Barlow Park enters its next chapter as Phase 3 gets under way

Barlow Park is entering its next stage of growth, with construction of Phase 3 set to begin and another 406 rental apartments to be added to the mixed-use precinct at the gateway to Sandton.

The new phase has received approval from all shareholders, while building plan approval has also been secured and main contract negotiations concluded with WBHO as principal contractor. Civil works, including earthworks and services, are complete, with piling currently under way ahead of the main contractor commencing on site. Practical completion is anticipated towards the end of 2027.

For Divercity Urban Property Group, Phase 3 continues a journey that set out to demonstrate that well-located, quality rental housing can be affordable too, even in one of South Africa’s most sought-after commercial and residential nodes.

 

From ambitious idea to established community

When construction began at Barlow Park in June 2022, the development represented a bold departure from conventional thinking about affordable rental housing.

The redevelopment of the former Barloworld corporate site brought together residential, retail, education and other amenities in a connected mixed-use precinct. Divercity, which is responsible for the residential component, joined Atterbury, Barloworld, Twin City and the Moolman Group in bringing the development to life.

At its heart was a simple but important proposition: affordable housing should not have to mean compromising on location, quality or access to opportunity.

Barlow Park’s position near Sandton places residents close to a major centre of employment and economic activity, while the precinct itself was designed to bring many of the essentials of everyday life within easy reach.

The first residents moved into Barlow Park in January 2024, and demand quickly demonstrated the appeal of the concept. The first residential phase was fully let within its first month. At the same time, Barlow Park Retail opened with a mix of convenience shopping, services and food outlets, while Curro Barlow Park became fully operational.

Together, these elements helped turn what had been a development vision into a functioning, thriving neighbourhood. Phase 3 builds on that foundation.

 

Growing the Barlow Park lifestyle

In addition to its 406 new apartments, the phase will introduce another swimming pool and further resident amenities, extending the lifestyle offering across the precinct.

From the outset, Barlow Park’s residential offering has combined thoughtfully designed apartments with shared facilities and spaces that give residents more than their individual homes. Existing amenities include recreation and sporting facilities, green spaces, a gym, clubhouse, pool and business facilities, alongside the convenience provided by the wider mixed-use precinct.

This combination is central to the kind of urban living Divercity seeks to create: homes that are not considered in isolation, but as part of connected neighbourhoods where residents have convenient access to work, education, shopping, services and spaces for recreation and community life.

 

Building more inclusive cities

Barlow Park also speaks to a bigger South African urban challenge. For many households, affordability has historically come at the cost of location, resulting in long and expensive daily journeys between home and places of employment and opportunity. Well-located, higher-density rental housing offers an alternative, making better use of existing urban infrastructure while allowing more people to live closer to the economic heart of the city.

It is this principle that made Barlow Park significant from the outset. Continued investment in the precinct now allows that proposition to reach more residents.

With the groundwork for Phase 3 largely complete and construction moving ahead, another 406 households will ultimately have the opportunity to make their home in this increasingly established Sandton neighbourhood.

Render Credit: GASS Architecture Studios