New developments to share

[sgtsk]

Here is another high end condo next to danga bay coming....



LIDO BOULEVARD: MIXED DEVELOPMENT
Lido, Johor Bahru, Johore, Malaysia

A mixed development to include:

• eight 18- to 26-storey towers with 914 condominiums
• several three- to seven-storey office blocks
• a heritage boulevard (for shop units)

Works will include:

• internal road networks
• drainage systems
• recreational facilities (for condominiums)
• soft and hard landscaping

Building sizes and materials are to be confirmed.


More infor about the whole project....

About Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd

Incorporated on 4 Nov 1998, Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd (CMP) will be developing Lido Boulevard - a joint venture between State Secretary Johor (Incorporated), an investment holding co of Johor State Goverment which is also the land owner and Central Malaysian Properties Sdn Bhd.
About Lido Boulevard


Overlooking the Straits of Johor, Lido Boulevard is an integrated residential and commercial waterfront development that spans 2.4 km along the Tebrau Straits coastal line. Encompassing an area of 49.5ha or 122.35 acres, this mix integrated development is projected to be fully completed in 2019.

Lido Boulevard is strategically located in Zone A of Iskandar Malaysia and within close proximity to Johor Bahru’s Central Business District, the Customs, Immigration & Quarantine (CIQ) complex, Johor Bahru’s Train Station and Johor Bahru-Singapore Causeway. Shopping, entertainment and education are readily available within the vicinity of the development.

The development blueprint is based on the theme of a Garden City with heavily landscaped garden, water features, park-like facilities and pocket gardens throughout the development.

The development of Lido Boulevard will be divided into 6 parcels of development i.e Lido Residences (High-end Condominiums), Arts and Cultural Centre, Service Residences/Hotel, Office Suites, Shopping Mall and The Gardens.

The first phase of development will include reclamation works and the development of Lido Residences. Reclamation works is expected to commence in the second half of 2012 and will take approximately 2 years to complete.

 

[sgtsk]

As I gathered from news, Country Garden only has about 55 acres even though the developer like to have more. It must be very dense for 10k units on 55 acres.

 

[sgtsk]

Hi for an investor, you really need to think twice before make purchases ... This is China + Malaysia + on the reclaimed land + high rise building, you think yourself anything will happen?

Many China infrastructure builders and developers are all already very successful players. No doubts there are some black sheeps, but very few outside China(understand Chinese companies need state approval before they could invest overseas).

I would fancy if Country Garden build something very Chinese themes...with Chinese gardens environments and so on. But I doubt this project with 10k units on 55 acres is of this class.

 

[shctaw]

Becareful of endless condos.

 

[Valdez]

[SIZE=5[B][/B]]Iskandar - Malaysia's Shenzhen[/SIZE]

1. WHYWETHINKISKANDARWILLSUCCEED

1.1 Bullish on Iskandar Malaysia

After many years of initial skepticism, we started to warm up to Iskandar six years back when we visited Johor for a 2-day tour and saw several major projects, such as Kota Iskandar and Puteri Harbour, beginning construction. We were also impressed by Danga Bay as developments there appeared more advanced than the catalyst projects in Nusajaya. We turned bullish on the growth corridor 3-4 years back when even more projects, such as the Coastal Highway, LegoLand, Puteri Harbour Theme Park/Traders Hotel and education institutions started ground work. We initiated coverage on UEM Land in 2011, by which time we had become a firm believer in Iskandar. We agreed with management that 2012 would be the tipping point year because, simply, LegoLand and the Puteri Harbour Theme Park would attract over a million visitors a year and Nusajaya/Iskandar would be far more visible to the world.
1.2 10 reasons Iskandar will succeed
If we had to summarise and quantify why we believe Iskandar will be a success, we would put it down to the following 10 factors:
1) It was planned by Khazanah Nasional, which has some of the best brains in the country and has a personal interest in making it a success
2) It has the buy-in of the top political leaders in the country as well as of their Singapore counterparts through the joint ministerial committee
3) It is the natural hinterland to Singapore, where costs are far higher, and is within eight hours’ flight from key Asian countries, including China, India and the Middle East
4) The political friendship between the two countries is probably at its highest point in many years with numerous outstanding issues of the past addressed
5) The recently-completed catalyst projects that draw in big crowds - LegoLand and the Puteri Harbour Theme Park - make Iskandar highly visible and exciting
6) Other catalysts, including numerous education institutions, the Johor Premium Outlet and Pinewood Studios, have been completed or are nearing completion
7) There are many more catalyst projects in the pipeline, including the MotorCity, China Mall, Ascendas industrial estate, Danga Bay, Desaru and Pengerang projects, which will keep Iskandar's momentum going
8) Accessibility is being improved significantly through infrastructure projects, including new highways, LRT/MRT connectivity, ferry/MRT connection to Singapore and high-speed rail
9) Hugely successful recent property launches by UEM Land, United Malayan Land, WCT and SP Setia have attracted the interest of other developers
10) Many soft issues are being looked into, including safety (there is a Safety and Security Blueprint) and ease of movement for Singaporeans (there is a proposed Free Access Zone), which will enhance Iskandar's attractiveness

