Redevelopment of Atria Damansara pending market study

KUALA LUMPUR: OSK Property Holdings Bhd, the company tasked with the redevelopment of the Atria Shopping Centre in Damansara Jaya is going back to the drawing board.

The developer is working closely with a team of estate agents and consultants to examine market needs and conditions before deciding on concrete plans for the site, according to a source with OSK Property.

“There are quite a few major commercial projects in the vicinity including Tropicana City Mall, and upcoming projects like Glomac Damansara and the redevelopment of Damansara Uptown. We will need to examine whether there is a demand for a shopping centre with an office component here,” he said.

The source confirmed that the initial proposal for a 33-storey building on top of four levels of shopping podium and 3½ levels of basement parking had been scaled down to a 22-storey building with separate blocks of 12-storey buildings but this plan could change as well.

Nevertheless, a formal submission of building plans will be made to MBPJ by the second quarter of next year with construction of the building pending approval, said the source.

He added that Atria Shopping Centre, which was recently given a new coat of paint, is still operational, as are the food courts nearby. “We are not going to close Atria in the short term; there are still a lot of tenants there. Occupancy rate is about 70% presently,” he said.

The Atria Shopping Centre sits on approximately 5.5 acres of land in the busy suburb of Damansara Jaya. Residents of the area have expressed concern about the project, saying traffic congestion could worsen in the area.