PETALING JAYA: The Straits Trading Co Ltd and Malaysia Smelting Corp Bhd have unveiled the master plan for Straits City, its flagship development in Butterworth, Penang, which aims to be the beacon of smart and sustainable integrated development in the state.
Comprising an integrated mix of residential, retail, hotel and commercial components, the 40 acres Straits City is situated on the prime seafront central business district of Butterworth.
Straits City’s first phase of development includes a 23-storey four-star hotel with a net lettable retail area of 41,823 square feet. It comprises 343 rooms, a retail podium and meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibition facilities. The hotel and retail podium is scheduled for opening in the third quarter of 2023.
At the ceremony today, Straits Developments Pte Ltd CEO Eric Teng said upon completion, Straits City will help elevate Butterworth as a city of the future that offers a multitude of business, hospitality, residence, and leisure experiences.
Smart technologies will be utilised to enhance the quality of life at Straits City, which include artificial intelligence-driven security systems and the Internet of Things solutions such as connected sensors. These will contribute to a more efficient built environment management, better services for its community and lower energy consumption for the entire Straits City.
Apart from that, Straits City will be introducing green features such as pedestrian-link bridges, walkways, and cycling paths that connects the various parcels within Straits City. This is anticipated to improve walkability and reduce the use of vehicles, thus leading to lower carbon emissions.
Straits City is poised to enhance the positioning of Butterworth as a trade and commerce centre that is rich with history and heritage. At the same time, the Penang government is set to revive Butterworth’s commercial and industrial activities under Penang 2030 Vision. This is expected to stimulate the economic landscape of Butterworth, which bodes well for Straits City.
Located in the heart of Butterworth, Straits City is easily accessible via air, sea, road and rail routes. It is about 30 minutes’ drive from Penang International Airport, five minutes’ drive from Penang Sentral transport hub, free-trade zone at North Butterworth Container Terminal and the Penang Bridge. Moreover, Butterworth is well linked to other major cities and states with a broad network of roads, including the North-South Expressway.
Butterworth’s connectivity makes it ideal as the centre of the future CBD of Penang. The upcoming projects that will enhance connectivity under the Penang Transport Master Plan, includes the Georgetown-Butterworth LRT Line, the Penang Third Link and the SkyCab.
“Upon completion of the first phase of development in 2023, we will continue with the remaining phases of development which entails retail, commercial and residential blocks. Straits City is expected to be fully developed by 2038,” said Teng.
Straits City is adjacent to the current township of Taman Selat which was developed by Straits Trading in the 1980s.
