Penang Global City Centre

Abdullah To Launch PGCC Master Plan On Wednesday

PENANG, Sept 10 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is scheduled to launch the master plan of the multi-billion ringgit Penang Global City Centre (PGCC) in Batu Gantung on Wednesday.

Billed as one of the high impact projects of the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER) the PGCC will become the new landmark for Penang island.

To be developed by Abad Naluri Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of Equine Capital Berhad, on a 104ha site, the first phase involving the construction of roads and a public park, is expected to kick off within the next 12 months.

Equine Capital Berhad executive chairman Datuk Patrick Lim, in a media briefing recently, said the PGCC would have five-star hotels, a Penang Performing Arts centre (PenPAC), high-end retail outlets, two iconic towers, residential and commercial properties and a world-class meeting and convention centre.

He said the project would generate 40,000 job opportunities, and the whole development was scheduled for completion in 18 years.

On the first phase, Lim said the company would invest RM70 million to build two flyovers to connect the centre to the Penang Outer Ring Road (PORR) and an underground tunnel to mitigate traffic congestion from Jalan Scotland to the project site.

He said the public park would involve the development of 40ha for greenery, comprising a 10.4ha one-kilometre linear Central Park and another 29.6ha of hilly land called Penang Hill Park.

The 40ha in the public realm will be linked to the existing Municipal Youth Park and Penang Botanical Garden with pathways to create a whopping 344ha of park lands, one of the biggest in the country, on the island, which is tentatively named Penang Metropolitan Park. "We wanted to make these parks like the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) park and the Central Park in New York, a place where the people can always look forward to going to.

We want to make these parks one of the great public parks where the residents can benefit from the recreational activities there, which they can be proud of."The state government will be making some land acquisition to link all the four park lands to form one contiguous park. Non-evasive tracks or pathways for public access to some of previously inaccessible areas will be built to promote a healthy lifestyle and eco tourism," Lim said.

He said the development of the Central Park alone will cost around RM40 million. It would have, among others, a children's playground, fitness stations, multipurpose outdoor courts, jogging path, children wading pools, garden pavilions and an amphitheatre.

He said recycled storm water would be used for the ponds and irrigation system in the park area and solar energy would power the lighting.With all these environment-friendly technologies in place, the carbon footprint of PGCC would be minimised, and would contribute to its quest to be one of the first Zero Carbon developments in the region, he said.

On the 15,000 sq m PenPAC, Lim said it would consist of a main auditorium, which can accommodate 500 persons at any one time, with state of the art rigging system and dance and sound studios to provide a flexible venue to cater for a variety of performing arts."Designed with multi-use and cost-efficiency in mind, all sections of the society can afford to enjoy the many cultural events and it is helping Penang to become one of the premier cultural tourism destinations of the region," Lime said.