Riverfront development boost for i-City

SHAH ALAM (April 23): Klang Valley residents will soon be able to dine at a waterfront facing Sungai Rasau here to be developed by I-Bhd.

I-Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Eu Hong CHew told reporters here today that the project, Clarke Quay@i-City, is the latest component of i-City's integrated leisure destination plan.

Earlier, he briefed Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen on the group's plan for developing i-City into an integrated leisure destination in the country.

Eu said the project is expected to cost about RM50 million and will be developed after the completion of the Sungai Rasau river upgrade by the state government.

The Sungai Rasau upgrading work is expected to start this year, and the Clarke Quay project, which features a cosmopolitan food and beverage zone and a 500m river frontage with about 29,870 sq m of leasable area, would take between 12 to 18 months to complete.

Apart from the project, the group is investing RM25 million this year on a children's gymnasium as well as a 1.2 ha water park to attract more visitors to i-City.

He said the two projects started two months ago, with the gymnasium expected to be completed in June or July this year and the water park expected to be ready by November.

"We target a RM10 million to RM15 million investment every year for the next couple of years to bring in new rides and attractions," said Eu.

He said i-City has become an established location for events and functions, with the state and federal governments celebrating many of the festivals in its vicinity.

I-Bhd has relocated its i-Walk outdoor convention centre next to its Snowalk attraction and the proposed water park to enhance the outdoor convention centre's capabilities.

He said i-City hospitality developments include a 92,900 sq m regional shopping mall, hotels, amphitheatre and Clarke Quay@i-City concept.

"All the current rides and attractions are located on land earmarked for the development.  We intend to re-locate all the existing rides and attractions to the shopping mall so that when the shopping mall is opened in 2015, it would be unique with successful theme park operations," he said.

i-City is a 29ha ICT-based urban development beside the Federal Highway in Section 7 here, which was designed as a fully integrated intelligent city comprising corporate, leisure and residential components. — Bernama