Business

Monday February 6, 2012

JB city centre in for new image

By ZAZALI MUSA
zaza@thestar.com.my


Work on transformation project is expected to start in June

JOHOR BARU: The masterplan for the Johor Baru city centre transformation project has been completed and work on the first phase is likely to start in June.

The masterplan is divided into two parts comprising the development concept and business plans.

“It will take five to seven years to transform Johor Baru into a vibrant city,'' Iskandar Regional Development Authority (Irda) chief executive officer Ismail Ibrahim told StarBiz.

Ismail: ‘It will take five to seven years to transform Johor Baru into a vibrant city.’

“It is vital to redevelop and rejuvenate Johor Baru city centre in line with its status as one of the five flagship development zones in Iskandar Malaysia.''

The redevelopment covers 485.62ha in the city central area including Bukit Timbalan; the former site of Lumba Kuda low-cost flats; Bukit Chagar Customs, Immigration and Quarantine complex; Tanjung Puteri Lorry Customs complex and areas within the Johor Zoo; the Ayer Molek prison and Hospital Sultanah Aminah.

A consortium comprising public and private sector players will be set up to undertake the multi-billion ringgit project this year.

The private sector will play a prominent role in the development. The Government will facilitate and inject funds for infrastructure and facilities at public areas while funding for the development of individual land parcels will come from the private sector.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak had in April last year announced that the Government would allocate RM1.8bil for infrastructure development in the project.

To lessen the burden of the Government, part of the RM1.8bil can be taken up by the private sector.

The RM1.8bil project includes RM200mil to open up and clean Sungai Segget, one of the dirtiest rivers in the country. It flows along Jalan Wong Ah Fook in downtown Johor Baru.

Several years ago, RM6mil was spent to cover up the river, which is 1.4km long and 25m wide.

“Opening up Sungai Segget is going to be an engineering feat but it will be a showcase not only for Iskandar but also the country,'' said Ismail.

The growth of Johor Baru has been so much associated with Sungai Segget; in the old days, it was a key port where ships of certain sizes came in to load and unload their goods.

“Within the strategic planning, we will indicate how various key components will take shape, especially the ones that will form the initial stage of development,'' said Ismail.

While drawing up the plans, Irda has held discussions with stakeholders from the Federal and Johor Governments as well as with the business community in the area comprising business operators and land owners.

The country's first economic growth corridor is divided into five flagship zones; the other four zones are Nusajaya, Eastern Gate Development, Western Gate Development and Kulai-Senai.

Ismail said the “History and Culture” theme was chosen for the transformation project as it reflected the long history of Johor Baru, which started as a small Malay fishing village and was modernised by the father of modern Johor, Sultan Abu Bakar.

Irda has been looking at other cities abroad which had more or less the same theme. These include cities in Britain such as Stratford-On-Avon, Cambridge, Oxford, Kent-At-Canterbury and Johor Baru's sister city, Istanbul.

“For the transformation project to succeed, the Johor Baru city centre has to be pedestrianised instead of having vehicular traffic,'' he said.

Looking at some of the vibrant cities in the world, the trend now was to attract pedestrians that businesses and landowners found to be greater contributors to economic activities in the areas.

On that note, Irda is looking at the tramway as an option for Jalan Wong Ah Fook to transport people into the city and discourage them from driving in.

It will look at tram services in San Francisco and Istanbul where the systems have successfully served as transportation modes for locals and tourists.

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