Metro

Thursday July 2, 2009

Seeking fresh start

By TAN SIN CHOW


LEVELS 59 and 60 of Komtar in Penang, a popular place for tourists to have a bird’s eye view of George Town and its surroundings, will be closed for at least six months pending the search for a new tenant and renovation works.

The Penang Development Cor-poration which took vacant possession of the two levels from Komtar Tower Sdn Bhd on June 15, will call for a tender for new tenants in a fortnight, said Komtar Revitalisation Committee chairman Ng Wei Aik.

“We are open to any interested party who can turn the two levels into a place of attraction, be it a restaurant or an exhibition hall,” he told reporters during a site inspection yesterday.

Due for a facelift: PDC intends to upgrade the car park on the ground floor of Komtar.

He said the two levels would be closed for at least six months for the tender and to enable the new tenant to carry out reno-vations.

Komtar Tower previously operated a restaurant and viewing platform at the two levels.

Ng, who is also Komtar assemblyman, said PDC decided to withdraw its application for writ of seizure and seal and writ of vacant possession of the two levels after Komtar Tower agreed to move out.

He said the operator also agreed to pay, by instalment to PDC, rent arrears and lift service charges totalling RM1.6mil.

“The PDC has worked out a formula for the sum to be paid,” he said.

Items belonging to Komtar Tower twice went under the hammer for RM11,000 earlier this year when the company failed to raise RM190,501 to stop an auction held to recover over RM1.3mil in rental arrears owed to PDC which is the landlord.

The bailiff had, on April 3, executed a writ of distress on Komtar Tower and the company was given 14 days to pay RM190,501 to stop the auction.

Ng also said PDC took over the management of the car park on the ground floor from Komtar Tower effective yesterday.

He said the company agreed to pay for damage found on Levels 59 and 60 and the carpark.

“But in return, PDC must allow them to operate their food business at the site of the former Dalit Cinema at Level Three,” he said.

Ng added that PDC would still take the company to court if it failed to settle the sum owed.

He said Komtar Tower had earlier written to PDC requesting for the takeover of the car park to be deferred until July 31 but PDC shot down the request.

He said PDC had no plans to call for tender for the management of the car park for now.

Ng said PDC Setia Urus Sdn Bhd, the management agent for Komtar, would carry out upgrading work at the car park, including giving it a new coat of paint and installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras.

He added that the season passes issued by Komtar Tower for the car park were still valid.

He also said PDC would review the parking charges for the car park which can accommodate 48 cars and 300 motorcycles.

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