Residents pumped up for opening of Metro

Residents pumped up for opening of Metro Park

The City of Johannesburg’s call for residents to get healthy and active continues to gain momentum with the opening of the long awaited Metro Park on 19 September.

Situated at the south of the Mandela Bridge at the corner of Ntemi Peliso and Carr Streets in Newtown, the park is set to add to the vibrancy of the inner city with all it has to offer - the green outdoor gyms, new generation play equipment, a six-aside soccer field and an amphitheatre.

The park will officially be handed over by the Executive Mayor Parks Tau at 11:30.

Flanked by the iconic Mandela Bridge and the Bree and Park Station taxi ranks, the park will form a critical component of the city's 'Corridors of Freedom' initiative that links commuters and residents to recreational activities.

The park development was spearheaded by the Johannesburg Development Agency (JDA) and Johannesburg City Parks. The organisations spent R13-million to convert what was once a dumping spot into a "green lung". About 200 indigenous trees have also been replanted in the park.

"The park will be an important gateway into the city and is flanked and can be viewed from two major bridges. It will form part of a greater park system ultimately linking across the rail yard to the north as well as east to west," says JD A’s manager Celestine Mouton.

Construction on the park started in May 2013 and was completed in September 2013.

The park, which features a playground, outdoor gym, toilet facilities, amphitheatre, a lawn and picnic tables will be beneficial to children who live in the area's high-rise buildings.

Earlier this year, the South African Landscapers Institute (SALI) recognised the park as an excellent example of construction design at the annual South African Green Industries Council convention.

Marina Landscaping, the company the JDA appointed to develop Metro Park, was honoured with a Gold Award of Excellence in the Landscape Construction with Design by Others category for outstanding design and development on the facility.