PROPCAFE™ Review : Berkeley Uptown @ Klang City by Paramount Property - Yesterday meets Tomorrow, Today

Background – the yesterday

Berkeley Uptown. Yesterday meets Tomorrow, Today.

The tag line “Yesterday meets Tomorrow, Today” by Paramount Property and it is true enough that this old world of Klang town that was once a charm still remain here today – untouched and unpolished; just like frozen in time for many years.

When the world has been progressing aggressively, modern development has taken a quantum leap out of this old town leaving Klang town central business district moving at its own pace and the rest is history.

So now we are returning to the origin; where the roots are in-placed and to look what can we do again from here. This is probably what Paramount Property is looking at now – to revitalise Klang city with Berkeley Uptown.

Location

First of all, Klang is really huge (refer to map below) and not everyone is familiar with Klang.

Before jumping in directly to the exact location of Berkeley Uptown, briefly we would explain the location of the old world of Klang central business district (circled in black).

The Heart of Klang – Klang Central Business District

Klang is divided into North and South of Klang, which are separated by the Klang River. The Klang Central Business District is located at North Klang after the Kota Bridge across the Klang River.

Circled by the ever-busy roads of Jalan Pasar, Lebuh Tapah, Jalan Mantin, Jalan Sireh and Jalan Batu Tiga (in counter clockwise) as the boundary and comprises of Kawasan 18 (West of CBD), Kawasan 17 (North CBD) and Kawasan 15 (East CBD).

Don’t worry if the name sounds alien to you.

Initially, we felt the same when we heard those naming during the briefing by the locals. The naming sounds like the “Sector 7” that often mentioned by the secret agent from the US Pentagon in the Hollywood movie. Rest assured we are not writing any fiction here – and you won’t find U.F.O in Klang.

Do you know where is Kawasan 1? It is located at the South of the CBD before Klang River. Number ONE for obvious reason would be on the high ground area where Istana Alam Shah is sitting currently. (Including Taman Bandar Diraja Klang, Royal Klang Club and Tugu Keris – refer to map above)

Klang town used to be the “piazza” or town market of Klang prior 2008-2009 where most people will come here for daily business activities. However, for the past decade the focus and concentration as the main commercial area had been lighten.

The rise and rapid growth of new modern well-planned townships at North Klang and South Klang such as Bandar Bukit Tinggi (by WCT), Bandar Botanic (by Gamuda Land), Bandar Bukit Raja (by Sime Darby) and a bit further at the fringe of Klang Setia Alam (By SP Setia) have lessen the gravity of Klang town.

Long time ago, Klang town was similar to other old town where the people worked and stayed at the same place.

But most of the people have moved to newer and better planned townships in Bukit Tinggi, Bukit Raja, Bandar Botanic and Setia Alam.

Now, mainly left with traditional or family-oriented businesses coupled with few government offices remain in the town centre. It is busy during the day but quiet at night.

The old Klang town and the local people, unsure we are.

They are either feeling contended to remain status quo or they are waiting patiently for the white knight to come – for many years with old houses and weary buildings, falling deep into time, forgotten initially and forsaken slowly but life moves on as usual.

There are not many developers who are bold enough to redevelop this part of old town for mixed-use development. Apart from the lack of sizeable land, the local here still prefer landed property as their type of home.

Notwithstanding the evidence of current property market sentiment, it definitely takes more than anything else which you can imagine to develop high-rises at Klang. It is a tough fight here for the developers to swim against the current.

But maybe not for Paramount Property since the name of Klang is not unfamiliar to Paramount Property, at least not to our knowledge.

This year 2019, Paramount Property came here with something bigger – a Hope, a Dream and a Vision connecting the dots between the past and the present for the future to meet the past at Berkeley Uptown, a 33.12 acre of land with RM1.3 billion GDV freehold project at Jalan Goh Hock Huat.

Berkeley Uptown @ Jalan Goh Hock Huat, Klang

Berkeley Uptown is located at Kawasan 18 along Jalan Goh Hock Huat at the nearer West fringe of the Klang Centre Business District. Technically it very close to Klang town. Please refer to the picture below for more detail.

Berkeley Uptown Actual Site Location Photo

Accessibility

Jalan Goh Hock Huat

So… where is this Jalan Goh Hock Huat?

Jalan Goh Hock Huat is approximately 3km long starts from the interchange of Selat Klang Highway runs all the way in to the Klang CBD ends at the cross road of Jalan Nanas -Jalan Melayu.

Selat Klang Highway – which will allow you direct access to

New Shapadu Highway also known as New North Klang Straits Bypass Expressway (NNKSB) [2.5km]
North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) [8.0km]
Federal Highway without passing Klang CBD [9.0km]

In nutshell, this road will be the Berkeley Uptown’s main artery access road for all kind of your pumping in and out daily activities. Your journey will be started from here; whether to South Klang, NKVE, NNKSB, North Klang, Klang Town or Federal Highway.

Berkeley Uptown Sales Gallery and Berkeley Uptown Commercial at Jalan Kapar

Alternatively, you still able access to all the mentioned highways above via the older cousin Jalan Kapar which is running parallel along Jalan Goh Hock Huat on the other side of Berkeley Uptown.

Although, we think that the traffic condition of Jalan Goh Hock Huat will be lighter compared to Jalan Kapar, for now.

The fact is, we think that the local Klang people already aware that Berkeley Uptown have more than these alternatives to access the major connectivity of the highways mentioned above – making the location of Berkeley Uptown a strategic and unique proposition to the local.

Klang Third Bridge

The Klang Third Bridge (also known as Jambatan Ketiga Klang) was opened for traffic on May 2017.

The 1.2km-long bridge connects the northern and southern parts of Klang through Jalan Goh Hock Huat and Jalan Sungai Bertih respectively to mitigate the high traffic at Kota Bridge from entering the Klang town centre.

