By Correspondent
12 years after the death of Sam Levy his family has put his crown jewel Sam Levy Village in Borrowdale for sale for US$120m.
Realtors, Pam Golding has listed the massive property stating the money has to be paid offshore.
“Spread across 30 acres of prime land in the leafy suburb of Borrowdale, Harare, this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a remarkable investment portfolio is now available to the astute investor with a unique vision and we are here to help with the acquisition process,” it says.
The village has lately struggled as new malls and shopping complexes have been built in nearby areas.
When initially built in 1990 by Levy, nicknamed Kanyuchi due to his character, the place was one of a kind.
History of the Village
Sam Levy’s Village shopping mall was his eponymous creation.
It was designed in such a way that it has since been dubbed “Little England”.
This is due to its inclusion of buildings resembling English cottages and a clock tower similar to Big Ben.
Levy built Sam Levy’s Village without the support of the local community which was against the idea of having a shopping centre in a residential neighbourhood.
When Levy built the mall, there was no provision for public toilets for years.
He only responded to regularisation following an outcry from patrons and threats of demolitions from Harare City Council.
The mall has since become the largest and most prestigious shopping mall in the country.
The selling of the complex signals a form of closure as the family has also been selling another property in Kadoma.
This, coupled with a requirement for the US$120m to be paid offshore raises assumptions the family my be moving out.
