An empty Athlone landmark site has raised questions about Cape Town’s redevelopment priorities after property professional Johan de Meyer asked why the prominent city-owned site has remained vacant for almost two decades, Cape {town} Etc reports.
He said, ‘I refuse to live in communities where my neighbours just look like me’ and argued that the land should not sit idle when it could serve a wider public purpose. De Meyer called for an ‘integrated, iconic waterfront for the Cape Flats’ and suggested the site could become a transport hub, a bazaar and a place of opportunity.
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He also compared the long vacancy with the speed of other projects, saying the Cape Winelands Airport was approved in two years and that the land has remained unused for almost 20 years. His argument speaks to a larger Cape Town question about what the city should do with strategic land in areas that still need investment, movement and public spaces that feel open to everyone.
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That bigger picture matters as the Cape Town Central City Improvement District reports a 41% rise in CBD property investment in 2025/26, with developments reaching R12.8 billion and 29 projects in the pipeline. The report also says 22 mainly residential builds have come on stream over five years.
For Cape Town, the issue now reaches beyond one site. It asks who urban growth is really for, how long public land should stay empty and what kind of city the metro wants to build next.
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McKenzie denounces Cape Town’s proposed development near Athlone Stadium
Picture: Wikipedia
