BY MANGALESRI CHANDRASEKARAN

The upcoming integrated development, KL118, is expected to be the next icon to shine the spotlight on Jalan Maharajalela.

The artist's impression of KL118, soon-to-be tallest building in Malaysia.

Kuala Lumpur has been the most sought after vicinity in Malaysia, a place which offers anything and everything for its citizens. The area surrounding KLCC bloomed rapidly after the completion of KLCC Twin Towers in 1997, which was then the tallest building in the world.

Due to that, that area was recognised for having high potential and many developments burgeoned in the surrounding, earning it the title of city centre, as well as the Golden Triangle. In the 1990s, many residential towers, commercial centres, malls and other amenities were developed, on par with the growing economy of our country. Ample job opportunities were offered, which brought in more crowds from other areas.

Latest offerings
After the massive developments along KLCC vicinity, which consists of Jalan Ampang, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Binjai, Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Pinang, now the attention has spanned over to Jalan Maharajalela with the development of KL118, the tallest building in Malaysia once it’s completed in 2019. With 682m in height, this building will be the sixth tallest building in the world.

Formally known as Warisan Merdeka, KL118 is an integrated development, being developed by Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB). The tower consists of 118 storeys, to cater for commercial and residential purpose. Included in this development is a hotel, an eight-storey shopping mall, office space and a retail business centre.

One development that will stand to prosper from being in the vicinity of KL118 is Bina Puri's Opus, located along Jalan Talalla. Being one of the first developers to launch its prestigious project, it is merely 300m walking distance from the new global icon and the transport hub within. Considering how important it is for a piece of real estate to have ease of access in order to attract international tenants, residents and visitors of Opus will not only have the benefit of the upcoming MRT line, but also a network of main highways.

With 32 storeys and 357 units, Opus is located in the heart of all the vibrancy and looks set to deliver a holistic lifestyle to its residents. Each unit will be provided with only the best in fittings and appliances, courtesy of Calvin Klein Furniture and Gorenje respectively. In addition, an abundance of top-notch facilities have been provided such as an infinity pool, glass-enclosed gym, gardens and rooftop kitchen for al fresco dining. Residents' well-being and contentment would be taken care of, and every little need met.

Besides that, River of Life (RoL) is a vital project in the Greater Klang Valley vicinity, under the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), which aims at transforming the Klang River into a vibrant waterfront. The three components of this project comprise river cleaning, river master-planning and beautification, and river development.

A 110km stretch along Klang River will be cleaned and improved, followed by developments and beautification works for 10.7km stretch along Klang and Gombak river corridor. This will spur economic investments throughout the immediate surroundings of this river.

Unlike the KLCC vicinity which has already undergone massive development, the KL118 vicinity still offers plenty of room for latest offerings. Several developers have already recognised the potential of this area and secured lands surrounding this upcoming iconic tower.

Besides being well-developed with many prominent developments, KL vicinity also offers tremendous networking, as there are effective public transportations such as Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), Light Rail Transit (LRT), Mass Rapid Transit (MRT), Monorail and the upcoming High Speed Rail (HSR). Connecting this vicinity further are several highways, namely Federal Highway, Mahameru Highway (MRR1), Maju Expressway (MEX) and Duta - Ulu Klang Expressway (DUKE), which ease accessibility.

Integrated development has become the cutting-edge trend as the most preferred type of development currently. Many citizens choose to stay in such development due to the conveniences, in terms of facilities, amenities, networking and most importantly, lifestyle it offers.

Surrounding gems
There are many integrated developments located within the area of Kuala Lumpur and among the vital ones are:

Suria KLCC
Suria KLCC at the Petronas Twin Towers is one of Malaysia’s most famous icons. The twin towers are 452m in height and consists of recreation park, mall, convention centre and offices within. Being a tourist hot-spot in Malaysia, this development has good transport networking as several means of public transportation are linked directly to it.

Berjaya Times Square
Berjaya Times Square is among the integrated developments in this vicinity which comes with 253m twin towers. Completed in 2003, this development comprises a hotel, condominium, indoor amusement park and a shopping centre, as well as located within walking distance from Imbi LRT Station.

Bukit Bintang City Centre
This is another upcoming integrated development in Kuala Lumpur, sprawled across a land area of 19.4 acres, where the Pudu Jail was once located. This project will include a mixed residential and commercial development such as a retail mall, an entertainment block, strata offices, office towers, a hotel and service residences.