Century City remains a smart place to work, evident in Rabie’s office vacancies dropping to a mere 1% at the end of September. Concentrated in the Bridgeways precinct, Rabie’s commercial portfolio vacancy rates sketched a very different picture at the beginning of 2022, as a substantial portion of the new offices in Bridgewater were affected by the work from home trend.
“Fortunately, we have let over 30 000 square metres since the beginning of the year,” says Colin Anderson, COO at Rabie. “With the fantastic assistance of brokers from various companies, we concluded about 25 leases, which includes a number of international and tech companies.”
“Companies are realising that in order to get their staff back in the office, they need to make it more desirable,” continues Anderson. “It’s not only important how your office is designed and how it looks on the inside, but your experience when you arrive and leave the office is paramount to your overall work satisfaction. You want to feel safe; you want to pop out for something to eat or take a walk to clear your head, perhaps exercise before or after work. To this point, the walkability of the Bridgeways precinct is unique and offers a balanced workday. There are 13 restaurants and coffee shops, five hotels, a world-class conference centre, gym, the beautiful Ratanga Park and Canal Walk Shopping Centre, all within easy walking distance. In addition, there are over 1 800 undercover bays and open parking areas that are available for public parking in the precinct.”
FACILITIES ON OFFER:
- 13 restaurants and coffee shops
- five hotels
- world-class conference centre
- gym
- Ratanga Park
- Canal Walk Shopping Centre
The Century City Property Owners’ Association’s biannual survey conducted earlier this year showed distinctly that safety and security is the number one priority for residents, business owners and people who work in the precinct. It also indicated that stakeholders are extremely satisfied with the level of safety and security in the precinct. In addition to this, the way that the precinct is managed from an infrastructure and maintenance point of view to landscaping and transport, makes Century City a smart place to work.
“Whether companies have a hybrid model or full-time office approach, there is most definitely a valuable place for top-notch office space in desirable surroundings.” says Anderson. “This is illustrated in a survey which Microsoft recently concluded amongst their employees regarding the office and work from home debate. An excerpt of their reports reads: “The desire among employees to reconnect with co-workers dovetails nicely with a powerful organizational need: to rebuild social capital.”
Anderson concludes “As corporates start to encourage their staff back to the office, even if on a hybrid format, it is important that the office environment is a happy place for the employee.”
