Biggest mall in north to be built in Prai

GEORGE TOWN: Penang-based developer Belleview Group is planning to build the largest shopping mall in the northern region in Prai on the mainland.

Its managing director, Datuk Sonny Ho, said the plans were still on the drawing board but construction work is expected to begin year end on a 6ha plot in Jalan Baru.

Without revealing the project's gross development value (GDV), he said the proposed mall would be even larger than Mid Valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur. While Mid Valley measured 1.6 million sq ft (149,000 sq m) in nett space, the new mall in Prai would be some 100,000 sq ft larger, he said.

"This mall will have the biggest cinema complex in the country, offering 20 screens. The cinema operator has already confirmed the number of screens with us. "The mall will also have the biggest departmental store and hypermarket. "We are also going to build an ice-skating rink in the building," he said, at a press conference here recently.

Also present were Belleview sales and marketing general manager Foo Yeok Heong and Belleview group retail and commercial division senior manager Lee Beng Beng.

Belleview is the developer behind the 1st Avenue Mall here and the ongoing Aman Central mall project in Alor Star, which is set to be the largest shopping complex in Kedah's capital when the RM1 billion GDV project wraps up by Christmas next year. Aman Central, an eight-storey mid-market mall in Lebuhraya  Darulaman, near the Alor Star Tower, will have 300 retail, food and beverage and family entertainment outlets covering over 760,000 sq ft (70,606 sq m) of space.

Ho said the Parkson Retail Group, Golden Screen Cinemas, Cosmic Bowl, WOW Karaoke Box, Brewball Sports Amusement Cafe and Holiday Planet were among the tenants who had committed to occupy the mall.

Belleview, he said, was also planning to build a new mall in Sungai Petani, Kedah, which would also be the largest shopping complex in the town. The three  malls in Penang and Kedah are expected to be completed in the next 36 months.

Belleview also held several Chinese New Year launches for its Kulim Techno-City (KTC) Phase 4A2 and Phase 2A that featured semi-detached homes, bungalows and terrace houses; and the 27-storey Moulmein Rise luxury suite and retail gallery project in Pulau Tikus, Penang.

The company also opened its RM5 million branch office and sales gallery in Alor Star. The sales gallery is exhibiting two show units of its RM200 million Amansuri Residences project, the first luxury condominium in Alor Star, with a floor size starting from 1,248 sq ft (115 sq m) per unit.

Belleview, Ho said, would also launch its RM70 million W Residence bungalow project in the middle of this year and complete its RM600 million All Seasons Park project in Bandar Baru Air Itam (Farlim) by year end.

-nst online.