Property Talk Monday March 19, 2007

Property Talk Monday March 19, 2007


Gamuda unveils its ‘best’ project

PROPERTY TALK: BY S.C. CHEAH

GAMUDA Land has described Horizon Hills, its maiden property development in Johor, as its “best of the best.”

This is based on its concept of 12 gated and guarded precincts, exclusive 18-hole signature golf course designed by Ross Watson, big clubhouse and many interesting features in the 1,200-acre development that promises to take Johor by storm.

One of its main attractions is the undulating and elevated terrain. It is said to be 80ft higher than the neighbouring Bukit Indah and commands a panoramic view of the Johor City skyline. Many of its future houses will overlook the golf course, streams and lakes.

The gradient is so gradual that motorists may not notice the elevated land until they stand on top of the vast hill and gaze into the horizon.

Being a newcomer, Gamuda Land, the property arm of main board-listed Gamuda Bhd, realises that it has to make a big impact in Johor and seize the opportunity that comes from the many projects planned by UEM Land Sdn Bhd, Nusajaya’s master planner and Gamuda Land’s strategic partner in Horizon Hills.

Gamuda Land managing director Chow Chee Wah said the surge in economic development had spurred property projects in south Johor with some 800,000 jobs to be created over the next 20 years.

Coupled with Singapore’s ambitious tourism plans, namely the casino and family resorts at Marina Bay and Sentosa Island which are due for completion in 2009 and 2010 respectively, the demand for property from locals living in Johor but working in Singapore would rise.

The other target markets would be up-graders and foreign buyers, especially Singaporeans.

“Horizon Hills will be a strategic location to facilitate a working life in Singapore and home-life in Malaysia. In short, it is the best of both worlds. It is earmarked to be the preferred residential address as its 12 precincts offer different and unique designs and concepts to cater to the distinctive tastes of even the most discerning investors.

“It is crafted with distinctive environmental architectural elements, the first-of-its-kind lifestyle development in Johor. It will be a new benchmark for the property sector in Johor and will be the lifeline for the administrative and economic zones of Nusajaya,” Chow said.

Gamuda Land is tapping on years of experience from developing townships like Kota Kemuning (an award-winning residential wetlands development), Valencia (an exclusive lifestyle development with a residents-only golf course and clubhouse) and Bandar Botanic (unique botanical garden features and natural environment setting).

Horizon Hills will be a fusion of these developments, combining the best experiences and resources in architectural design, master planning, resort management and residential security. It realised that the Johor market was very saturated and competitive and it might not do well if it were to do another run-of-the-mill type of development. It had to be very different.

Horizon Hills will be founded on the four pillars of Gamuda Land’s development doctrine: design quality, community & amenities, healthy lifestyle and safety/security. Its show houses that exude the “wow” factor adhere to the stringent construction quality assessment of the Building Construction Authority of Singapore’s CONQUAS 21.

The speed in which it prepared for last Sunday’s Phase 1 launch also reflects its seriousness in achieving this goal. The same can be said of UEM Land. Its managing director Wan Abdullah Wan Ibrahim said: “There will be something new every month in Nusajaya. We are now in serious discussion with a party to develop a major theme park in Nusajaya.”

Indeed, Wan Abdullah has rightly pointed out that Nusajaya’s seven signature developments – Johor State New Administrative Centre, Puteri Harbour, Southern Industrial and Logistic Cluster, Nusajaya Industrial Park, EduCity, Medical Park and its residential development, Ledang Heights – will provide synergy to surrounding developments.

People working in these developments would need housing and Horizon Hills can offer them a choice.

UEM Land had sought a partner to develop its land in 2005 and finally found Gamuda Land, an ideal partner to share its vision.

Horizon Hills’ other plus points are its proximity to the Malaysia-Singapore Second Link and easy accessibility to other parts of Johor Baru via the North-South Expressway, Skudai Expressway and the JB Parkway (Perling Expressway). It is about 25km from Johor Baru and 70km from Changi International Airport.