AN INTELLIGENT GARDEN CITY
Master developer strives to improve the quality of life in Putrajaya towards being a sustainable city.
IT HAS been 23 years since master developer Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd (PJH) was given the responsibility of building a world-class government administrative city in Putrajaya.
Since then, the company has developed notable infrastructure such as the picturesque Putrajaya Lake, well-planned government buildings, public facilities, beautiful wetlands, residential units and commercial buildings.
In its effort to drive forward the company’s mission of improving quality of life through excellence in design and construction, PJH is striving to develop the commercial hub of Putrajaya and expanding its presence beyond the boundaries of the city.
“In Putrajaya, our current land balance for development is about 283ha out of 4,931ha. We have upcoming projects in the pipeline to develop this remaining land. Currently, commercial projects are one of the major components.
“Some of these commercial developments include corporate commercial offices and integrated mixed developments which aim to draw more varied business, residential and visitor demographics to Putrajaya.
“This is in line with our mission of not only delivering quality products to the population here, but also to improve the quality of life towards its goal of being a sustainable city,” said its chief executive officer and director Datuk Azlan Abdul Karim.
Upcoming commercial projects also include upgrades to the iconic Alamanda Shopping Centre, retail shops in transit-oriented development in Precinct 7, a retail and event hall in waterfront mixed development in Precinct 8 and a commercial centre in Precinct 11.
Given the growing population of workers and university students in Cyberjaya and Putrajaya, PJH also has plans to build secure and affordable accommodations to cater to their demands in Precincts 1 and 8.
These projects are currently underway and expected to be completed between 2019 and 2022.
To attract tourists and visitors to the city, PJH plans to build serviced apartments operated by Frasers Hospitality and internationally branded hotels in Precinct 7 and Precinct 8, which are slated for completion in 2022 and 2023.
“Most of our commercial projects are built using the latest designs and innovations in building technology, especially energy efficiency features in line with green building ratings.
“This has attracted many tenants and investors from both the government and private sectors, and they have taken up leases in our commercial buildings,” Azlan said.
As a result, this has shown a healthy and steady growth in price appreciation of its properties over the years, he added.
On another note, PJH is looking to grow its current land bank for further expansion to stay relevant and remain one of the top property developers in the country.
In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the company has already acquired two strategic plots of land – one beside the China Embassy and another, where the former French Embassy was located – to be developed into a serviced residential unit and mixed development respectively.
Sitting on a 0.5ha land next to the China Embassy, the Duta 155 serviced apartment offers homebuyers a premier residential development with an option for full furnishings upon completion. With a gross development value (GDV) of RM800mil, the project will comprise Tower A (44 floors) and Tower B (26 floors) with a total of 429 units.
On the other hand, the 3.2ha mixed development will consist of a hotel, mall, commercial and residential components with a GDV of RM5.1bil. Both are freehold projects.
“All land acquisitions undertaken by PJH will be on an opportunistic basis,” Azlan said.
Besides that, PJH also has a plot of land measuring approximately 688ha in Bagan Lalang, in Sepang which is intended to be developed into a resort and destination township.
Bearing in mind the criteria for a green sustainable design, the development will offer a mixture of leisure, commercial, institutional and residential elements.
As this project is expected to be completed in 20 years, the first component – a 27-hole eco-link golf course – is already in its early stages of design and planning.
“As we continue to fill Putrajaya with people from all walks of life and from all over the world, we will strive to deliver the best products across residential and commercial sectors to better serve our customers’ needs.
“We will focus on economic development facilitated by digitisation, a balanced social advancement for environmental protection, citizen wellbeing and innovation in applied technology and enhanced connectivity,” Azlan promised.
“To maintain our developed commercial and government buildings, we will study and keep track of its life-cycle, and craft proposals to collaborate with building owners to update and upgrade their properties for better performance when needed,” he explained.
Planned as a Garden City, Intelligent City, Putrajaya now ranks as modern, livable and sustainable city that can meet the demands and challenges of today and tomorrow. The city will continue to unfold and evolve according to the newly implemented Putrajaya Structure Plan 2025 to ensure the vision of an Intelligent Garden City comes into fruition.