning. ‘Critical for efficient governance’ DA Johannesburg caucus leader Belinda Kayser-Echeozonjoku said that failing to restore such a key municipal asset led to a “fragmented” city management. “The absence of a functional flagship office like the Metro Centre represents more than just a vacant building; it reflects a loss of institutional stability, coordination, and public accessibility. “A centralised headquarters is critical for efficient governance, enabling departments to work cohesively and residents to access services easily,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku told The Citizen. She added that the situation at the Metro Centre gave an impression of “instability and neglect” that eroded public trust. “It creates the perception of a city in decline, one where core public infrastructure is not maintained, and governance lacks direction.” “Johannesburg is the economic heart of South Africa, and its administrative centre should reflect professionalism, efficiency, and pride,” Kayser-Echeozonjoku concluded. Building disrepair JPC had previously denied any intention to demolish the building, with initial refurbishment proposals including the development of a hotel and a shopping centre. Last week’s update stated that the building required a roof reconstruction, had damp in the ceilings, had excessive leaks, had cracked basement slabs, and showed signs of interior collapse. “The building exhibits excessive shrinkage cracks in roof and ground floor slabs due to inadequate expansion joints and thin construction,” the report states. Additionally, the building’s facade was crumbling and its fire escape routes were outdated, endangering occupants. “These challenges, documented in professional reports, underscored the need for immediate intervention to ensure safety and compliance with the Occupational Health and Safety Act,” the report read.