Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC Kuala Lumpur by EcoWorld
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So what is BBC, it is an orang putih news channel in U.K.
B power of 2 C power of 2 = BBCC
BBCC is indeed catchy and it is the latest development by Ecoworld Development Berhad.
BBCC is Bukit Bintang City Centre!
What is BBCC? BBCC is the Cradle of Lifestyle Revolution.
‘Cradle’ is a fond word in describing Ecoworld’s project we notice.
“Destined to be new heartbeat of Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang City Centre, BBCC is set to complement the cosmopolitan grandeur of future living. Strategically situated on a 19.4-acre prime address within the golden triangle, it is truly a visionary, state-of-the-art integrated development and a masterpiece in the making.”
Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC where life is spectacular!
Hold on a sec! We haven’t even touched anything on yet, we can already feel the ‘class’ of this project and this is how Ecoworld stood apart from it competitors.
BBCC is not an ordinary integrated development
BBCC is ‘D’ Integrated Development, really? But why?
Ghost in the ‘Cell’ at Pudu
Before we begin introducing BBCC to PROPCAFE readers, lets just address the elephant in the room.
We Asians, live in a society where most people around us are pantang. Ask around, where and what is Pudu (半山芭/富都)? Most will probably return with “ya I know its the Pudu Bus Station”, “its the Pudu Jail!.
One of steepest hurdle to overcome this project, is that the project is an ex-site of a prison. Several high profile criminals used to call this place home, and eventually met the gallows here. Do you believe in ghosts, some do, some don’t, but, hanging out or staying in a ex-prison more of less is not something most people will like to be associate with. The BBCC project site “Pudu Jail” is a garang place, since then till now!
The Stigma
For most Malaysians, its a known fact that the entire site of BBCC is crafted out from previous Pudu Jail site. Pudu Jail had been in ‘operational’ from 1895 to 1996 (101 years) and later it turned into Jail Museum from 1997 to 2009 before the Government decided to make full financial use of this prime land by selling it to UDA. (Source: wikipedia.) No, there wasn’t any suicide squad being called by Malaysian Government to save the world, but rumour has it, the story flies around and in most people mind is that the site is mostly haunted due to the fact that many capital punishments had been carried out during the operational days, including some famous gangsters such as Botak Chin, some lessen known bad hats and no doubt some innocent souls as well. So if you are mindful of such event or site, then this project is not for your kind investment and you should just stop here.
Despite many attempts by the feng shui guru, developer, sales persons and their associates to whitewash this site, unfortunately, we can’t erase history, that is baggage, stigma, negative perception that BBCC site has to carry till one forgets about history.
Ok….you are still reading? Good then we shall proceed.
Pudu will be the brand new EcoWorld’s BBCC
From UDA as land owner, they roped in ECOWORLD to joint developed this 19acres site with EPF as equal partner in the development (UDA 40/ECOWORLD 40/EPF 20) but mainly the co developing partner is ECOWORLD and in turn, ECOWORLD is seeking its Japanese partner Mitsui Fudosan to develop the 4 storey mall and main garden on top of mall. If the Japanese, one of the countries for producing some thrilling and most horror ghost stories of recent times (such as Ring and Ju-on) dare to venture into the site, I think we are safe here. Beside the actual execution room actually sat at one extreme site of BBCC (was told between the hotel and concert hall). And ECOWORLD has let the site cleared and bathed in the strongest sunlight and rain for 7749 days, and also did all the ritual ceremonies necessary (as told) to ensure the site is good to go. The SA also reassuring us that even Taipei 101 is built on former Japanese burial ground. OK, it does make us feel a bit better, or doesn’t it?
Location
Ok enough of the hantu, pantang talk, those were the past, let’s talk about the ‘science’ of the property.
Make no mistake location of BBCC is prime, BBCC is located within the golden triangle of Kuala Lumpur, situated along the famous Jalan Imbi/Jalan Hang Tuah, home to various signature landmark of Kuala Lumpur, such as Berjaya Times Square, Imbi Plaza and Sg Wang Plaza.
Points of Interest, and they are countless here.
Jalan Imbi, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Alor all these are well known tourist hot-spot and BBCC is literally right in it. Add in ‘Changkat’ even more happening!!
Roads and Rails accessibility
All roads lead to Rome in Italy, in Malaysia’s context, all roads lead to KL, and BBCC is smacked right in the middle of KL. To go out of town, there are plenty of options, Smart Highway, Seremban Highway, MEX, Federal Highway, Jalan Sungai Besi, Jalan Tun Razak, access are abundance. Question is getting to BBCC, jam prone? Yes. Especially during peak hours. Location this prime, one would expect the unexpected, JAM. But, there is an alternative, a greener way to travel.
Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC is also surrounded by abundance of rail network. Right next BBCC is it Hang Tuah LRT & Monorail Station, it is also within 850 metres away by road from KVMRT Line 1, Kajang and Sungai Buloh line Merdeka station. What is best is, these 3 station will be integrated to the BBCC project. Meaning they will be dedicated covered walkways from BBCC to these 3 stations in future. So if you are worried about traffic jam, there is a green option to travel.
Anyway, while on paper this may sound so optimistic that that they are so many rail options, we however think Merdeka station is quite far reach. As to how comfortably one can walk from from BBCC to Merdeka station, how is the link way will be like, safety, maintenance, covered walkway, these are still pretty much unknown, what more when can it be materialized?
The Grand Entrance and Heritage side of the Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC
We understand that landmark of Pudu Jail, the grand entrance will be retained and conserved as tourist spot.
Kudos to relevant authorities and parties on the commitment to conserve our history and heritage, this place may used to be ‘garang’ but it is ‘part of us’, the KLites.
Master Plan
We extracted these from the website:
“Destined to be new heartbeat of Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC) is set to complement the cosmopolitan grandeur of future living. Strategically situated on a 19.4-acre prime address within the golden triangle, it is truly a visionary, state-of-the-art integrated development and a masterpiece in the making”
PROPCAFE layman’s term, Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC it is an integrated development developed by EcoWorld.
They key components of Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC are 5 blocks of residential towers, 1 block of hotel tower, 1 office block, 1 signature BBCC office block, a lifestyle mall, an digital entertainment hub, a live concert hall, and an urban park within BBCC.
Site Observation
The site at Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC is huge relative to other city center development, how often can you see 20 acres site up for development, BBCC is a rare commodity indeed.
Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC Sales Gallery Visit
It is always such a pleasant experience visiting the EcoWorld property gallery. Let us tell you why.
Getting to the Sales Gallery
Inside the Sales Gallery
Scale Model of Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC
The Lure of Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur
To this writer, Bukit Bintang is ‘real’ KL. Too provocative?
Listen.
Where in Kuala Lumpur, where you can shop till you drop, eat till you shiok! Walk till your legs soft, drink till you stop! Where? Bukit Bintang la…
Let’s go back those glory days before the KLCC Twin Towers was even born. What is KLCC. Come on, Bukit Bintang is KL!
Even now with KLCC, do you people really go there often, seriously often? Take your selfies with the Twin Jagung then head to Bukit Bintang, where your KL life starts here.
Let’s start with the major malls. (image credit to its owner!)
Most major mall are within 2km of the Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC.
There will be a proposed mall within Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC, will this part of KL still have room to accommodate another mall?
Maybe yes, maybe no. Like any businesses, it is the survival of the fittest. May the best mall win!
Let’s talk about eat, drink & entertainment
Bukit Bintang has them all here.
How can anyone not venture into Jalan Alor when you are at Bukit Bintang. Jalan Alor is famous for local street food, KL style! So if you want cheap eat, this is the place at Bukit Bintang.
Need some massage therapy after long day of work? Changkat Tong Shin houses some tantalizing massage centers.
Need a drink or 2 or some indulgence to western restaurant food or some modern pub dining? You can always head to Changkat Bukit Bintang for dinner, happy hours and enjoy live musics along!
Lucentia Residences
The focus of this review will be the residential component of Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC, that is the Lucentia Residences.
What is Lucentia?
“Drawing inspiration from traditional Japanese paper lanterns, Lucentia is designed to infuse your world with light and a lightness of spirit. By day, the interior is flooded with natural light, and by night, it is softly illuminated, a welcoming beacon to guide you home.”
Lucentia is the first residential launch in Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC. This high-rise residential development, which consists of two conjoined towers, with 47 and 35 floors each.
So there are 2 towers, tower 1 47 storey with 393 units of residences and tower 2 with 273 homes units bring the total number of units to 666.
The whole 19.4 acre land in Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC is leasehold expiring on 5 December 2110, 93 more years to go as of now time of writing.
Lucentia is a 54 months project with target VP date to be somewhere in March 2021, will take additional 18 month from conventional schedule H highrise development.
With average price from RM1600-1900psf, this is a highend luxury project by EcoWorld. Do check out the following gallery on to see what sort of grade of finishing EcoWorld is delivering.
