PETALING JAYA: Property developer Tropicana Corp Bhd has appointed Tan Sri Rastam Mohd Isa (pic) as its new chairman effective April 25, replacing Datuk Rohana Mahmood, the previous independent non-executive chairman of Tropicana.

KUALA LUMPUR: Horizon Outlet Shoppes Sdn Bhd has agreed to purchase 16.19ha of land in Salak Tinggi, Sepang, Selangor, from Sime Darby Property Bhd to build the Kuala Lumpur International Outlets (KLIO). Horizon Outlet Shoppes is a joint venture between US-based Horizon Group Properties and Mainstay Holdings Sdn Bhd, a local property and construction firm.

FOR nearly seven years, the abandoned Platinum Damansara project sat grim and grey, an eyesore in Ara Damansara, Selangor. The project has been given a new lease of life with Newfields Property Management Sdn Bhd stepping in to revive it.

NEW ideas and youthful enthusiasm are expected to be infused into property developer Mutiara Johan Group’s operations with the sons of its founders coming on board.

INDIA: India’s information technology capital, Bangalore, has now topped the country’s luxury home market spurred by the consistent job creation.According to Om Ahuja, Jones Lang LaSalle India’s chief executive officer of residential services, one of the major factors driving real estate in Bangalore is the consistency of job creation, which surpasses all other Indian cities.

VIETNAM: The office market in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi has seen improved occupancy rates but average asking rates are different in the two cities, according to CB Richard Ellis (CBRE) Vietnam Market View’s report for the first quarter.

KUALA LUMPUR: Residents of Bina Puri Norwest Sdn Bhd’s (BPN) Laman Vila development in Segambut next to Mont’Kiara can expect to have better and smoother accessibility in the future. The RM108 million Laman Vila is jointly developed by Bina Puri Holdings Bhd and Norwest Holdings Sdn Bhd. The development comprises 22 garden villas and a condominium block.

KEDAH: Country Heights Holdings Bhd’s Belleza Garden Homes in Jitra, Kedah has seen a take-up rate of 70% for its second phase since its launch in June 2013.The nine-acre (3.64ha) project, which comprises 2-and 3-storey link homes, has a total gross development value (GDV) of RM39 million with prices ranging from RM361,000 to RM566,000.