CATO RIDGE - ARE THINGS STILL HAPPENING?
Category New Developments
CATO RIDGE - ARE THINGS STILL HAPPENING?
Development in the area of Cato Ridge has been slow for many years, awaiting the commencement of the Cato Ridge Inland Port, but is the pace now starting to pick up?
Driving through certain parts of Cato-Ridge it is now clear that it is!
Over recent weeks the Intermodal /Transshipment facility has started to operate more effectively and efficiently with the increased availability of rail traffic slots and the ironing out of a few administrative teething problems.
Recent newspaper articles have highlighted the 'port congestion woes' and the need for Truck Staging facilities in Cato Ridge. There have been some developments in this regard and although the current locations of such are not ideal, they are working well as temporary facilities, until such time as the planned development of the large new truck stop and staging facility can be completed. The proposed new KwaXimba Interchange on the N3 will certainly assist in making the new truck stop and staging area more efficient and attractive to operators.
The Maersk reefer stacking area and other container stacks are clearly visible and confirm that the international shipping lines are realizing the potential of the area.
The construction of a large new cold storage facility and another new warehousing facility are both already up to roof height. A large manufacturer of hardware related products is due to commence their brownfields construction in the next month and plans are in place for another greenfield development of a processing plant.
A number of recent property sales for warehousing and logistics operations have virtually depleted the stock of available warehousing or factories for sale.
There are however, still two large warehouses in the area that are available to lease, one of which offers exceptionally good value for money.
There is, fortunately, still a fair amount of Industrial zoned vacant land available for sale and or Turnkey Development and, although the sizes are large, they are now starting to attract interest.
After many years of very gradual growth, it is now clearly apparent that the pace of development is definitely picking up.
Author: Robert McInerney
