Plans to link George Town’s waterfronts in rejuvenation programme

GEORGE TOWN (April 14): The heritage city’s north and east seafronts will be linked and “made accessible” to the public under a masterplan to rejuvenate the areas, reported The Malay Mail today.

“We want to transform the whole seafront to make it accessible to tourists and the public and we want to connect it with the north seafront,” Penang Port Commission (PPC) chairman Jeffrey Chew Gim Eam told the news portal in an interview.

It has been reported that restoration works and the seawall expansion have already begun for the north seafront from Dewan Sri Pinang to Fort Cornwallis and the entrance to Swettenham Pier.

George Town Conservation and Development Corp Sdn Bhd (GTCDC) is now embarking on the same thing for the east seafront masterplan to connect it with the north.

The east seafront masterplan will encompass Swettenham Pier up to the ferry terminal, Chew revealed.

All these will also include “restoring a row of six godowns lining the road between the pier and Tanjung City Marina”.

Chew explained to the news portal that “a request for proposal (RFP) had been called for the godowns last year but PPC was not satisfied with what had been received”.

He said the “godowns are the top priority as they have been left idle for too long”.

The godowns will be “restored and used” in accordance with the city’s Special Area Plan (SAP).

The godowns were built in the early 1900s.

Chew said “all plans for the seafront will be in accordance with” Unesco heritage guidelines and the SAP.

Meanwhile, the reported plans for water taxis for the waterfronts will only be “far in the future”, Chew said.