KUALA LUMPUR: Popular IT shopping centre Plaza Low Yat and entertainment locale bbpark in Kuala Lumpur’s busy Jalan Bukit Bintang will be refurbished at a cost of about RM20 million for phase 1 of this exercise. The refurbishment will be carried out in five phases and phase 1 will see the exterior upgraded with more greenery and modern design elements.

“This latest refurbishment project is to keep the whole area relevant and aligned with the evolving desires of shoppers,” said Low Yat group executive director Low Gee Teong at a media briefing on June 27. “We are giving it the feel of a high street shopping environment, energised with new shopping and dining choices, a lot of green areas, al fresco dining, and generally a cosier environment to spend time in between shopping trips.”

Phase 1 should be completed by year-end. The RM20 million, from internal funds, will be spent to spruce up the exterior of bbpark and Plaza Low Yat, including adding more greenery and plant walls, improvements to the drop-off areas and traffic flow. The mall will have upper and lower terraces for al fresco dining. There will also be a roof-covered boulevard that will protect shoppers against the elements and also connect key properties by Low Yat into a unified location.

“Our plan is to transform this vibrant and popular area into a city within a city in the near future. In line with this, we are bringing together Plaza Low Yat, bbpark, Federal Arcade, The Federal Kuala Lumpur Hotel and Hotel Capitol Kuala Lumpur into one centralised, lifestyle hub that will provide just about everything a consumer needs while enhancing their retail and shopping experience,” said Low.

The subsequent phases are still in the planning stages. Low disclosed it would include upgrading the interiors of Plaza Low Yat, adding levels atop Plaza Low Yat and building a connection to the Bukit Bintang Central MRT station, now under construction.

He said the tenant mix in the new levels will not be IT related and will carry various lifestyle brands. Additionally, the completion of the entire five-phase refurbishment is to coincide with the completion of the MRT station, which is slated to be operational by end-2016. The annual footfall of the seven-storey Plaza Low Yat is 15 million. The mall has over 600 tenants across 310,000 sq ft of retail space. Low said rents will not be increased although service charges will be raised marginally to fund maintenance of the plants and new surroundings.


This article first appeared in The Edge Financial Daily, on June 28, 2013.


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