Berkeley Uptown at Jalan Goh Hock Huat is blessed with the proximity of Klang Third Bride (approximately 3.5km) as an alternative to access the southern part of Klang without entering the Klang Town.

LRT3 – LRT Bandar Utama – Klang Line

The LRT3 project had gone through a flip-flop situation after the project had being shelved for almost a year. When the new government announced the temporary halt of LRT3 and pending further review, PROPCAFE’s heart somehow dropped a little bit.

However, finally the cabinet had given the green light to resurrect the 37-km long LRT3 project but at a reduced final cost of RM16.63bil, less 47% of the original cost and works on the LRT3 project are expected to resume in the second half of this year.

The LRT3 is scheduled to be completed in 2024. (fingers crossed and hope no more delay)

There are 5 stations being shelved and under provisional as of now. These
provisional stations are Lien Hoe, Temasya, SIRIM, Bukit Raja and Bandar Botanic.

As for Berkeley Uptown, the nearest 2 LRT stations are Station BK19 Jalan Meru and Station BK20 Klang.

The distance from Berkeley Uptown to the Station and returning from the station to Berkeley Uptown varies due to most of the road in the CDB is a one way traffic.

Berkeley Uptown to Station BK19 Jalan Meru : *1.6km
Station BK19 Jalan Meru to Berkeley Uptown : *3.5km
Berkeley Uptown to Station BK20 Klang : *1.0km
Station BK20 Klang to Berkeley Uptown : *2.0km

*estimated distance

The nearest LRT3 station to Berkeley Uptown is Station BK20 Klang at a merely 1km distance away. It is worthy to take a note that this station BK20 Klang would be integrated with KTM Komuter Port Klang Line at Klang Station as interchange station.

If LRT3 is being materialised, Station BK20 Klang definitely would a great value added to Berkeley Uptown in term of connectivity. There is something more than that, we believe. Read on if you want to know.

Klang City Rejuvenation

Rejuvenation – Beyond the boundary

The distance from Berkeley Uptown to Station BK20 Klang is approximately 1km. If you noticed, more than 70% of the journey along Jalan Goh Hock Huat will be passing by Klang Town.

If developer would want to explore and push the boundary further, they might want to look way beyond their wall – the possibility of extending their development boundary “virtually” to blend seamlessly becoming part of Klang Town instead of only focusing what’s going on behind their wall.

As part of once-neglected town, this row of quaint shoplots along Jalan Goh Hock Huat which are typically ignored by passers-by.

However, if it to be revived as part of the blue print of the Klang rejuvenation programme; integrating Klang City and Berkeley Uptown, then certainly there is a hope of possibility turning Klang City into a more charming city.

It is not easy but feasibly possible.

Although some of you might be arguing that this is a bit overly ambitious and far from being reality in the near future, but we think it is not entirely impossible in the future.

Kwai Chai Hong – a model of re.juvenation /rɪˈdʒuːvəneɪt/

Have you heard or visited Kwai Chai Hong recently?

Perhaps the recent rising star of Kwai Chai Hong will be a good reference case study. If a “wrecked” and rundown alley can be restored, Klang City stands a higher chance with the presence of Berkeley Uptown.

Before & After – Image Via Kwai Chai Hung FB

Kwai Chai Hong 鬼仔巷 (Lorong Panggung or in the Cantonese dialect literally as “Ghost Lane” or “Little Ghost Alley”) at Chinatown Kuala Lumpur here was once a neglected “secluded” alley in Kuala Lumpur has been revived into a charming lane and eventually becoming one of the popular insta-worthy spot for the tourist as well as the local.

Do you know?

The Kwai Chai Hong rejuvenation project by Bai Chuan Management where supported and guided by urban regeneration organisation – ThinkCity took about 8 months to bring the neglected lane back to life.

The cost of the project is about RM1.5 million apart from the grant of RM94,255 by ThinkCity for restoration as well as access to experts on restoration works since the early days of the project.

Berkeley Uptown – a sizeable land development

For the past 20 years, with abundant of empty land ready for development and well connected to the major cities via KESAS, developers prefer to develop Klang South with well worth to mention township are such as Bandar Bukit Tinggi, Bandar/Ambang Botanic and Bandar Parklands.

Then again Klang North is pretty much mature area where most townships e.g. Berkeley, Eng Ann and Bandar Baru Klang are already fully developed and it is not easy for a developer to acquire sizeable land for sizeable GDV.

The 33.12 acres RM1.3 Billion GDV Berkeley Uptown is probably the largest single rejuvenation development undertaken by any developer in this Klang Town. With the successful participation of Paramount Property, hopefully other developers will follow suit and acquire factories for the rejuvenation of Klang Town.

What we are trying to say here, this is uncommon and not something where any mediocre developers able to do.

Even if they can, not necessary they will or want to do.

Please bear in mind that not all developer is a community builder. Building home and building community is not the same – The latter one is totally at different level.

Perhaps this 1km journey from Berkeley Uptown to the LRT station will be a good start and something that worth to look into it deeply.

More over if it ever materialized, most likely it will have more pros than cons – the intangible values and benefits to the community, developer, residents and Klang town itself.

What do you think?

Amenities & Surrounding

One of the greatest things to live in a matured township is you will be blessed with abundance of ready amenities especially bank, restaurant, education hubs and medical hubs.

With the long history of the old Klang town as a business district and the surrounding housing establishment like Taman Berkeley, Taman Eng Ann and Taman Meru, almost everything you want and need is merely a stone throw away.

Almost but not all for today and tomorrow, we feel. Somehow there is still a piece of missing puzzle here with the surrounding which is occupied by many old residential gardens, shophouses and factories.