B.G Alexander

some history on B.G. Alexander

hijackers haven

Once the residence of a prestigious nursing college, by the early 2000's the B.G. had fallen into extreme disrepair with broken pipes, a collapsed sewerage system and illegal electricity connections. Officially vacated in 2001, the building was hijacked by people wielding AK 47 rifles and illegal residents took over.

a partnership is formed

Through the provincial department of public works, Madulammoho secured a lease over the building in 2007, however the City of Johannesburg was also assessing the building for its own social housing programme, and the City's social housing entity, JOSHCO, was in the process of developing its own plans for the B.G. This coincidence led to a partnership between Madulammoho and JOSHCO. Once the partnership was formed, illegal residents were evicted from the B.G. and the building's redevelopment was commenced in three phases. Today the B.G. is home to more than 1,000 tenants. A substantial development occupying an entire city block, the B.G. is a series of buildings designed around a central courtyard space and also features a five-a-side soccer pitch (donated by the Netherlands National Football Team and christened the Orange Cruyff Court Hillbrow), a church facility, an after-care centre, a full-catering kitchen, four recreation halls, a lecture hall and a creche. The joint venture (JMJV) holds the notorial lease on the B.G. building for a period of 35 years. Madulammoho holds a 45 per cent stake in the venture and JOSHCO holds a 55 per cent stake, while a joint policy committee for the building meets four times each year.

Year Established: 2008