If a building cannot be maintained, they have to be demolished, unfortunately. The purpose of demolition is to make way for something new to be built in that area. We’ve said goodbye to a few beloved buildings in the past like Ampang Park Shopping Centre and Plaza OUG. The latter will be replaced with 2 high-rise buildings with a shopping mall.
After it was announced that eCurve will be closing down, many shoppers were sad to hear that their favourite shopping mall will no longer be available to them. However, it was then reported that the shopping mall might not be closed down for good as it is only being redeveloped instead of demolished. A year later, we finally have an update on the plans.
After being closed down in March last year, there are now plans to redevelop eCurve mall into high-rise condominiums that support multigenerational living. In other words, multigenerational living simply means that the residential or apartment units will be big enough to fit up to 3-generation families under one roof. According to the CEO of Bousted Properties, Azizi Ismail, the new development will also be a new prominent landmark and set to raise the livability standards in Mutiara Damansara.
The now closed-down mall, priced between RM500 million and RM700 million, is also located nearby Surian MRT station which makes it easy for future residents of the soon-to-be-built condominiums to commute, thank to having access to public transportation. In addition to the redevelopment plans, Azizi Ismail finally addressed the reason for the closure of eCurve.
According to the CEO, Bousted Properties believes that more people are leaning towards bigger malls compared to smaller ones. The company provided examples of other malls such as Sunway Pyramid, Mid Valley Megamall, and Suria KLCC, each having a total floor area of over 1 million square feet compared to the much smaller eCurve.
There is currently no information on when the redevelopment project would be launched or when it will be completed. Meanwhile, The Curve is still operating as usual although there are many dead corners and offices located on the upper floors with no relation to retail.
Sources: TheVocket, TheEdgeMarkets