These illustrations are so speechlessly beautiful! Can you imagine living here? What ex-con, ex-jail, Pudu Jail. This is a total transformation of Pudu!
There are not many residential property look this good in KL center, the top tiers are the Four Seasons, Pavillion Residences, Troika KL, and Lucentia could be the one closely follow behind.
Lucentia Facilities and Floor plan
Why Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC?
The grand master plan under 1 master developer
Based on artist illustration, this project is dreamy. Well at least for most EcoWorld project. Will artist illustration translate to real picture, this is debatable, we have seen this being debated fiercely in lowyat net property forum section specially some project in Semenyih by the same developer!
If this project is able to pull off as how it is planned, this Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC will be the star of Bukit Bintang.
There is none project similar scale in town, no not Pavilion, as it has no rail elements. Bandar Malaysia you ask, that one could come in 2030 or later. What about TRX, have you heard anything from them really? Or you have heard, trustworthy?
Project this scale need a capable developer that is able to make this happen, can EcoWorld execute this? Amid good economy climate and no significant change of ownership, why not?
Long gestation period
54 months is a a very long waiting period many things could happen during 4.5 years time. Could there be during this 5 year, better investment opportunity to come. Those who want a home here is 5 years abit too long to wait, is the wait worth while?
There are various phases of other component of the project has yet to launch, the signature office tower, and we understand there are some components of the master plan is yet to be fully finalized.
So the flip side, upon Lucentia VP, the whole Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC could still be a constructions site!
The price the price the price
Smaller studio units are retailed at 1800-1900 per sqft.
While 1+1 & 2 bedder are calling for 1600-1700 per sqft.
Taking a conservative 20% appreciation upon completion, to exit Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC with some capital gain, would mean Lucentia to at least command RM2000-2200 in year 2021, is it possible?
Yes, if the master plan as executed as plan, no if there are delay of launches, or any potential perils that hinders the completion of the masterplan.
Here some price point for your consideration (before any rebate).
T1-11-08 RM1,131,000 (Type C)
T1-11-07 RM1,126,000 (Type Cm)
T1-11-06 RM1,450,000 (Type D)
T1-11-05 RM1,450,000 (Type Dm)
T1-13A-3A RM1,142,000 (Type C)
T1-13-01 RM1,454,000 (Type D)
T1-33-03 RM1,605,000 (Type E-dual key)
Type A & B are all gone with the wind.
Floor premium RM2,000, we say whack the highest floor, if you die die must cum buy). Mid high floor facing Jalan Hang Tuah or North facing will be decent.
The Fans base
Most of us aware that EcoWorld is ex SP Setia. During those good old days when SP Setia weren’t as famous, coupled with the pre property boom days, those who were buying SPS products were able to reap handsome profit.
What happen is that we think these were things of the past.
We observed many many many who bought from reputable developers cant make ‘much’ profit, ‘much’ here is a kind word.
Reputable developer often sells above market price to justify their brand name and to recoup their marketing dollars spent.
While for Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC, this writer always wonders what are the investors end game? Own-stay? Really, ex Pudu jail site, personally can’t overcome this psychological barrier, despite this is a the God of Property of Malaysia, Tan Sri’s project.
Investment, there are other project can perhaps yield more given such significant capital and credit commitment over the long construction period.
Those days where you can follow someone else to buy or invest in properties don’t work anymore in current climate. Do invest wisely.
Locale of Bukit Bintang
Lucentia Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC will be the most high end development in Pudu, Bukit Bintang vicinity, Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC developer price is already the highest in Bukit Bintang.
Let’s not forget, this part of Bukit Bintang Kuala Lumpur are predominately less affluent compare to KLCC Zone 1. Last we check, BBCC IS NOT EVEN IN PROPCAFE KLCC Zone 2.
Does it make sense to pay RM2000psf to stay in Pudu? These are the tough question to investors and potential home owners.
Even Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC is up as the newest hot spot in town, it is not hard to notice the surrounding are still pretty run down, let’s start with area along Jalan Hang Tuah side, and Pudu Pudu itself.
There are still so much to cover on this project
We will have to stop it here for now, before letting this article to be too tedious to read. We look forward for your comment, let’s us know if you would us to pen more on our thought on the overall masterplan, the ‘real meat’ the commercial component?
In the meanwhile, you may dropby Bukit Bintang City Centre BBCC sales office for more information at
BBCC Development Sdn Bhd
No. 2, Jalan Hang Tuah, 55100 Kuala Lumpur
E: info@bbcckl.com
F: +603 2143 0086
GPS Coordinates 3.141656, 101.707755