SDB to launch SqWhere serviced apartments

THE serviced apartment component of SqWhere — Selangor Dredging Bhd’s (SDB) mixed-use development in Sungai Buloh with a gross development value of RM640 million — will be officially launched early next year.

Apart from the 27-storey serviced apartment tower, the 4.8-acre SqWhere development comprises a 31-storey SoVo (small office/virtual office) tower with 302 units, 15 blocks of 3 to 6-storey retail offices and The Cube office tower. The retail offices and SoVo tower were launched at end-2013 and are 90% and 80% sold respectively. As for the 17-storey The Cube, SDB is currently in negotiations with en bloc purchasers.

In the meantime, SDB is running registration campaigns for the RM280 million SqWhere serviced apartment tower.

Construction of SqWhere is at the substructure stage and the development is slated for completion in 2020 or early 2021.

Sitting atop an 8-storey podium, the serviced apartment tower will house 255 units with a 2-bedroom to 4+1 bedroom layout and built-ups of 1,055 to 2,476 sq ft. Prices start at RM810,000 while the maintenance fee is 40 to 50 sen psf. Units come partly furnished with kitchen cabinets, hob and hood and refrigerator, and two to four parking bays depending on their size.

Head of sales and marketing Khong Wei Chung says SqWhere’s selling point is that it is a transport-oriented development (TOD) that is located directly opposite the Kampung Selamat MRT station.

“There is a 75m direct link bridge connecting the development with the MRT station, which is one stop from the Sungai Buloh MRT station that will serve as an interchange station for the KTM Komuter line,” he observes.

“It takes about two to three minutes to walk to the MRT station via the link bridge, which is completed and waiting to be connected to The Cube. We expect SqWhere to be very lively because of its various components. There will be a supermarket as the anchor tenant of the retail offices, which will host a mix of businesses and services, including banks and F&B.”

Most of the retail offices have been taken up except for a few units on the upper floors. As for the supermarket tenant, SDP is in the process of looking for one.

Though Khong agrees that the property market has been challenging and products are not being snapped up like before, he is optimistic that SqWhere will do well owing to its strategic location and the TOD factor.

“We have seen a lot of interest from people in Sungai Buloh, those familiar with the area as well as folks in neighbouring townships such as Kota Damansara, Kepong and Subang. Those interested are mostly owner-occupiers but because it is a TOD, we have received a fair bit of [interest from] investors,” he says.

The first phase of MRT Line 1 from Sungai Buloh to Semantan starts operations in December and the entire Line 1 to Kajang will be fully operational by mid-2017, according to Khong. “Work has already begun on MRT Line 2 and will be completed in 2022, connecting Sungai Buloh to Putrajaya,” he says.

Enhanced connectivity with MRT Line 3 as well as accessibility to the high-speed rail will benefit TODs such as SqWhere.

SDB’s trademark quality

As with other SDB developments, SqWhere is earthquake-resistant and boasts lush landscaping and optimally designed unit layouts.

“We pay equal attention to what we give outside the units as well as what we give within,” says Khong.

The landscaping offers green spaces at Retail SqWhere, Garden SqWhere, Secret Passage and Garden Lounge. “Those coming to the development from the MRT station will be greeted by Retail SqWhere, which is open to the public,” Khong adds.

In total, 2.94 acres or 61% of SqWhere will be green open spaces. “We essentially have a lot of green space here to emulate dense natural planting. There are meandering passages within the gardens and pavilions for people to sit and relax. Like in the other SDB developments, we have placed sculptures in the green spaces,” says Khong.

The 1.7-acre facilities deck sits on the 8th floor podium, which will be shared by the serviced apartments and SoVos. “For security reasons, the facilities are accessible to residents of the serviced apartments and SoVos but are not open to the retail offices and office tower,” Khong explains.

The facilities include a floating gym overlooking Garden SqWhere; hydrotherapy, lap and children’s pools; children’s play area; function room; and meeting rooms.

“There is also a co-working space below the SoVo tower on the facilities floor where people can hold meetings as it is equipped with WiFi and phone-charging stations. The space also acts as a nice social lounge to sit and read,” says Khong.

The residential units are laid out in a rectilinear fashion and come with larger-than-conventional window panels and main door to optimise space usability and ensure natural ventilation and light.

“It is very SDB-generic — our apartment units get maximum sunlight and ventilation,” Khong says.

Residents have a choice of numerous eateries at Sungai Buloh and easy access to major highways, such as the NKVE, LDP, MRR2, SPRINT, Guthrie Corridor and PLUS. Nearby are educational institutions such as SEGi College, Masterskill College, ELC International School and Sri KDU International School, while several commercial hubs are within a 5km radius.

This article first appeared in City & Country, a pullout of The Edge Malaysia Weekly, on Oct 31, 2016. Subscribe here for your personal copy.