 

[Jetstream]

[SIZE=5[B][/B]]Iskandar - Malaysia's Shenzhen[/SIZE]

1. WHYWETHINKISKANDARWILLSUCCEED

.....

Just wondering who the "we" is in this article for objectivity sake, especially now with GE so around the corner, lots of positive and sweet sounding statements by politically-connected entities are flying around left, right and centre in the M'sian media

 

[Valdez]

Gerbang Nusajaya

Last year UEM Land's 4,500-acre Gerbang Nusajaya development finally took off. Translated as "Gateway to Nusajaya", Gerbang Nusajaya is the first development that those driving from Singapore via the second crossing will pass through after customs and immigration. The project is conservatively estimated to have a GDV of RM18bn. UEM Land believes that Gerbang Nusajaya could rival, if not exceed, UEM Land’s current flagship Puteri Harbour in terms of potential. The key strategy behind Gerbang Nusajaya is to attract Singaporeans and create jobs.

The masterplan for Gerbang Nusajaya was undertaken by a Singapore-based company in order to attract Singapore buyers and the focus is on activity-based retail. The idea is to leverage the abundance of cheap land in Nusajaya to provide retail elements not found in land-scarce Singapore. There are several key components, including an industrial park, an auto test track and China Mall. Towards the end of last year, these projects started to materialise. In Oct 2012, UEM Land entered into a 40:60 joint venture with Ascendas Land (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to develop a RM3.7bn 519-acre integrated technology park in Gerbang Nusajaya. The land was sold to the joint venture company at RM13 psf. This project is slated to take off this year and should help attract Singapore businesses to Iskandar.
In Dec 2012, UEM Land entered into a memorandum of understanding with China Mall Holdings Pte Ltd to develop China Mall, a trade and exhibition centre. Also that same month, UEM Land entered into a 30:70 joint venture with FASTrack Autosports Pte Ltd, a company controlled by Singapore billionaire Peter Lim, to develop 270 acres in Gerbang Nusajaya into a RM3.5bn Motorsports City. The land was sold for RM223.5m or RM19 psf. The proposed development will consist of showrooms, automotive retail, workshop, test track, go-kart track and all other automotive-related trades and activities with emphasis on 4S, i.e. sales, service, spare parts and system.

 

[Funniman]

Becareful of endless condos.

Actually this quote did cross my mind.
It might end up like Sanya.

 

[FHBH12]

Go for landed. There is a physical limit how many can be built on a plot of land. It is extremely hard to crash (or even correct) the price of landed for the next few years because there is a natural demand for it by Singaporeans and Malaysians for own stay.

 

[Jogger]

Sanya is different. Most investors are far away from that place.

 

[gooddebt]

actually there is also plenty of land in Iskandar, so landed by itself is not foolproof. Landed in the middle of nowhere is not the way to go. It's always the location,location,location that matters.

 

[Jogger]

Go for landed. There is a physical limit how many can be built on a plot of land. It is extremely hard to crash (or even correct) the price of landed for the next few years because there is a natural demand for it by Singaporeans and Malaysians for own stay.

