Kuala Terengganu, 14 March 2013 :The Kuala Terengganu City Centre (KTCC) development, one of the key strategic projects in the East Coast Economic Region (ECER), today added a new milestone with the ground breaking ceremony of KTCC Mall, a high impact commercial project which involves a RM1 billion investment by KTCC Mall Sdn Bhd.
Located in the Muara Selatan on the Kuala Terengganu waterfront, the integrated project consists of KTCC Mall, a shopping mall with over 750,000 square feet of retail space; a Novotel Hotel with 250 rooms; and, two towers of business suites with 520 suites in total.
The KTCC Mall is expected to be completed by the fourth quarter of 2014, while the hotel and the business suites are expected to be ready by 2016. The overall development by KTCC Mall Sdn Bhd is expected to create over 5,000 job opportunities upon completion.
The KTCC Mall is part of the KTCC development, a project led by the East Coast Economic Region Development Council (ECERDC) which will position Terengganu as the Tourism Gateway to the East Coast Economic Region (ECER). The KTCC is expected to have a Gross Development Value (GDV) of over RM5 billion.
In addressing the guests at the KTCC Mall ground-breaking ceremony here today, Yang Amat Berhormat Dato’ Seri Hj Ahmad bin Said, Menteri Besar Terengganu said the project will help enhance the quality of life in the city, as it allows the local residents to enjoy a comprehensive range of modern facilities, as as well a wider variety of option of recreational and retail-related activities during their leisure time.
“The KTCC Mall development will also create new job and entrepreneurship opportunities for the locals, which will help elevate their income and socio-economic status,” he said, adding that locals can look forward to working in different capacities in the mall, hotel and business suites.
“As the new shopping mall will house more than 250 retail stores, a bazaar and F&B outlets, among others, I would like to encourage our local businesses to tap into this opportunity and participate in this exciting development,” he said.
The mall will also boast an entertainment and leisure centre which will have a 48-lane bowling alley, a 10-screen cineplex, a family entertainment centre, as well as a snooker centre and other recreational facilities.
The full-fledged Novotel hotel will have a banquet hall which could accommodate up to 1,500 guests and is ideal for international conferences and exhibitions. It is well-suited to promote Kuala Terengganu as a Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) destination. The business suites offer the advantage of working and living by the waterfront, with full facilities and panoramic views of the sea and the entire KTCC development.
Dato’ Seri Ahmad said an iconic drawbridge will also be built to connect Muara Utara and Muara Selatan. The first of its kind in Malaysia, the scenic bridge is expected to emerge as a key tourism attraction in the city and will also help ensure a smoother traffic flow within the KTCC area.
“The road from the KTCC Drawbridge will also be connected directly to the Kuala Terengganu International Airport in the future, a move that will further boost the city’s tourism potential,” he added.
ECERDC Chief Executive Officer, YBhg. Dato’ Jebasingam Issace John said the overall KTCC development will further enrich Kuala Terengganu’s unique heritage, whose development has always revolved around the Terengganu River estuary over the past centuries.
To preserve the State’s unique cultural heritage, the KTCC development will integrate Terengganu’s architectural heritage with the modern aspects of the commercial and residential development in the area, Dato’ Issace said.
“This is in line with KTCC’s role as the Waterfront Heritage City, which will preserve the glorious history and culture of Terengganu, while at the same time, propelling Kuala Terengganu forward as a modern city without losing its distinctive identity,” he added.
“The KTCC development will serve as a catalyst for Kuala Terengganu’s transformation, in line with the Government Transformation Programe which aims to create an equitable society with high standards of living for all the rakyat,” Dato’ Issace said.
KTCC project components include an integrated lifestyle centre, a commercial centre, as well as an education and health hub. The KTCC development will provide plenty of opportunities for the locals to participate in the tourism-related industry, food and entertainment industries, as well as commercial and residential development and the service sectors.
Dato’ Issace added that KTCC is now ready to welcome the arrival of more investors and ECERDC, together with the State Government, will be more than happy to facilitate them in processing their application and expediting the necessary approvals.