Mixed-use developments: for the benefit of or cost to the community?

Mixed-use developments generally include three uses within one development. They start with a vision, an in-depth understanding of whom the development appeals to, who the tenants are and what it aims to achieve.

With the rise of Airbnbs, Covid-19-restricted travel and consumers searching for more than a place to stay, hotels have moved towards being an encompassing, all-in-one development of amenities, experiences, and accessibility. Short-term rentals offer flexibility, affordability and the ability to self-cater, but often lack cleaning standards, don’t offer concierge services, and don’t have amenities such as spas, pools, gyms, restaurants or business facilities. Hotels have realised that amenities are drivers that attract guests and are an exclusive offering that separates them from their sneaky uber-hotel competitors.

“Mixed-use” has become a buzzword in development, providing solutions to urban areas, maximising limited space and revitalising the surrounding areas. Guests do not want to be limited to their room, and mixed-use developments allow a transition into shared space, a semblance of community, and a consistency of experience and offerings. The centralisation and all-in-one offerings of housing, within community and complex developments, has solved societal failings for a select few; ignoring the root issues in favour of a parallel utopia. Hotels, for the most part, act in the same manner. To centralise hotels is not a radical concept — bars and restaurants have long been offered within their locations — yet the shift to further uses is an interesting community-focused, experience-driven aspect that avoids further gentrification and promotes social cohesion through inclusion and collaboration with the immediate area, for guests and residents alike.

Hallmark House

Hallmark House in Maboneng is within an underutilised area and provides a one-stop location for visitors and residents, with exterior and interior energy alongside distinct experiences and an encompassing experience of the area. I constantly find myself being inspired by the myriad of Jozi’s offerings and Hallmark House is the quintessential example of the greatness of the city, especially when it comes to collaboration and access. Dale de Ruig of Steyn Investments says that “Hallmark House is an island, its own little entity, because it has everything: ample safe parking, a barber shop, three restaurants, office spaces, a conference venue with the most beautiful views of Joburg, a rooftop bar, a gym and a fully equipped recording studio.”

Hallmark House has neatly positioned itself in the historic building with live music, a bistro, an acclaimed upmarket restaurant and a jazz club — all fit nicely within the lifestyles of diverse cosmopolitan and urban professionals; there is something for everyone. Hallmark’s offerings are for all demographics and class groups, focusing on collaboration and access, rather than being an isolated space of prestige. De Ruig continues: “It has become this all-encompassing hub of culture, both for the city’s inhabitants and tourists. We have found this little niche that I’m so optimistic about; I’m really seeing multiple benefits within our collaborative work.”

The development is rooted firmly within the contemporary offerings of the City of Gold. De Ruig says that their journey into the mixed-used space “started with a pure property investment into Maboneng itself, but [we] soon realised that we have the ability to execute operationally in the area.”

The barber shop on the ground floor is essential to the inclusivity and community ethos of the hotel, allowing passers-by, residents and guests to be groomed on an equal basis. The bar upstairs is a true Johannesburg venue; hookahs and Black Labels are the accessories to a killer 360-degree view; the upmarket location is not stiff nor exclusive, it is a hub of the local community.

Downstairs is the iconic Marabi Club. A popular spot among trendsetters, celebrities and innovators, the jazz club is as known for its food as its live music and exclusivity. The décor and ambience instantly transports patrons (the lucky ones who can get a table) to a bygone age of cigars and Sophiatown’s music, culture and festivities. Rooms are decked out in the finery of Maxhosa’s homeware and wallpaper.

The lobby introduces Thorn, the hotel restaurant and coffee shop that is always bustling with creatives and remote workers from the neighbouring residential areas of Doornfontein and Maboneng, to guests. The space embraces the inner-city rather than hide from it, offering deluxe and upmarket experiences alongside inclusive and creative spaces.

The collaborative and urban ethos of the company are further extended by De Ruig and his team’s foray into a management and record company, Stay Low, alongside their numerous other investments into entertainment, such as Rocking the Daisies, a Cape Town music festival, and even the Bontle Modiselle Dance Studio on the rooftop.

De Ruig says that “our ability to plug international artists into the ecosystem we have built at Hallmark House is one of the reasons we have this hub of culture here; we give artists a week in Joburg, allow them to work with local artists, make music, stay in the hotel [and] network at the restaurant. They can even play live downstairs at The Marabi Club.”