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Lovemore Zigara, Midlands Correspondent
GWERU City Council plans to expand the city centre from 10th street at the open space behind the Gweru Government Complex up to Fairmile Motel along Bulawayo-Gweru Road.

The local authority also intends to set up an industrial park at the open space near the Cold Storage Company where there are vast tracts of land, which have not been utilised. The council’s strategy and business development director, Mr Owen Masimba, said the local authority was looking for investors who can take up opportunities for the city’s expansion.

“We have got an ambitious project, which we call the CBD extension project where we want to extend our city centre from right behind the Government complex going up to Fairmile Motel. That is going to be our CBD extension so there are opportunities to develop shopping malls around that area and we are looking for partners to come on board,” he said.

“We have opportunities to establish industrial parks around the Zambezi Industrial Park near the CSC abattoir, and if there are investors interested in developing the area, they can approach the city.”

Mr Masimba said council was looking at partnerships and joint ventures for its envisaged projects. The local authority director added that they were also looking for investors in tourism with the major highlight being the envisaged construction of a 240 bed hotel near Gweru River. “We also have opportunities in tourism as you know Gweru is centrally located so we want to take advantage of this to ensure that meetings and conferences would be held in Gweru because of its location.

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