PJ Sentral unveiled
THE veil surrounding plans to redevelop the Selangor State Development Corp (PKNS) headquarters site in Petaling Jaya has been lifted, revealing an ultra modern commercial project development that promises to give the city a much-needed contemporary icon.
In an exclusive first look, developer Bisraya Construction Sdn Bhd (BCSB) showed NST Property the proposed project comprising four office towers, a residential tower and a hotel, which will be dubbed PJ Sentral.
It will offer not only cutting-edge design but also numerous community-centric and green features.
NST Property also glimpsed a number of proposed traffic solution plans that, unfortunately, could not be published as they are being finalised.
BCSB, a subsidiary of Gapurna Sdn Bhd, will undertake the development on the 10-acre PKNS site along Jalan Barat in PJ's "New Town" locale, which is widely regarded as the city's downtown commercial heart.
According to company director Imran Salim, it was always BCSB's plan to conceptualise a development that will "bring back the glory to PJ" and "contribute immensely to the community and not take anything away from it".
Despite some early opposition brought about by traffic congestion concerns, Imran said he is confident PJites will warm up to the concept - currently awaiting the city council's approval - once they learn more about PJ Sentral and its aims.
Its futuristic towers will be in stark contrast to the three-decade-old office blocks that now dominate the skyline.
"We want to assure the community that this development has their best interest at heart, and that it is designed to boost the city's commercial allure as well as enhance the lifestyle of its denizens."
He pointed out that PJ is in critical need of a commercial pull, having outlived its previous purpose as an industrial centre, and that it cannot continue as a sleepy suburb to stay relevant.
"Like all cities, PJ needs a critical mass to transform into a successful urban centre."
Imran said while some are concerned that such a large commercial endeavour will only add to the current traffic woes, he believes creating a critical mass can also force infrastructure enhancements.
"Included in our proposal are plans on how we can work together with the city and state authorities to create alternate routes, by linking directly to existing highways, and relieving pressure from the bottlenecks at Jalan Barat and Jalan Templer," he said, adding that these are currently under review.
Also, the proposed development is designed to be pedestrian friendly to reduce the need for cars by providing convenient connections to the nearby Asia Jaya and Taman Jaya LRT stations and creating 7,769 car-parking bays within the development to reduce parking congestion in the area.
"More than this, PJ Sentral aims to set the benchmark for future developments in the city by being community oriented and socially conscious."
Fashioned for "universal users", Imran said the entire project will be friendly to the physically challenged and senior citizens.
Also, 35 per cent of the development will be dedicated to greenery, and this percentage does not include its plans to create more green space on rooftops of its buildings.
To increase PJ's capacity to compete with urban centres such as Kuala Lumpur, and vie for multinational tenants, the development will have sustainable features in line with local and global green building standards.
"In addition to the local Green Building Index ccreditation, we are also going for the United States-based Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification."
As an indication of potential demand, he said two of the office blocks in the development will be purpose built for companies already keen on the idea.
"More will be revealed once we've received approval. For now, we aim to provide a catalyst to revitalise PJ and by extension, Selangor."
By New Strait Times Property
Source: http://properties.emedia.com.my/review.php?id=1735