This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on April 19, 2021 - April 25, 2021

IJM Land Bhd is planning to unveil the 262-acre Nadi Rimbayu BizHub — the main commercial centre of its RM11 billion Bandar Rimbayu integrated township development in Telok Panglima Garang, Selangor — on May 29. Nadi will comprise a 221.59-acre commercial park and a 41.1-acre industrial park with a gross development value of RM2.4 billion and RM235 million respectively.

In an exclusive interview with City & Country, Bandar Rimbayu senior general manager Chai Kian Soon says Nadi is strategically located next to the high-traffic main thoroughfare of Persiaran Rimbayu, which cuts through the 1,879-acre township from Kota Kemuning to Persiaran Bayu, which leads to the North-South Expressway Central Link (Elite) as well as the South Klang Valley Expressway’s (SKVE) Bandar Saujana Putra toll plaza. “We have developed mainly the residential portion of Bandar Rimbayu, which is on the left side of Persiaran Rimbayu [if coming from the SKVE]. On the right will be Nadi,” he says.

Nadi, which means pulse in Malay, is an apt name for what will be Bandar Rimbayu’s centre of commerce. “As its location is at the entrance or gateway of the township, we want to make it a thriving commercial centre. This is where we want to create our benchmark as people who come to Bandar Rimbayu will arrive at this town centre first,” says Chai.

The first component to be launched at Nadi is Uptown @ Rimbayu, comprising 68 units of 1-, 2- and 3-storey shops. With a total GDV of RM178 million, Uptown will offer various shop types and layouts to suit various business needs.

According to Chai, there will be five units of 1-storey shops (50ft by 26ft) strategically fronting Persiaran Rimbayu. With built-ups of 1,357 sq ft, they are ideal for businesses that offer grab-and-go products such as breakfast outlets, cafés and convenience stores.

Right behind the 1-storey shops will be the 3-storey premium link shops. “These premium link shops are like semi-detached units with land on the side, so owners will have the flexibility to renovate if they want additional space, or they could leave it open. The units will also come with lifts,” says Chai.

The 3-storey premium link units, measuring 52ft by 80ft and with built-ups of 8,253 sq ft, are ideal for showrooms, healthcare centres and restaurants, he adds.

The remaining 55 units of 2-storey shops will measure 22ft by 70ft and have built-ups of 3,058 sq ft. Some of these units will come with additional features such as a balcony or raised ceiling.

“The high ceiling types will come with a 5.6m ceiling compared with the normal height of about 4.4m for the ground floor. This feature is to cater for those who want extra space for storage or an office, such as e-commerce businesses,” says Chai.

“It will also allow them to build a mezzanine floor in the front while having a small shopfront below and storage space at the back. We’ve looked at the market and found that there is demand for these types of shops.

“We also offer shops with balconies. These allow lifestyle businesses such as cafés, bistros and salons to enjoy a semi-outdoor ambience.”

The selling price of shops at Uptown ranges from RM1.5 million for the 1-storey units to RM2 million for the standard 2-storey units and RM6.5 million for the premium link shops.

As the shops are strategically located in Persiaran Rimbayu, they will enjoy high visibility with a main road frontage. “People will be able to easily head to Uptown to pick up groceries, do some quick shopping or have a quick dinner. The location is very convenient,” says Chai.

Uptown is in close proximity to the entry and exit points of the Shah Alam Expressway (Kesas), Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway (LKSA), ELITE, SKVE and the West Coast Expressway (WCE), which will be completed in 2024.

Following Uptown, the developer plans to launch another two phases of shops with 80 to 100 units each at Nadi’s commercial park, says Chai. “In order for the commercial centre to thrive, there needs to be a sizeable number of shops.

“At the same time, we don’t want to overpopulate the place with too many units. So, all in, we are planning to have about 300 shops in the commercial park along with other standalone buildings.”

Apart from the shops, commercial lots are also available at Nadi. These are ideal for standalone businesses and corporate offices, he says. “Currently, the lot sizes can still be tailored to suit individual business needs and we will be talking to businesses that plan to have standalone premises or drive-throughs.”

According to him, a 2.25-acre parcel at Nadi has already been acquired by an infrastructure, construction and maintenance company while a McDonald’s outlet, adjacent to the Uptown parcel, is already under construction.

The Nadi commercial park will bring the total commercial land in Bandar Rimbayu to 253 acres or 13% of the township, Chai notes. “Bandar Rimbayu is a huge township and we have been concentrating on populating this place with residential units since its inception [in 2013]. Of the 2,800 residential units handed over, 80% are occupied today,” he adds.

“Of course, we have built some neighbourhood shops closer to the residential community as well, and these existing shops have been serving the community well.”

There are currently 136 units of such shops in the township, namely at Blossom Square and Blossom Drive.

The launch of Nadi is timely as it takes into account the growing population of Bandar Rimbayu as well as that of neighbouring townships such as Tropicana Aman, Eco Sanctuary and twentyfive.7, says Chai. “The population, as far as this whole corridor is concerned, has grown substantially to about 20,000. Hence, we believe it is the right time for us to embark on Nadi.

“Even McDonald’s has chosen to have an outlet here, due to the size of the population … and more F&B outlets, namely Kenny Rogers Roasters, Sala and a Krispy Kreme drive-through, will be opening in Bandar Rimbayu, next to the existing Starbucks, in May.”

Meanwhile, he notes that investors can take advantage of the current low interest rate environment. “Assets like shops are good investment alternatives that can stand the test of time. At the same time, we believe the ongoing mass Covid-19 vaccinations will spur confidence in terms of economic activity.”

In the future, Nadi will also be home to serviced apartments, says Chai. “That will be for the longer term, when we have almost exhausted our residential land.”

IJM Land has also carved out an industrial parcel within the Nadi development. “We did not have industrial land in Rimbayu previously. So, this 41.1 acres have been converted from commercial to industrial use,” says Chai.

There are seven industrial lots available, ranging from 2 to 10 acres and priced from RM135 psf. According to him, there are 10 acres in the industrial park that IJM Land tentatively plans to develop into 22 units of semi-detached factories, each with a land area of 10,000 sq ft.

Similar to the commercial area, the industrial park will cater for the needs of the growing population in the township and its surrounding areas, says Chai. “As the residential precincts have been thriving and the population is getting bigger, we want to provide more job opportunities with this industrial component for the community here. The industrial park will also have good traffic frontage, which will complement the shops and residential component of the township.”

According to him, the developer prefers non-polluting, light and medium industrial tenants for the industrial park. “We are looking at non-labour intensive, clean industrial sub-sectors such as logistics, warehouses, life sciences, 3S/4S service centres, manufacturing and technology.

“The booming e-commerce sector has benefited warehousing and logistics service providers in the country, and we foresee that industrial properties will continue to perform well in the next few years.”

He adds that the developer is also looking to drive more opportunities and collaborations with established and sustainable industry players in cultivating an eco-friendly industrial park.

An advantage for the industrial development is Nadi’s location, which is easily accessible and connected to some of the country’s main gateways — 28km to Port Klang, 32km to Subang SkyPark and 35km to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport. It also enjoys smooth access to Shah Alam (15km), Putrajaya (25km) and the Kuala Lumpur city centre (40km).

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