PROMINENTLY located in Gelugor, Penang, The Light City is an exceptional and highly-acclaimed integrated waterfront development.
Construction works have commenced on Phase 1 of this mega undertaking by IJM Perennial Development Sdn. Bhd. ("IJM Perennial") - a joint venture between IJM Corporation Berhad ("IJM") and Perennial Holdings Private Limited ("Perennial").
Situated adjacent to the Tun Dr Lim Chong Eu Expressway, it is easily accessible by both residents and travellers. The Penang Bridge, International Airport and Ferry Terminal are within a 10km radius, and even the proposed The Light LRT Station will be just down the street.
Envisioned as a one-of-a-kind waterfront precinct, The Light City spans a total gross floor area (GFA) of over 4.1mil sq ft and will be developed in two phases.
Key components include the Penang Waterfront Convention Centre (PWCC) which will be the largest in the state with 270,000sq ft of GFA, a 1.5mil sq ft retail mall, 34-storey hotel and office towers, as well as two residential projects - Mezzo and Essence.
Phase I comprises the PWCC, 1mil sq ft of the retail mall, the hotel and office tower, and Mezzo. Construction commenced on Oct 1, 2020 and is expected to complete progressively from December 2024 onwards.
Officially named The Waterfront Shoppes, the retail mall will offer new-to-market shopping, dining, entertainment and lifestyle experiences set against the architectural heritage of Penang.
Features include an exclusive Beverly Hills-inspired rodeo drive with external flagship stores lining the street. The F&B zones will feature an open concept gourmet food hall, food street and large-format dining concepts.
Meanwhile, al-fresco waterfront dining outlets provide diners with the ultimate location to unwind with an extensive selection of cafes, eateries and restaurants framed by clear views of the sparkling sea.
Located adjacent to the retail mall and seamlessly connected to it and the PWCC will be a luxurious four-star hotel catering to Meetings, Incentives, Conventions and Exhibitions (MICE) delegates and leisure guests alike.
The 500-room hotel will also have smart features such as mobile app check-in, keyless entry and room automation control to transform the guest experience.
The Light City aspires to be the first smart city in Penang. A leading converged solutions provider in Malaysia has been appointed to integrate the latest information and communications (ICT) infrastructure and turn it into a 5G city.
This affords MICE delegates, shoppers, hotel guests, office tenants and residents optimal online connectivity and a variety of high-quality voice, data and digital solutions.
Liew Hau Seng, CEO and managing director of IJM as well as director of IJM Perennial, expressed delight at seeing the ambitious master plan for The Light City kick off with the construction of the retail mall and the PWCC.
He said, "We are confident of its success as there are currently no projects in Penang that offer the kind of value proposition that The Light City does. We look forward to see this project transition from a dream to reality."
"The Light City will be a magnificent integrated waterfront development which will not only elevate Penang's prestige as a prime destination for retail, shopping and MICE, but also create a host of job opportunities for Penangites and attract tourists, investors and meeting organisers for world-class events."
Pua Seck Guan, CEO of Perennial and director of IJM Perennial, added, "The Light City's strategic location, well-designed layout, unique blend of heritage and modern architecture, and holistic offerings position itself as an attractive one-stop destination for locals, tourists and MICE delegates.
"We are excited to leverage on our expertise in creating seamlessly connected large-scale mixed-use integrated developments as well as IJM's established development and operational capabilities, to develop a world-class waterfront precinct."