Sunway Giza, the latest retail icon within Petaling Jaya’s Kota Damansara township, is creating a new buzz in the area.

Located along Persiaran Surian and a part of the Dataran Sunway commercial enclave,Sunway Giza, developed by Sunway City Bhd (SunCity) on a 6.17-acre tract, is a neighbourhood shopping centre.

“It provides an alternative for the residents who might not want to go to the major shopping malls for whatever reason,” Ngeow Voon Yean, SunCity managing director for property investment, tells City & Country.

Sunway Giza opened its doors in January. It has 57 retail outlets within a 3-storey mall  and another 48 units on a covered boulevard that links the mall to the nearby shopoffices. The mall has a gross built-up area of 162,603 sq ft and net lettable area of some 100,000 sq ft. Its anchor tenant is Grocer Village supermarket, which occupies about 20,000 sq ft.

Dataran Sunway forms part of the RM1.7 billion Sunway Damansara leasehold project which has a population of around 12,000. Sunway Damansara, in Petaling Jaya’s northern corridor, is a joint-venture project between SunCity and Perbadanan Kemajuan Negeri Selangor (PKNS) which started in 1995.

Ngeow says all 48 shops in the environmentally friendly Sunway Giza boulevard have been sold and the shopping mall is fully tenanted. The boulevard allows for alfresco dining and outdoor activities throughout the year.

“We are getting a good tenant mix for the mall. When something is well maintained, coupled with retail units, it can make a lot of difference.

“Sunway Giza is targeting the middle to middle-upper class and focuses more on lifestyle concepts because we already have so many shophouses [in Dataran Sunway] that cater for the general market, which also serves residents from Bandar Utama,” Ngeow says.

According to Sunway Giza’s website, the developer of the retail entity foresees growth potential for the mall by virtue of its target market of some 650,000 shoppers from the established enclaves of Damansara, Mont’Kiara and Subang Jaya in the Klang Valley.

At a glance, notable rival malls nearby include 1 Utama, developed by private firm See Hoy Chan Sdn Bhd within its Bandar Utama township, besides The Curve, a retail initiative by Boustead Holdings Bhd in Mutiara Damansara. Ikea and the Ikano Power Centre are also in Mutiara Damansara.

On the outdoor concept of Sunway Giza, which is managed by Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall, Ngeow says that although the idea is not new, the crucial element is the implementation of the concept. But will heavy traffic in Kota Damansara, especially along Persiaran Surian, deter shoppers from making a pit stop to chill out at the neighbourhood mall?

altNgian Siew Siong, the managing director of SunCity’s international property development unit, admits that the congestion is a concern. But he says the traffic is only heavy in the morning when most residents leave for work or school.

“I don’t think that the peak hour traffic congestion in Kota Damansara will affect business at Sunway Giza… people don’t go shopping at 8.30am. All commercial hubs, and not just Kota Damansara, are jammed during peak hours. But it is good to know that there will be a LRT (light rail transit) station in front of Dataran Sunway along Persiaran Surian [on the new Damansara-Cheras LRT line],” he tells City & Country.

Energy-efficient concept a selling point
Shoppers can easily spot many of Sunway Giza’s energy-efficient features. Double-glazed glass is used for the rooftop of the mall to allow natural light in during the day, says Ngian. This minimises the penetration of the sun and heat, helping to regulate the temperature of the building which reduces energy consumption.

“Energy efficiency was a very important factor when designing and building this entire development. About 60% of the boulevard is lit with energy-saving LED (light-emitting diode) lights while the remaining 40% is lit with landscape lighting. LED lights are known to be highly durable and brighter while using less energy,” Ngian says.

The entire mall has a building-automation system that monitors all machinery and equipment, such as the chiller plant and basement ventilation system, for optimum performance and efficiency.

The most eye-catching feature when one steps onto the boulevard is perhaps the 12 giant fans, each measuring 20ft in diameter, installed on the ceiling for better air circulation.

These two-horsepower fans help keep the boulevard cooler. The air gap at the roof also allows hot air to escape out of the boulevard area.

“The boulevard also has a skylight that allows in natural light for optimum lighting efficiency. As a result, lighting costs are dramatically reduced. Heat reflecting glass was used to eliminate heat transfer for a cool shopping experience. The skylight is made of double layer perforated glazing which minimises the penetration of heat,” Ngian explains.

The basement car park, which has 800 parking bays, also uses a jet-fan system for ventilation and a smoke-spill system in case of fire. The lifts use a highly efficient energy-saving motorised system.

The developer has not overlooked the washrooms — a system is in place to minimise water usage. The mens’ has waterless urinals which use a biodegradable substance to break down urine. There are also sub-meters to monitor and manage water usage for the cooling tower, for irrigation, as well as for kitchen and tenant use.

Sunway Giza, however, is not in the portfolio of SunCity’s planned Sunway REIT, an estimated RM4 billion entity comprising the group’s local commercial, retail and hospitality assets.

More projects in the pipeline
Sunway Damansara’s story is not complete yet. There is still a residential site, and six commercial tracts that have yet to be developed.

altFor the residential portion, SunCity plans to launch Sunway Rymba Hills by the second half of this year. Ngian says the stratified project on 19.44 acres is the only residential initiative in Petaling Jaya with a 6.5-acre private forest park.

This translates to 33% of green space for the overall development. The project, according to Ngian, will offer 80 hillside zero-lot villas. These 2½-storey homes will enjoy a lush green view from either the forest park or the landscaped area.

“It is a gated and guarded project. Selected units are designed with a sky garden — a garden on the roof that complements the eco-friendly concept. It is about sustainable living and forest recreation,” says Ngian.

For the remaining six commercial parcels with a combined area of 20 acres, one will accommodate small office home office (SoHo) and office suite developments. Ngian says the concept will be replicated at the remaining five sites over the next five years.

This article appeared in City & Country, the property pullout of The Edge Malaysia, Issue 803, Apr 26 – May 2, 2010


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