‘ALL TOGETHER NOW’: Photo shows (from left) Naroden, Long, Awang Tengah, Loh, Koh, Sim Ewe Kee and Chan at the signing cermony.
KUCHING: Kenbest Sdn Bhd (Kenbest), a commercial developer in Sarawak, conducted a tenants’ signing ceremony for the CityONE commercial centre (CityONE) at a hotel here yesterday.
Kenbest managing director Stephen Long explained that the project was estimated to have a gross development value of RM300 million while the tenants would bring in an additional RM400 million.
Long said, “Thus far, CityONE has more than 60 tenants, making up an occupancy rate of about 60 per cent. The complex will generate about 3,000 jobs for the state.”
The anchor tenants at the signing ceremony were fashion retailer Metrojaya Bhd (Metrojaya) and entertainment marquee Golden Screen Cinemas Sdn Bhd (GSC). Both anchors were venturing into Sarawak for the first time.
Metrojaya executive director Pel Loh stated, “This is our first venture into the progressive and prosperous state, on the back of very positive results from Sabah, where we had double digit growth rates.
“Metrojaya’s entry into Sarawak is an indication of our confidence in the Sarawak retail market. We have invested about RM15 million for renovation costs in the CityONE outlet.
Together with the fixtures and merchandise we are looking at investing RM35 million. We will carry more than 200 brands in the store to ensure our high standards of quality.”
GSC chief executive Koh Mei Lee said, “GSC will open the largest cineplex in Sarawak with a ‘green concept’ in terms of biodegradable plastic bags, energy saving bulbs and ‘green’ air-conditioning in the form of variable speed drives”.
“To ensure great convenience and better movie-going experiences, GSC’s newly introduced facilities like SelfPrint tickets and GSC Mobile App (iPhone) will be made available to movie goers.”
“The SelfPrint facility enables customers to print their movie tickets after purchasing them online and cut the queue by scanning 2D barcodes at the checkpoint.”
In wrapping up the ceremony, Long said, “We are thankful for the state government’s support, cooperation from the local councils. We expect to launch in the third quarter of 2012.”
Present at the signing ceremony were guest of honour Minister of Planning and Resource Management and Minister of Public Utilities YB Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hassan, Assistant Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department Naroden Majais and mayor of Kuching City South James Chan.