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Much fanfare surrounds the burgeoning metropolis of Midrand, but to the east of Johannesburg, the next exciting urban hub is taking shape – in the adjoining suburbs of Linbro Park and Modderfontein.
Linbro Park is best known as Sandton’s commercial and industrial node, and Modderfontein, adjoining it to the east, began as a mining town adjacent to the Modder River, and largely owned by AECI chemicals group.
In 2013, AECI sold 1,600 hectares as well as its property subsidiary, Heartland Properties, to the Chinese consortium Zendai, which then divested and sold their landholding to M&T Development.
Modderfontein
Since then, M&T has launched the successful Fish Eagle View in Longlake near the 275-hectare savanna-like grasslands of Modderfontein Reserve, consisting of sectional title apartments with one, two or three bedrooms. Additionally it has launched a new offering in the Westlake area of Modderfontein, called Red Ivory Lane, consisting of one-, two- and three-bedroom units. Units in both developments start at around R700,000, with integrated appliances included.
Fish Eagle View has a swimming pool, indoor gym, fibre to the home (FTTH) connectivity, a day care centre, kids’ play areas and direct access to Modderfontein Reserve. It is also close to the rustic Val Bonne Country Estate and Restaurant, which is popular as a wedding and conference venue.
Red Ivory Lane, meanwhile, offers a clubhouse with swimming pool and braai facilities, as well as TTH, and it is close to Greenstone shopping centre. It is also pet-friendly.
Another attractive development in the Westlake area is Balwin Properties’s Westlake Eco-Estate situated near the Westlake wetland and comprising 770 one-, two- and three-bedroom units, also starting at around R700,000 and fetching rentals of around R7,800 for a one-bedroom unit. It offers a lifestyle centre, swimming pool, jogging/walking trail, boutique gym, restaurant, and braai area.
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‘Modderfontein is set to eventually accommodate around 30,000 residential units,’ says David Ingle, Seeff’s MD in Edenvale and Bedfordview. ‘A town centre is planned (to be named “Modderfontein New City’), along with the much anticipated Modderfontein Gautrain station, which will catapult the area into one of Gauteng’s most desired residential locations, as it will be a central urban spine connecting Kempton Park, Midrand, Sandton and Germiston,’ he says.
Busamed hospital serves both Modderfontein and Linbro Park, and schools in the area include Founders Hill Private School, School of Modern Montessori, and The King’s School Linbro Park.
Mature living
Heritage Estate, situated off Peace Street in Modderfontein is an elegant mature lifestyle estate for people over 50 looking for a retirement option together with assisted living services, and for investors buying to let. Developed by Capstone 237, the estate consists of 126 sectional title, pet-friendly units, with modern finishes and fully integrated imported kitchens. Prices start at R1.3 million, with levies averaging around 1.5% of the sales price annually.
Myron Economacos of Capstone 237 states that the first two phases of 60 units have been completed, transferred and occupied, and another 32 units in phase 3 are due to be transferred in October 2018. Phase 4 – a further 34 units is due to be completed by January 2019.
There are currently close to 100 residents in the estate. The market has expanded to include healthy, working 50-something year-olds, and the lock-up-and-go apartments are popular with investors and people buying for their parents.
The focus of Heritage Estate is the stately Heritage House, which was built in 1910, and is being renovated under the guidance of the Provincial Heritage Resources Authority Gauteng (PHRAG). This will house the dining hall, library and gentlemen’s bar. Heritage House overlooks the enchanting oval of landscaped gardens with indigenous plants and heritage trees, and The Pavilion, which dates from 1925, and houses the coffee shop.
Heritage Estate’s location is a primary drawcard. It’s near Greenstone and Stoneridge shopping malls, Busamed Hospital, close to major highways and roads, and is easily accessible from Sandton, OR Tambo International Airport and the East Rand.
Linbro Park
Linbro Park could have up to 16,000 residential units on offer by 2019, according to Ingle. ‘Residential and agricultural plots in Linbro Park, measuring between one and two hectares each, have doubled in value, and property prices indicate a 300% increase over the past decade,’ he says.
Along Clulee Road, Balwin Properties launched The Reid, a complex of approximately 1,800 residential units in Linbro Park West.
Close to Marlboro Gautrain station, The Reid offers one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments that include appliances, solar-supplemented electricity, prepaid electricity and water meters, and a lifestyle centre with cutting-edge leisure and sport facilities. A one-bedroom unit here starts at R719,000, and a three-bedroom unit starts at around R1.5 million.
Ingle says: Road and service upgrades in Linbro Park are well under way, and construction has begun on several new entrances along the K113 from Westlake into Linbro Park. Smaller residential developers are also active in Linbro Park, with planned sectional title developments of several hundred units each to be launched in the near future.
In addition, retail and office opportunities are also being explored along Clulee and Oak avenues in the centre of Linbro. ‘We recently sold a Linbro Park property to the Methodist Church of South Africa, so it seems that all the elements of a thriving new community are coming together,’ says Ingle.