Agree! For condo, the location is very very important.since the price is so high like 100psf, currently hard to think how much appreciation space is there?

 

[FHBH12]

actually there is also plenty of land in Iskandar, so landed by itself is not foolproof. Landed in the middle of nowhere is not the way to go. It's always the location,location,location that matters.

Landed near 1st or 2nd link are okay. Just whack and you won't go too wrong. A freehold terrace in Singapore is about SGD $3 mil (or MYR $7.5 mil) but it only costs around MYR $0.75 mil in JB or 10 times cheaper. The buffer is there and will probably narrow to about 4-5 times difference in the next few years. Even condos are getting smaller in Singapore.

 

[Valdez]

India’s pharmaceuticals giant to open biotech lab and factory in Iskandar by end 2014

Posted on March 20, 2013 - Featured, Property News.

By Chee Su-Lin | [email protected]


Mazlan Ami, Chief Financial Officer Bio-XCell Malaysia, Rizatuddin Ramli, CEO Bio-XCell Malaysia, Anand Iyer, and Jay Padasian, Senior Vice-President, Healthcare at Malaysian BiotechCorp

In the country’s quest to bring the country up the economic chain into high-value technology, Iskandar Malaysia’s biotech park, Bio-XCell, has committed India’s Agila Biotech to opening a facility there.

Agila Biotech (Malaysia) is a subsidiary of Bangalore’s Strides Arcolab Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of soft gelatin capsules and other pharmaceuticals.

In a recent signing of an agreement to build the facility, Agila Biotech (Malaysia)’s CEO Dr Anand Iyer promised to establish a range of weird and wonderful explorations there.

These include end-to-end manufacturing of biologics, developing biomolecules, manufacturing mammalian cell culture, microbial fermentation, and the production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies and recombinant therapeutic proteins, among others.

If you survived reading through that list, you’d probably conclude that these are things that probably only make sense to people in the industry but sure sounds brainy to the rest of us. From a property perspective, however, one can imagine that such exceptional work would require people with attractive salaries to support the high-value properties being built there.

In the agreement, Malaysian Bio-XCell Sdn Bhd, which is owned by the government’s Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation and property developer UEM Land Bhd, will build the customised facility at a cost of RM67.3mil. This building will then be leased to Agila Biotech. All other related state-of-the-art equipment, integration service and testing of this turnkey project will be funded by Agila Biotech (Malaysia).

Both parties are aiming for the R&D and manufacturing facilities to be operational by end 2014.

Other multinational companies to set up in Bio-XCell are Biocon from India, MetEx from France and Glycos Biotechnologies from US.

 

[sgtsk]

India’s pharmaceuticals giant to open biotech lab and factory in Iskandar by end 2014

Posted on March 20, 2013 - Featured, Property News.

By Chee Su-Lin | [email protected]


Mazlan Ami, Chief Financial Officer Bio-XCell Malaysia, Rizatuddin Ramli, CEO Bio-XCell Malaysia, Anand Iyer, and Jay Padasian, Senior Vice-President, Healthcare at Malaysian BiotechCorp

In the country’s quest to bring the country up the economic chain into high-value technology, Iskandar Malaysia’s biotech park, Bio-XCell, has committed India’s Agila Biotech to opening a facility there.

Agila Biotech (Malaysia) is a subsidiary of Bangalore’s Strides Arcolab Ltd, one of the world’s largest manufacturers of soft gelatin capsules and other pharmaceuticals.

In a recent signing of an agreement to build the facility, Agila Biotech (Malaysia)’s CEO Dr Anand Iyer promised to establish a range of weird and wonderful explorations there.

These include end-to-end manufacturing of biologics, developing biomolecules, manufacturing mammalian cell culture, microbial fermentation, and the production of recombinant monoclonal antibodies and recombinant therapeutic proteins, among others.

If you survived reading through that list, you’d probably conclude that these are things that probably only make sense to people in the industry but sure sounds brainy to the rest of us. From a property perspective, however, one can imagine that such exceptional work would require people with attractive salaries to support the high-value properties being built there.

