BY MAK KUM SHI

Latest project: An artist’s impression of KDU University College flagship campus in Paramount Utropolis in Selangor.

PETALING JAYA: The whole is greater than the sum of its parts. This is true, especially for Paramount Property’s Paramount Utropolis, and there are several benefits for the development’s stakeholders.

With direct access to the adjoining residential and commercial activities, students will benefit from the live-and-learn, work-and-play lifestyle offerings of the development, which was recognised with honours in the Just-Walk Award (Best Integrated Development) category of the StarProperty.my Awards 2016.

Beyond the academic, 120,000-sq-ft Utropolis Marketplace becomes a centre of entertainment, culture and arts for the Utropolis community and that of the surrounding neighbourhood, thereby promoting diversity and providing the unique Utropolis experience.

Paramount Property CEO Beh Chun Chong shared that university townships stay vibrant and energised with students’ activities.

University townships never grow old. In fact, they gain stature and eminence as the universities in these areas mature. This concept generates economic spin-offs with businesses being set up to meet the needs of the local community.

The 11.7-acre Paramount Utropolis offers a complete live-and-learn, work-and-play environment in one address, anchored by the flagship campus of KDU University College which takes up an additional 10 acres of land adjoining Paramount Utropolis.

The residential component comprises Utropolis serviced apartments, including dual-key units that enable owners to live-and-earn extra income. The first phase of Utropolis serviced apartments were handed over to purchasers in December 2015.

The commercial components, comprising SoHo’s, is currently under construction.

The Utropolis Marketplace, which opened for business on May 27, is the retail component of the university metropolis, successfully bringing to life to Paramount Utropolis’s integrated and seamless lifestyle.

This retail centre offers an exciting mix of tenants, including dining and retail outlets, as well as service-based businesses. Tenants are carefully selected to meet the everyday needs of the KDU UC and Glenmarie community.

Together with the educational element, these make Paramount Utropolis a self-sustainable development.

Widening future offerings

The developer plans to focus on real demand by leveraging on their wide spectrum of property offerings with a breadth of products in different growth locations and at different price points.

Towards the end of last year, it launched Greenwoods, Salak Perdana, in Sepang, its second township in the Klang Valley, to cater to the affordable segment where demand remains strong.

Its Bukit Banyan township in Sungai Petani continues to enjoy steady sales.

New phases of various developments will continue to be rolled out. This includes Sejati Residences in Cyberjaya, Paramount Utropolis and Sekitar26 Enterprise in Shah Alam, and the commercial component of Greenwoods, Salak Perdana.

A new project in Section 13, Petaling Jaya, comprising an integrated development with corporate offices, serviced apartments, retail components and a Paramount Property Gallery, is expected to be unveiled.

“We will further extend our portfolio this year with the roll-out of Paramount Utropolis in Batu Kawan, which mirrors the successful university metropolis concept of Paramount Utropolis in Glenmarie,” Beh said.

“Anchored by a 15-acre new flagship campus of KDU Penang University College, this will be Penang’s first university metropolis. The Just-Walk award from StarProperty.my Awards 2016 will give us a more competitive edge when we enter the Penang market with this award-winning development concept,” Beh added.

Driven to serve

A commitment to build with customers in mind by keeping track of property trends and customer expectations drives the developer as it strives to maintain its competitiveness by benchmarking itself against the country’s top performing property developers.

This enables the developer to deliver practical and functional products that are of high quality to satisfy their customers’ current needs. This is in addition to efforts to continuously innovate in anticipation of future needs of their customers.

“Our leadership and management team also drives organisational excellence. We energise our workforce and encourage them to realise their full potential in a conducive environment,” said Beh.

“Lastly, we are driven by our commitment to provide consistent and sustainable growth in the long term by incorporating environmental, social and governance factors in our business model. This is what makes us the people’s developer, backed by our vision to be an innovative market leader in businesses that benefit society,” Beh concluded.