This article first appeared in City & Country, The Edge Malaysia Weekly on September 23, 2024 - September 29, 2024

Following the success of Astrum Ampang, Setia Awan Land Sdn Bhd will unveil its second transit-oriented development (TOD), Astrum Shah Alam, on Sept 28. Located in Seksyen 14 Shah Alam, Selangor, it will have a gross development value (GDV) of RM550 million.

The 3.47-acre Astrum Shah Alam will offer 1,252 serviced apartments spread across three 32-storey residential blocks. The built-ups will range from 570 to 1,065 sq ft and the selling price will be RM580 psf on average. The estimated maintenance fee is 35 sen, inclusive of the sinking fund.

The development will boast more than 40 facilities on the Level 9 facilities podium, which will also be equipped with WiFi. Some of the key features are its Park Avenue planted with sakura or cherry blossom trees, picnic terrace, seating alcove and fire pit, outdoor movie wall, a Zen garden, co-working space, party room and baking room. Active individuals can make use of the futsal, basketball and sepak takraw courts, the 50m lap pool, semi outdoor fitness gym, women’s and men’s gymnasiums and women’s and men’s sauna rooms.

Apart from sustainable and smart features such as a rainwater harvesting system, electric vehicle (EV) charging bays and 5-tier security, there will be 24 retail shops on the ground, first and second floor of the project, where seven units will be designed, retained and managed by the developer as a halal eatery boulevard called 14th Avenue Shah Alam.

“The location of Astrum Shah Alam is very strategic, which is along Jalan Jelatek and right at the heart of the city centre. However, Seksyen 14 is lacking an al fresco halal eatery boulevard, where people can meet up, gather and satisfy cravings. Hence, we decided to introduce this dining concept to the area in our new development,” Setia Awan chief operating officer James A Bruyns tells City & Country.

The developer plans to introduce a variety of dining options at 14th Avenue, including local halal delicacies and international selections like Arabic and Moroccan cuisine. For the remaining 17 retail shops available for sale, the team will collaborate with a retail consultancy firm to attract the right investors and businesses to complement 14th Avenue, fulfilling the daily needs of not only the residents of Astrum Shah Alam, but also the surrounding community, says Bruyns.

The first two towers of Astrum Shah Alam — Metro and Horizon — have been open for sale since July and 85% of the 858 units have been taken up. Setia Awan executive director Ng Teck Hua says the developer is looking to open the last tower, Apex, for sale next month and officially launch the development on Sept 28.

“Most of our buyers are from the surrounding vicinity. They are young professionals, young couples or small families between 25 and 45 years old, which is pretty much in line with our target market group,” he adds.

Despite the fact that Astrum Shah Alam has a similar concept and design to Astrum Ampang, the developer has improved the latest development with a larger layout to cater for a different local market.

“Astrum Ampang is designed for young people who work and live in the city. They do not need a large private space, but an array of lifestyle facilities, conveniences, accessibility and connectivity, and affordability. That is why our open layout, 280 sq ft SoHo Transit was very well received,” says Ng.

“The project, which offers 5,228 units of SoHo Transit, SoHo, Rumah Mampu Milik and serviced apartment units across six blocks, is now 85% sold. We are looking to fully sell them by the end of this year. The project is slated for completion by 2027 and the construction progress is well on track.”

For context, SoHo Transit is an innovative product launched by Setia Awan in Astrum Ampang in 2021. Unlike the conventional SoHo, this product offers a compact built-up of 280 sq ft and is governed by the Housing Development Act (HDA). The launch price for SoHo Transit was RM230,000. The product is fully supported by the government, which seeks to promote home ownership among the young workforce in the city.

“But when it comes to Shah Alam, we offer the smallest layout of 570 sq ft with one bedroom because our target market is slightly different. It is also because of the feedback from some of our buyers, who wish that the smallest layout has a bedroom for privacy, without compromising on the lifestyle facilities, conveniences and connectivity,” says Ng.

Astrum Shah Alam is across the road from Dato Menteri LRT 3 station, which is three stops away from the Kelana Jaya LRT station and eight from the Kajang MRT station. The developer will provide a 100m covered walkway that links to the LRT station.

The development is easily accessible via major highways such as the Federal Highway, Kemuning-Shah Alam Highway, North-South Expressway Central Link and New Klang Valley Expressway.

Within a 10km radius from Astrum Shah Alam, there are hypermarkets, neighbourhood malls and retail malls such as Lotus’s, Aeon Mall Shah Alam and i-City; hospitals such as Hospital Shah Alam and KPJ Selangor Specialist Hospital; public and international schools such as Dwi Emas International School and SMK Seksyen 9; recreational amenities such as Wet World Water Park and Taman Tasik Shah Alam; and government and financial institutions such as UTC Shah Alam, Wisma MBSA, CIMB Bank and Maybank.

Astrum Shah Alam is the last launch for Setia Awan this year. Next year, the developer is looking to roll out a new mixed-use development adjacent to Astrum Shah Alam.

“We have another parcel right next to Astrum Shah Alam, and it has been earmarked for another TOD for next year’s launch. We are looking to offer a SoHo Transit product in this development because we are confident that there will be demand here due to the strategic location,” says Bruyns, adding that the upcoming project will have an estimated GDV of RM300 million.

In addition to that, Setia Awan is looking to roll out the first phase of a 43-acre mixed-use development in Seksyen U10, Shah Alam. The first phase will be a high-rise residence with an estimated GDV of RM300 million, while the entire development will take about seven years to complete.

The developer is currently in talks with a landowner for another potential TOD in the Klang Valley.

“TODs that offer good connectivity and affordable housing are the way to go for urban development. It is also our forte. We are looking to put more resources into the projects in the Klang Valley, as well as shift our focus and continue to expand our footprint in the Klang Valley,” says Bruyns.

Hailing from Sitiawan, Perak, the developer has continued to expand its presence across Perak, Melaka, Negeri Sembilan and the Klang Valley over the past 30 years. Last year, 85% to 90% of the group’s sales came from ongoing developments in the Klang Valley, namely Brezza Hill and FonaVista in Bukit Ampang Permai and Astrum Ampang.

“The goal is to build the company name and continue to expand our market share in the industry. Therefore, we need to prioritise the projects in the Klang Valley and slow down our land bank development in the outskirts, unless the project has a GDV of at least RM300 million. Affordable, mass market projects in mature and vibrant locations will remain our main focus moving forward,” says Bruyns.

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