In the agreement, Malaysian Bio-XCell Sdn Bhd, which is owned by the government’s Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation and property developer UEM Land Bhd, will build the customised facility at a cost of RM67.3mil. This building will then be leased to Agila Biotech. All other related state-of-the-art equipment, integration service and testing of this turnkey project will be funded by Agila Biotech (Malaysia).

Both parties are aiming for the R&D and manufacturing facilities to be operational by end 2014.

Other multinational companies to set up in Bio-XCell are Biocon from India, MetEx from France and Glycos Biotechnologies from US.

I am curious why would this co want to house its high tech factory here? IMHO, IM has no cost and talent advantages over India.

 

[tigerbear]

Landed near 1st or 2nd link are okay. Just whack and you won't go too wrong. A freehold terrace in Singapore is about SGD $3 mil (or MYR $7.5 mil) but it only costs around MYR $0.75 mil in JB or 10 times cheaper. The buffer is there and will probably narrow to about 4-5 times difference in the next few years. Even condos are getting smaller in Singapore.

MYR4mio (SGD1.8mio) u can get a super nice bungalow at East ledang or HH...

 

[FHBH12]

I am curious why would this co want to house its high tech factory here? IMHO, IM has no cost and talent advantages over India.

Malaysia govt is providing e building for them - a stupid move IMHO. Muz b v careful when dealing w Indian companies. Singapore GLC juz kenna something in India. These guys might move their whole village over. Take care if they r ur tenants.

 

[ginfreely]

Malaysia govt is providing e building for them - a stupid move IMHO. Muz b v careful when dealing w Indian companies. Singapore GLC juz kenna something in India. These guys might move their whole village over. Take care if they r ur tenants.

Move their whole village and change the whole company to Indian employees.

 

[Valdez]

Today business times got a whole supplement on Investing In Iskandar. Very bullish report.


The big rush by developers to landbank in Iskandar

'Iskandar is compelling because of its strategic location. The entry of catalytic developments and brands, continuous influx of foreign investments and attractive incentives adds to its magnetism.'
- Jeffrey Cheah, Sunway founder and chairman

IS the special economic zone of Iskandar Malaysia in Johor approaching a tipping point, or has it already been reached?

Whatever one's view may be, it appears a moot point based on the pick-up in corporate interest and the rush by developers to landbank.

In 2008-09, a few started to landbank, with the initial land purchases limited to a couple of hectares for the construction of schools or educational institutions.

In the years that followed, the land deals have increased in frequency and size with the vendors almost invariably government-linked entities that own large tracts of land in the state such as UEM Land, Iskandar Investment Bhd and Iskandar Waterfront Holdings (the masterplanner for the Danga Bay, city centre and Tebrau Coast areas).

Support

Transactions are growing annually. Last year, 11 major deals were transacted according to data compiled by AmInvestment Bank. The year 2013 may even see a marked acceleration since heavyweight Singapore entities and personalities appear to have endorsed the zone.

After prolonged negotiations stretching over two years, Singapore's CapitaLand and Temasek last month announced a joint venture with Malaysia's Iskandar Waterfront Holdings in a mixed development on 28 hectares which estimated gross development value has been pegged at RM11 billion (S$4.4 billion).

Another "Singapore-Malaysia" partnership that has added to the buzz concerns Liberty Bridge, which acquired 18 hectares for a mixed project. Liberty is made up of a consortium of tycoons, Surin Upatkoon, Wan Azmi Wan Hamzah, Lee Oi Hian and Singapore's Wee Ee Chao.

China's Country Garden Holdings also signed on the dotted line late last year, joining a list of foreign investors that includes Australia's Walker Corporation, and Singapore's Ascendas and Azea Properties.

From Klang Valley, the beeline heading south includes almost all the big boys such as Sunway, Dijaya Corporation, Eastern & Oriental, Mah Sing, WCT, Bandaraya Development, and SP Setia.

Sunway Bhd, in which the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation has a 12 per cent stake, has already indicated it does not plan to do things by half measures.

