City & Country: Back to nature in Templer’s Park

The relatively quiet Templer’s Park in Rawang, Selangor, nestled against a backdrop of lush forest in the northern corridor of Kuala Lumpur, will soon see not one but three high-end residential projects.

The three are 9’d Templer, The Takun and a condominium-cum-bungalow project that is yet to be named.

Behind the projects are B&G Capital Resources Bhd,  the controlling shareholder of MCT Consortium Bhd, the developer of One City development in USJ 25 and USJ 1 Avenue, both in Subang.

The three projects will be developed through B&G Pristine Sdn Bhd, B&G Evergreen Sdn Bhd and B&G Majestic Sdn Bhd respectively.

Despite the popularity of  landed properties in and around the Klang Valley, few new  projects have been unveiled  in the Templer’s Park area in the northern part of Kuala Lumpur. This is despite the recent launch of several projects in nearby Selayang by Mah Sing Group Bhd and Magna Prima Bhd, among others.

Popularising the housing market in  the Templer’s Park area is no easy task given the lack of amenities and shops, concedes Soo Kai Chee, executive director of B&G Pristine and B&G Evergreen. He is however quick to point out that the  appeal of the three projects lies in its surrounding  greenery.

The B&G group is banking on the 1,181-acre forest reserve Hutan Lipur Kanching and popular rock climbing site Bukit Takun as major selling points.

Back to nature
“We are targeting a niche market — people who enjoy living close to nature who are not really concerned about conveniences. We know we can attract this group to our projects in Templer’s Park.

“We suppose many people would want to go back to a home in Templer’s Park because it is the only place in the Klang Valley with fresh air, greenery and a forest reserve… it is going back to nature,” Soo tells City & Country.

Soo says B&G group acquired three leasehold sites with a combined area of 17.4 acres last year from Templer Park Golf and Resort Bhd for the three projects.  He declined to disclose how much the group had paid for the tracts.

9’d Templer and The Takun are slated to be launched in the middle of the year.

9’d Templer, with a gross development value (GDV) of RM20 million will comprise nine units of 4-level bungalows on a 2.6-acre tract.   The units, with built-ups from 4,200 sq ft to 9,000 sq ft, will cost RM1.8 million to RM2.8 million. Individual plots are from 6,200 sq ft to 9,900 sq ft. The development also features a common area measuring 0.7 acres.

The Takun is no less interesting. The gated development on 11.3 acres will have 54 units of 3-storey semidees and two bungalows, with a collective GDV of RM50 million.

Each semidee will occupy 2,800 sq ft to 5,300 sq ft, with built-ups of 3,600 sq ft to 4,300 sq ft. The bungalows will have built-ups of 5,300 sq ft to 6,500 sq ft on plots measuring 7,800 sq ft and 9,700 sq ft.

“The smallest semidee here will be selling at an affordable price RM700,000 to RM800,000. There are a few high-end developments coming up, and even superlink homes (bearing a Selayang address) are selling at RM700,000. However, in terms of value, Templer’s Park cannot compare with Selayang,” Soo says.

He adds that the relatively lower pricing strategy has enabled the developer to attract investors seeking low entry points, besides upgraders and foreigners.

“We are also targeting upgraders among the current residents in Templer’s Park and foreigners, especially the Japanese, because [the nearby] Templer’s Park Country Club is managed by them,” Soo says.

The third project, which is yet to be named, will feature a high-rise condominium block and limited bungalow units with a lake view. The project on a 3.5-acre site is due to be launched by the second half of this year. B&G Majestic Development expects approval to be obtained by the middle of this year.

Besides the three projects in Templer’s Park, B&G Capital will also launch Phase 2 of its Taman Tropika in Kajang by the middle of this year. The 15-acre project, called Taman Tropika 2, comprises 96 semidees, 30 superlink homes and 72 townhouses.

Standard semidee units will have built-ups from 3,300 sq ft to 3,600 sq ft, while the townhouses will be at least 1,000 sq ft. The superlink homes will have built-ups of 3,100 sq ft to 3,400 sq ft.

Phase 1 of Taman Tropika is a mixed development comprising two-storey linkhouses, shopoffices and apartments. The completed phase was first launched in 2006.

The B&G group has an undeveloped landbank with a combined area of 600 acres in Dengkil, Subang Jaya, Kajang, Templer’s Park and Johor.

This article appeared in City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 804, May 3-9, 2010