By Freedom Mashava
PROPERTY development firm, West Properties Zimbabwe, yesterday unveiled the first block of 24 apartments of an exclusive up-market lifestyle estate — the Millennium Heights — in Harare.
Speaking during the event, West Properties chief operations officer Tatiana Aleshina said the group’s vision was to deliver lasting value in real estate development for all stakeholders and leave a legacy that benefits society.
“Our business model is the role of master planner, financier and developer of appropriately designed sustainably built residential and commercial properties within the Greater Harare area.
“Our purpose is to use our creative gifts, determination and ‘never give up’ attitude to deliver lasting value in real estate development.
“This highly-secure and sought-after development offers investors and families a variety of accommodation options ranging from studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroomed apartments, with back-up water and solar power as well as a wide range of outdoor leisure and entertainment facilities.
“Apartments are offered on sectional title deeds and at shell stage of construction with internal finishes to be completed by the owner to their taste,” Aleshina said.
She said as part of its corporate social responsibility, the company would channel part of its profits to the less privileged.
“We will be giving back 10 percent of our profits to the vulnerable and less fortunate children of Zimbabwe.
“Sustainable development initiatives that have a positive environmental effect,” Aleshina said.
In a virtual address to the event, West Properties founder and chief executive Ken Sharpe said the new apartments were part of a new concept to make luxury housing affordable.
“This new concept is actually a very specific programme that we developed …. last year and implemented at the beginning of this year, where we wanted to be more customer-centric and bring affordability to luxury housing.
“The development you see in front you today of exclusive apartments in the heart of Borrowdale, has never happened before where you can have a product such as this, that is affordable for under US$50 000 as a starting price to move in and live in.
“This is the first block of 24 units of more than 1 000 units that we are building. In the next 10 years, you will see a whole new city, a whole new community where people can live, work and shop together,” Sharpe said.