Former residents of The Atlantic apartment block in Three Anchor Bay say they were given just 30 days to leave their homes to make way for a luxury redevelopment where apartments are now selling from R8.495 million.
The Shoreclub Private Residences is being marketed as a “landmark oceanfront address redefining luxury living on the Atlantic Seaboard”, with apartments, duplexes, penthouses and a “Skyhouse” priced from R8.495 million. The development promises oceanfront luxury living just metres from the Sea Point Promenade.
Former tenants of The Atlantic told News24 they were never opposed to the sale of the beachfront property. Instead, they say their anger stems from how the eviction process unfolded, claiming they were kept in the dark for months before receiving notices to vacate on 1 April, just ahead of the Easter weekend, leaving them scrambling to find accommodation in one of Cape Town’s tightest rental markets.
Their accounts emerge as soaring property values and luxury developments on the Atlantic Seaboard have fuelled tensions between developers and existing residents amid a battle for affordable rentals.
One former resident of The Atlantic, who spoke to News24 on condition of anonymity, said tenants understood from the outset that the building would eventually be redeveloped.
“The tenants weren’t naïve. We knew the building was for sale, and we were at peace with that. We completely understand the commercial aspect of a piece of real estate like The Atlantic,” the former resident said.
“Our gripe is with how the situation was handled. It was shocking. If, from the time the building was sold, we were kept in the loop and a shred of decency was offered, we wouldn’t be having this conversation.
“The former and new owners need to understand that you simply can’t treat people like that.”
Many residents had lived there for years, with some families occupying multiple flats across generations.
Armand Hough said residents affectionately nicknamed it “The Radlantic” because it offered relatively affordable accommodation in an increasingly unaffordable neighbourhood.
Hough added:
“I have called The Atlantic home for 11 years. Between the residents, we used to call it the Radlantic because the rent was affordable for a dual-income household, and we all felt a sense of community in the building.
“Neighbours celebrated birthdays together, borrowed sugar and supported one another, he said.
“One evening, after a kitchen mishap left my wife and me overcome by smoke, it was our neighbours who came to our aid and quite possibly saved our lives. That is the kind of place The Atlantic was.”
Months of uncertainty
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said concerns began months before tenants were told to leave.
After learning that the building had been sold, residents attempted to get clarity from the building manager about what would happen next.
According to the resident, tenants who wanted to renew their leases in January were told only that leases would remain month-to-month.
“I know the building has been sold, but when, or how much notice are we going to get?” the resident recalled asking.
The resident said the building manager explained that she herself had received almost no information, other than that her employment would end at the end of April.
The resident added:
“We thought: ‘No news is good news’. Surely they’re going to let us know with good notice, as anyone with common decency would.”
Instead, residents said they discovered an Instagram advertisement marketing the future Shoreclub development using AI-generated renders of the building while they were still living there.
The resident contacted the estate agency marketing the development, hoping to understand when construction would begin.
“They replied saying occupancy was in 12 months,” the resident said.
Thirty days to leave
The official notice arrived on 1 April.
Residents say it was slipped under apartment doors just before the Easter weekend, effectively leaving them with 30 days to vacate.
“Most residents were away… trying to find alternative accommodation in Sea Point surrounds in that time frame was unreasonable and almost impossible,” one resident said.
Hough described the emotional contrast between residents packing up their lives while buyers toured the building.
Another resident said some neighbours had lived in the building for more than 30 years.
“One woman said that she would rather die than move out,” the resident said.
“It was devastating to see everyone packing up their houses, everything that they’d had their whole lives, within such a short period of time.”
The resident said the atmosphere in the building changed overnight.
“We were such a good community and everyone cared about each other. That was destroyed as soon as we got that notice.”
Former tenants also allege they waited about two months to receive their rental deposits after moving out.
“In that climate, when you were really tight for money, not even giving the money back that we were owed was also despicable,” one resident said.
‘It was home’
Despite the anger, Hough said he bears no resentment towards redevelopment itself.
“I understand that property owners have the right to develop and invest in their buildings, but sadly, as neighbourhoods become more desirable, the people who helped shape them are often the first to be priced out.
“We are not the first community to experience this, and we certainly won’t be the last.”
He said what residents lost could never be rebuilt.
“I feel incredibly fortunate to have spent more than a decade at the ‘Radlantic’. No redevelopment can erase the memories made there, the friendships forged, or the sense of belonging that so many of us were lucky enough to experience.
“For us, it was never just an apartment building. It was home.”
Responding to questions from News24, Quay 1 chief executive Ryan Greeff said the agency acted only as the estate broker for the Shoreclub development.
“I confirm that Quay 1 acted purely as the real estate brokers in respect of the development of the Atlantic apartment block in Three Anchor Bay.”
Greeff said the agency had been informed that all leases operated on a month-to-month basis and that all tenant-related matters were handled directly between the relevant parties.
“The parties to the transaction confirmed that all tenancies were on a month-to-month basis. All tenant matters were dealt with directly between the parties in accordance with the terms of the applicable leases.”
He added that Quay 1 had also been informed that “some tenants were given additional time to arrange alternative accommodation”.