Its involvement via its construction arm in building structures such as Pinewood Studios and Legoland may have convinced the group of Iskandar's potential. Sunway bought 26 hectares in the region at the end of 2010 and then surprised a year later with another 280 hectares for RM745 million.

Today the group puts its total landbank in Iskandar at about 728 hectares and claims to be the second largest land owner in the Nusajaya precinct.

A stone's throw from bustling Singapore, Iskandar's potential is undeniable, particularly now that both governments are on cordial terms and reading from the same page.

"Iskandar is compelling because of its strategic location," observes Sunway founder and chairman Jeffrey Cheah. "The entry of catalytic developments and brands, continuous influx of foreign investments and attractive incentives adds to its magnetism."

That Sunway is going big on Iskandar has added to the company's prospects.

"An attractive proxy to Iskandar" is how Affin Investment Bank describes the group while RHB Investment Bank says compared to government-linked entities Sunway is "a cheaper and lower risk Iskandar play".

WCT is also favoured by others. It is AM Investment Bank's top Iskandar pick because it is "a prime mover and solid proxy to the booming property and infrastructure scene".

WCT has 17 hectares in Medini and was one of the first off the ground. Its high-end developments have gained from RM450 psf at initial launch to RM650 psf at present says AM Investment.

With some 418 hectares of undeveloped land in Iskandar, SP Setia is also no slouch; the company has seven on-going projects, mostly residential.

It is however building a business park to cater to growing demand from small to medium sized enterprises including those desiring to relocate from Singapore because of soaring rentals on the island state.

As one of the largest landbank owners in Iskandar, UEM Land will be hard to beat when it comes to business parks.

"Iskandar Malaysia, particularly Nusajaya, will see stronger interest from Singapore buyers partly due to the participation of Singapore's Ascendas Group to set up an integrated tech park. This in turn will act as a stronger catalyst to pull in more commercial activities in Iskandar," opines UEM managing director and chief executive Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim.

He adds that UEM Land would focus on Nusajaya this year and ensure a continuous roll-out of catalyst projects to spur employment creation, as well as population and traffic growth.

The integrated park, along with Singapore billionaire investor Peter Lim's Motorsports City will form part of its Gerbang Nusajaya project - a massive 1,842-hectare development comprising residential and commercial real estate, as well as activity malls and trade centres to be completed over 25 years.

Presently, the state-owned developer also has two on-going residential projects in Nusajaya.

A planned zone that is already reaping the benefit of billions of ringgit in infrastructure and catalyst projects to attract investors, building a mixed development or integrated township is projected to be a much simpler process in Iskandar.

The Sunway group forecasts the time needed to transform Sunway Iskandar into an integrated township will be much shorter compared to its Bandar Sunway in the Klang Valley (15-20 years), and is excited about the possibilities thrown up by its large landbank.

Choices

The 28 hectares acquired by the CapitaLand joint venture will also allow it to showcase its offerings which are expected to include a marina and better security since the land is essentially a reclaimed island.

With so many developers rushing to break ground, buyers could be spoilt for choice. Iskandar developers, however, argue that interest remains robust and will increase once other catalytic projects such as Khazanah and Temasek's Urban and Wellness resorts are completed.

They are also encouraged by the tightening of guidelines governing the acquisition of properties in Hong Kong and Singapore as this could push more buyers to Iskandar, as well as the widening price disparity between Singapore and Malaysia real estate since this could prompt more Singaporeans and companies to seriously consider relocating to Johor.

 

[Valdez]

A haven for both motor fanatics and families

THE RM3.5 billion (S$1.4 billion) Motorsports City at Gerbang Nusajaya in Malaysia's Iskandar region may be a few years away from completion, but it has already generated strong interest, says Barry Kan, the chief executive officer of FASTrack Autosports.

FASTrack Autosports is controlled by former "remisier king" Peter Lim and owns a 70 per cent stake in the venture. The remaining 30 per cent is owned by Khazanah-backed UEM Land Holdings.

In an interview with The Business Times, Mr Kan says there have been interested parties from across the region and as far as Europe. "A lot of them are coming down to talk to us about a joint venture or outright purchase of land to try and tap into the whole Motorsports City phenomenon," he says.

