GENTING HIGHLANDS (July 23): King’s Park Development Sdn Bhd (formerly known as Highlands Park City Sdn Bhd) has officially launched its latest integrated mixed-use development, named King’s Park in Genting Highlands, via an opening ceremony of its sales gallery on Saturday (July 22). 

With a gross development value (GDV) of RM10 billion, King's Park comprises residential, commercial and entertainment components.

Situated next to Awana Genting Highlands Golf & Country Resort in Genting Highlands, the 150-acre King’s Park is a partnership between the developer, Yuk Tung Group and the Association for the Promotion of Higher Education in Malaysia (Aphem), which is also the land owner of the 150-acre parcel.

According to King’s Park Development executive vice president Sean Chen, King’s Park will be developed in five phases. The 21-acre Phase 1 of the development has achieved a take-up rate of 70% prior to its official launch on Saturday. This phase comprises 360 retail units spread across 12 integrated commercial lots. 

The size of each unit is 22ft (feet) by 75ft and some units on the ground floor have high ceilings measuring 6.5 metres. These units are priced from RM2.5 million to RM3.2 million. 

A few of these commercial lots will house the Salaam Halal Hub, which is poised to become an international retail halal hub and a halal luxury boutique hotel. Phase 1 is expected to be completed by 2026. 

In his opening speech, Chen said, “King’s Park will be situated on one of Genting Highland’s most gentle slopes, classied as Class 1 and 2 slopes. The development will be segmented into five phases, offering a one-stop centre for shopping, relaxation, entertainment and more. 

“What distinguishes King's Park from the rest of the retail shops available in Genting Highlands is that it is an integrated entertainment hub. There will be a significant presence of internationally acclaimed brands, with new experiences to be introduced into the development, which are not yet available in Malaysia,” Chen shared.

Besides retail lots, Phase 1 will also see the development of two theme parks. These theme parks are slated to be launched in 4Q2023. More details will be announced later. 

Phase 2, which is expected to be launched next year, will comprise hotels and serviced apartments. In Phase 3, King’s Park will introduce Swissôtel Genting Highlands, which will be a 30-storey hotel building offering 300 rooms and various facilities. In the same phase, situated adjacent to Swissôtel Genting Highlands will be residential properties consisting of semi-detached villas and bungalows. 

Phase 4 will witness the launch of more shoplots, hotels and serviced apartments. The final phase, Phase 5, will feature medical facilities such as a hospital and a wellness centre, among others. 

Some hotels that will be part of King’s Park include Crown Estate and Novotel Genting Highlands. The whole development will offer 5,000 car park bays, with half of them having electric vehicle (EV) charging stations. King’s Park will also have 200 bus bays and a bus terminal. 

Meanwhile, King’s Park Development CEO Jayandren Subramaniam said the overall development is meant to be family-oriented, as it has a wide range of offerings.

“The land belongs to [Aphem], I think they’ve had it for over 40 years and I worked with them for over 20 years. In Genting Highlands, there is generally a low supply of shops, so we thought the place needed more vibrancy, so that local and international tourists can have more options. 

“There is also the Highlands International Boarding School here, so we realised that there is a need for residential properties,” Jayandren explained. 

Concurring with Jayandren, King’s Park Development director of sales and marketing Steve Chan said there has been a trend of people looking for residential properties that are closer to nature. “After the pandemic, based on my observations, more homebuyers want to have a home that’s around or nearby nature, meaning plenty of trees. Genting Highlands offers just that and its cooling weather is another attraction by itself. Which is why we are looking to make King’s Park a liveable township that offers plenty of entertainment and shops that [are] close to nature.”

The entire 150 acres of King’s Park is expected to be completed in about 10 years from now.