Kampung Attap, a place linked closely to Malaysia’s colonial history and Kuala Lumpur’s development, sits quietly surrounded by some prominent landmarks such as Stadium Merdeka, Royal Museum, National Mosque of Malaysia and the KL Sentral transportation hub.

It is a hidden gem in the bustling city centre, located next to KL Sentral and the Chinatown area, Kampung Attap is accessible via Jalan Damansara, Jalan Kinabalu, Jalan Syed Putra, Jalan Maharajalela and Jalan Dewan Bahasa.

Notably, Kampung Attap is less than 5km away from several mega developments, namely Merdeka 118, Tun Razak Exchange (TRX) and Bandar Malaysia. These developments are expected to be the next growth catalysts for Malaysia.

To the northern boundary of Kampung Attap is the Merdeka 118 development. The 118-storey mega skyscraper is set to revitalise the former Merdeka Park area near Merdeka Stadium and Stadium Negara off Jalan Stadium.

Developed by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) unit, PNB Merdeka Ventures, the Merdeka 118 development will have three phases. Phase 1 — the iconic Merdeka 118 — is scheduled to hold its topping out by the middle of next year and is expected to be completed in 2021.

The tower will feature 83 floors of net lettable Grade-A office space at about 20,000 sq ft per floor, or a total of 1.65 million sq ft. It will also house Park Hyatt Hotel and Southeast Asia’s highest observation deck, which will be more than 600m high.

Around 4km from Kampung Attap is the 70-acre integrated TRX development which is poised to be KL’s new CBD and Malaysia’s International Financial District.

Meanwhile, Bandar Malaysia, which resumed in September this year, is another highly anticipated multi-billion ringgit development which is expected to turn the former Royal Malaysian Air Force base into a regional financial and business hub.

Joint-developed by Iskandar Waterfront Holdings Sdn Bhd (IWH) and China Railway Engineering Corp (M) Sdn Bhd (CREC), the 486-acre integrated development has a gross development value of RM140 billion.

All these mega developments are expected to have a spillover effect on Kampung Attap which will see redevelopment happen soon in this quiet part of KL city centre, says LaurelCap Sdn Bhd executive director Stanley Toh to EdgeProp.my.

Despite its proximity to the city centre, Kampung Attap still has sizable undeveloped land as well as pre-war shops, old office buildings and hotels.

Toh notes that the redevelopment of Kampung Attap is timely as “the area needs a breath of new life for it to complement its nearby catalytic developments such as Bandar Malaysia and Merdeka 118”.

Makeover underway

In fact, transformation of the area is in progress as some developers have spotted the potential of Kampung Attap and bringing in new developments that could create vibrancy to that area.

One of them is a residential development by Sunway Property, named Sunway Belfield Residence.

Located next to Jalan Belfield and Jalan Istana, Sunway Belfield Residence is a freehold serviced apartment which is slated to be launched in early 2021.

The development will have three blocks housing a total of 1,330 units, which will come in sizes ranging from 788 sq ft to 1,337 sq ft — all designed in practical and functional layouts. The units are priced from RM590,000 onwards.

Facilities will include a wading pool, infinity pool, treehouse, karaoke room, gymnasium, yoga & dance studio, co-working space and basketball court. Notably, there is a sky deck and function room at the rooftop which offer a vantage point for the residents to take in the city lights and breathtaking views.

Sunway Belfield is surrounded by endless amenities and seamless connectivity. Within walking distance, residents could reach Maharajalela Monorail station, Merdeka 118 tower and Petaling Street.

In addition, for the kids’ education, Kuen Cheng primary and secondary schools, Alice Smith Primary School and Taylor’s International School are within a 5km radius.

Besides Sunway Belfield, Bina Puri has completed its new development in the area in 2019, while Tradewinds Corp and Salcon Bhd are also planning new developments in the area.

Metro Homes Realty Bhd executive director See Kok Loong notes that Kampung Attap is an ideal place to reside for city dwellers, owing to its strategic location, proximity to amenities and tranquil environment.

Adjacent to Kampung Attap is the Perdana Botanical Garden, a 91.6-care green lung within the city centre.

Furthermore, an easy accessibility to the public transportation system is also a pull factor to homebuyers. The Kampung Attap area is served by monorail through Maharajalela station and KTM via Kuala Lumpur station, while other rail services including LRT and MRT are available a short distance from Kampung Attap’s borders.

“New housing developments here have attracted expatriates and young homebuyers,” See observes.

However, he also has concerns about traffic congestion and the dilapidated commercial development near Kampung Attap which might be the disadvantages of that area.

But the upcoming mega developments are expected to transform this part of KL city centre in the near future, say consultants.

Growing slow but steady

In the short term, the outlook for Kampung Attap may be gloomy, no thanks to the Covid-19 pandemic and current sluggish market conditions.

“Due to Covid 19, in the short term, prices of houses, especially high-rise apartments, will be stagnant. In the long term, prices around the area will see some potential for escalation mainly due to the spillover effects from Bandar Malaysia and Merdeka 118,” Toh says.

See notes that redevelopment might take some time, while near-term prices are expected to remain low, but once the transformation takes place, the prices will escalate following the demand.

“With big developers like Sunway Property coming in, I look forward to seeing a possible transformation similar to how Sunway Velocity works for Jalan Peel in Taman Maluri,” he adds.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my e-Pub on Oct 9, 2020. You can access back issues here.

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