From ‘Kempinski’ to ‘La Mer’

THE dust has hardly settled over the intense differences of opinion regarding Ohlthaver and List’s Kempinski Strand Hotel in Swakopmund, when a new, yet similar, issue arose; this time in the form of Safari Investments Namibia’s proposed ‘La Mer’ Waterfront Development.

Although the waterfront issue has come a longer way than the Strand Hotel, the issue of an ‘intrusive private development’ on a public beach still wrings the sentiments of Swakopmunders.Locals are still asking whether ‘this type of city-style development has any place on a prime piece of Namibian beachfront?’; ‘What will be the social and environmental impact?’; and even if Swakopmund ‘really needs or wants it?’An Open Day by Safari Investments Namibia was recently held for the public to view and later comment on the proposed building plans of ‘La Mer’: a 16 000-square-metre shopping complex with 50 retail outlets (including Checkers supermarket as the main tenant), restaurants, luxury duplex apartments, and a 90-room hotel. And a marina.The public was given until February 17 for comments regarding the design of the development. The Namibian learned that ‘a lot of people are not happy with this development; and a lot of objections can be expected’.According to Swakopmund CEO, Eckart Demasius, the property has already been sold for the purpose of the development, and the public had ample time to be informed about the development and given the chance to object.’It’s too late to object the development. The public were now given a chance to comment on the design, but instead they are still focusing on something that has already been dealt with, namely the concept of a waterfront. This waterfront has already come a very long way,’ he told the newspaper.Initially this land was sold as part of the Waterfront Development which would have prioritised the building of a small yacht harbour at Vineta Point in an attempt to enhance the recreational appeal and holiday atmosphere of Swakopmund.When the land was sold to the Waterfront Development company nearly a decade ago, it was agreed to add some more features to this harbour, in the form of residential units and a hotel.Concerns about service delivery in the area and cash-strapped developers eventually led to a half-baked development consisting of some expensive houses and a cluster of seafront flats. No marina.Now, with the entry of the new owner, Safari Developments, the waterfront concept has ‘grown’ from its initial concept to a much bigger development: a shopping centre bigger than any other in town on a stretch of prime beach, in a residential area and at a well used recreational site.But there is the promise of a ‘marina’ although locals are already sceptical over the feasibility of the proposed breakwater walls.

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