When completed in 2016, the now 120-hectare site will comprise an array of amenities and attractions meant to cater not just to motor enthusiasts but the entire family.

A central feature will a be 4.5-km race track, which will be designed by a Formula One track designer. Mr Kan expects to announce who that will be by the end of the month. The track is expected to feature undulating stretches and turns, and should allow drivers to clock speeds in excess of 300 km/h.

Given the high price for cars, especially in Singapore, Motorsports City gives enthusiasts a great place to "exercise" their machines, Mr Kan says. "We feel that we can provide a safe environment, we can provide an environment that is brand new, and world class as far as the Motorsports City is concerned for Singaporeans, Malaysians or even people around the region to come and drive the car to their heart's content."

Other facilities and services at Motorsports City include a 1.5-km go kart track, bonded warehouses (where car owners can store their collections tax-free), car showrooms, service centres, simulation centres, as well as food and beverage outlets.

The keyword in planning is integration. "We will obviously have a fully integrated motorsports hub, so if a family comes, the children can go for things like radio-controlled cars, simulators, they can do indoor go-kart, outdoor go-kart. Dad or mum can go on the track if they want," Mr Kan says.

He notes how even top motorsports complexes such as Nurburgring in Germany - Motorsports City is gunning to be the "Nurburgring of Iskandar" - or the Yas Marina Island with its various attractions, have their difficulties with integration.

For example, the test facilities at Nurburgring are sited outside the track area, which means visitors must cross a main road to get to the track. For Yas Marina, each attraction is at a different location, "so for you to travel from one to the other, you literally got to get out from one activity, jump into a car and then drive for another five to 10 minutes to get to another".

Fully integrated

With a fully integrated complex, Mr Kan says a family can meet up at a central spot, such as an F&B outlet or clubhouse, after completing their individual activities.

That the site is now 120-ha big, instead of the previously announced 110-ha, affords the track designer more flexibility, Mr Kan says. "One of the things that we want to do is that we want to set aside at least 10 per cent of the land for greening purposes, so that it's not just building everything up to be a concrete jungle," says Mr Kan.

Motorsports City will be just one of many exciting offerings for the Nusajaya region in Iskandar, Mr Kan believes. The Legoland attraction nearby is projecting about one million visitors a year, and more residential, retail and work spaces will come on stream progressively.

"So I think by 2016, you will see a lot more vehicular traffic, you will see a lot more people in the whole portion of the Iskandar area."

Nusajaya is well positioned for growth for a few reasons, Mr Kan believes.

First, Iskandar offers plot sizes that Singapore cannot match. Malaysia also enjoys lower costs in general, and its government has been very responsive to investor feedback. Finally, it is no more than 20 minutes' drive away from Singapore, after clearing customs. "So all in all, that gives us the confidence to go ahead and commit to projects," Mr Kan says.

This could explain Mr Lim's venture into another plot of land in the Iskandar region. The billionaire won approval for a RM10 billion project in central Johor Baru in November last year, which will feature a Thomson Medical centre - Thomson Specialist Hospital. Mr Lim took Thomson Medical private in 2010.

The land, known as Vantage Bay, spans 10 ha and is to be developed as an integrated project. It was owned by Vantage Bay Sdn Bhd, a 70-30 joint venture between Mr Lim and the Johor royal family.

Last December, about 9 ha of Vantage Bay was sold to Singapore-listed investment company Rowsley, which is also controlled by Mr Lim. That deal is pending approval from the authorities.

Other slated developments besides the medical hub at Vantage Bay include more than a million sq ft of office space and a mall of around a million sq ft.

Ho Kiam Kheong, CEO of Vantage Bay, believes the medical centre and mall will be "the two magnetic components". He has said the integrated development could generate 10,000 jobs in Malaysia.

Mr Ho is bullish on the project's prospects and expects investments in Iskandar to drive growth, which will in turn boost demand for housing and retail with a larger population. "That's where we feel that as a real estate player, we will be benefiting at the right place, benefiting from this increase in demand," Mr Ho says.