The 20-year lease for The Galley , a beachfront restaurant in Fish Hoek, will be up for auction once again on 2 October at noon, taking place at the DHL Stadium in Green Point, Cape {town} Etc reports.
The starting bid is set at R100 000.
Last November, the City of Cape Town auctioned off several properties, including The Galley's lease. The bid opened at R50 000 and was eventually sold to restaurateur Michael Townsend for R380 000. However, controversy arose when it was revealed that Townsend bid on behalf of the Kalk Bay Waterfront Development (KBWD) rather than his own business, K2023, which raised questions about the legitimacy of the bid.
As per The False Bay Echo , the City's lawyers confirmed that while Townsend was registered to bid for K2023, the winning bid was incorrectly recorded under KBWD. Despite this confusion, a significant deposit from Townsend's company was made into KBWD's account for the lease. The City is currently reviewing the situation through its Immovable Property Adjudication Committee (IPAC).
James Vos, the mayoral committee member for economic growth, emphasised that the City aims to grant the lease to a suitable operator who can enhance the site's potential as a tourism hub and generate local economic opportunities.
