Dijaya to launch Danga Bay project by Dec

By Sharen Kaur
sharen@nstp.com.my
Published in NST on August 16 2010

DIJAYA Corp Bhd will launch phase one of Tropicana City@ Danga Bay, its RM3.8 billion integrated waterfront flagship project in Johor by December this year, its chief said.

Phase one will feature some 700 units of upper middle serviced apartments in three blocks, worth RM600 million or more than RM600 per sq ft each, managing director Datuk Tong Kien Onn said.

"We hope to start construction by December and realise the units block by block. Piling works have been completed. We are confident of the project," Tong said in an interview with Business Times in Kuala Lumpur recently.

Dijaya is developing 14.8ha of prime waterfront land at Danga Bay in Johor Baru over the next 10-12 years with Iskandar Water Front Sdn Bhd (IWSB).

Goldhill Quest Sdn Bhd - a 60:40 joint-venture between Nagasari Cerdas Sdn Bhd (a Dijaya unit), and Global Corp Development Bhd (owned by IWSB) - bought the land from Danga Bay Sdn Bhd for RM308 million or RM190 per sq ft.

It is one of the biggest private land deals since the inception of Iskandar Malaysia in 2006, where it is located.

Goldhill plans to build a retail street mall, office towers and residences, SoHo (small office/home office) and a four- or five-star hotel.

"We are still working out the components. The project will be similar to the Mid Valley development. But our mall will be different as it will focus on food and entertainment," Tong said.

Tong said Dijaya is targeting homeowners, expatriates and investors from Asia Pacific and Europe.

He said there will be spillover from Singapore with the opening of Resorts World Sentosa and The Marina Sands resort, where each have said they will employ more than 35,000 people when the projects are fully completed.

"We expect many of the staff to be relocated to Johor. Singapore expects 10 million additional tourists a year and we hope to ride on that with the opening of a four- or five-star hotel within our development.

"We may look at international operators like Starwood or Ritz Carlton Group to run the hotel. Nothing is on the cards yet as the hotel will be developed at a later stage," Tong said.

Dijaya, known for its flagship Tropicana Golf and Country Resort development in Petaling Jaya, has RM290 million cash in hand which it will partly use to start the development, Tong said.

"We will look at bank loans but we are expecting the project to be self-financing later," he said.


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