Harare — JOINA City aims to provide a complete shopping experience and -- with planned development of neighbouring properties -- become the nucleus of the new commercial hub for central Harare.

And it has many things going for it.

The complex was built on a municipal carpark and a small row of commercial buildings.

The owner of one of those buildings, Shingai Mutasa, took advantage of an offer made by Harare City Council in the 1990s to put forward plans for a new complex to cover the entire city block across the road from the imposing Town House.

Just about the only condition the council made was that there must be a parking garage in the plans, but potential developers were promised that bulk factors, the floor area of the complex, were up for negotiation since parking, the main bugbear for previous large buildings, would be on site.

Mr Mutasa, who has wide business interests himself, put together a consortium to develop the city block and brought in one of Zimbabwe's top architects, Vernon Mwamuka.

The radical proposal drafted by Mwamuka won over the city council and work started, with the first step being the demolition of Mr Mutasa's building, the largest ever demolished in Zimbabwe.

While this was going on, Mwamuka was refining his plans.

He spent two years visiting some of the most-modern and best shopping and office centres in the world to ensure that his design for Zimbabwe would rank with the best.

While he died during the construction of Joina City, the design is his and few architects will have such a memorial.

The parking condition set by the council was, in retrospect, the most critical to the future success of Joina Centre.

Underneath one of Zimbabwe's largest buildings is a three-floor parking garage with 600 bays.

Of these, 150 are reserved for tenants and companies occupying the office tower.

But the other 450 are for shoppers.

So shoppers can now drive straight into the complex and park their cars, without having to step onto the street.

South African company Easy Park have the contract for the parking, so vehicles, drivers and passengers are totally secure.

Escalators and stairs take these drivers and their families up to the four-floor shopping centre.

But pedestrians are not forgotten.

There are two secure ground floor entrances to Joina City shops, plus a third entrance for the office tower.

And those two shopping entrances are on different ground floors.

Mwamuka took advantage of the sloping site to have two full ground floors extending over the whole block, the upper leading from the Innez Terrace Corner and the lower leading from the Julius Nyerere Way corner.

The foyer for the office tower actually forms a third ground floor.

The centre of the shopping complex is a covered atrium, holding the escalators that take shoppers up and down the four floors of shops, restaurants and the "Kids Entertainment" area on the second floor, incidentally run by the Zimbabwean who ran the similar area in Durban's largest shopping mall.

A careful mix of shops has been selected.

With around 45 shops, Joina City manager Mr Kevin Smith was determined to avoid duplication and to ensure that "people will just have to come to the city centre if they want to experience complete shopping".

Big South African chains have already come aboard.

South African Woolworths are returning to Zimbabwe, and "this time as Woolworths", said Mr Smith, rather than as the W Store.

Dis-Chem, HomeMark and Mr Price are either in already, or about to finalise negotiations.

Top South African restaurant chain, Pigalle, have already booked the top of the tower "and you can see the airport from that balcony" once it is ready for occupation. Samsung of South Korea were eager tenants.

A mix of top Zimbabwean retailers, including Econet, Spar, Faith Wear and e-Sport are also in the mix, with the Spar franchise holder promising something more than the usual city centre supermarket.

A block of six restaurants provides more than just a food court.

"We wanted real restaurants, not just takeaways, and we wanted variety. So we have Celebration Centre for the pastries and coffee, Shangri-La for the eastern experience, Chicken Hut for Portuguese menus, Saffron for curry in a hurry, Afro-Fusion for those who want traditional cuisine prepared by chefs, and KFC are in for the faster food.

"Upstairs we will have a Mug-n-Bean coffee shop, which will also serve those in the office tower who need a quiet break with clients."

Again, like the shops, newcomers need not apply.

Proven track records are vital.

All those who bid successfully to be tenants, and there is a waiting list of 282 unsuccessful applicants, they had to have their shop plans approved by Mr Smith and have to follow these to the letter.

"Just for example, one tenant proposed all black tiles on the floor of their shop; then they started laying a checkerboard of white and black. Well they had to go back and relay as black. We are being rigid on this. We must approve everything to keep Joina City at the top of the tree."

Above these four floors of shops is a large area on the fifth floor, 800 square metres, designated for a gym, a techno-gym is how Mr Smith describes it.

This will not open immediately and negotiations are still in progress with gym chains.

The next area is a block of four cinemas. "Well, we were not prepared to sign any leases until I actually had the letters in my hand from Nu-Metro and UIP that we would have the first releases. When they open a film in Johannesburg, then they open here, the same day."

The letters came and so the cinemas will open in a few months.

Rainbow Cinemas have been discussing their requirements right from the planning stages when architect Mwamuka was turning ideas into blueprints.

The giant underground carpark will be open for cinema viewers as well.

Above the cinema floor is the 14 story office block, again with good security.

In fact, the security of the complex is so good that the American Embassy, will be moving its public library into the office tower.

"It was an interesting discussion, and they asked hard questions, but we satisfied them," said Mr Smith.

Little details count.

"Public toilets are important in a place like this. They have to be spotless all the time. We want people to spend hours here so this counts."

Not only are there full-time attendants on duty, but the doors will be locked.

Shoppers will get the daily code to punch in from the shops they visit.

Getting to Joina City is simple for most Harare suburbanites, despite the one-way streets in the inner city.

All drivers have to remember is to approach from the east along Jason Moyo Avenue or the north along Julius Nyerere Way.

The entrance to the parking garage is along Julius Nyerere Way opposite Town House.

Those from the eastern suburbs will probably find it easiest to use Fourth Street to enter Jason Moyo Avenue and then turn left at Joina City to park.

Those from the northern suburbs will also find Fourth Street useful or use Sam Nujoma (Second) Street and turning into either Julius Nyerere Way at Central Avenue or Jason Moyo Avenue further down.

Those from the western or north-western suburbs will almost certainly find Julius Nyerere Way the easiest route.

The south-eastern residents can also access Jason Moyo Avenue from Fourth Street.

Only those from the south-west entrances to the city will have a slight problem; and all they need to do is go north as far as Nelson Mandela or Samora Machel avenues, go east a block or two, and then swing south to reach Jason Moyo Avenue.

The centre opens for shopping next Friday, although the official opening will be in August.