MALAYSIA’s first wellness-oriented township, the City of Elmina has indeed lived up to expectations by clinching the prestigious Malaysia Property Award 2022 (Masterplan Category).
Located in Shah Alam, Selangor, this benchmark masterpiece by Sime Darby Property Bhd is akin to a living piece of art that combines wholesome quality living with the solace of nature.
An embodiment of the developer’s sustainability goals, the 6,500-acre integrated masterplan comprises residential, commercial and industrial components, and expansive parks and open spaces.
Surrounded by the beauty of Mother Nature, the development consists of five townships, namely Denai Alam, Bukit Subang, Elmina East, Elmina West and Elmina Business Park.
Having commenced in 2000, this RM30bil mega undertaking has a masterplan that spans 40 years. The development started with Bukit Subang, followed by Denai Alam in 2005 and expanded to the three remaining townships, forming a conurbation along the Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE).
The City of Elmina has seen over 11,000 units of completed homes and is maturing swiftly with an estimated population of 45,000. Upon full completion, this iconic destination will have approximately 36,000 homes with an estimated population of 150,000.
Designed for multi-generational living, the open-plan homes seamlessly draw residents closer to their serene natural environment. This green-inspired community beckons with its holistic and inspiring living experiences.
The 300-acre Elmina City Centre will be gradually developed from 2024, and will house serviced apartments, mixed-use commercial buildings, a transit hub with direct access to future LRT and MRT extensions, offices, a wellness and hospitality hub, as well as an integrated education corridor.
The Elmina Lakeside Mall, offering over 200,000sq ft of al fresco retail space for residents to indulge in various dining and leisure options, is currently under construction and slated for completion by the first half of 2024.
Elmina Education Hub, which is designed to cultivate global-ready students, is growing with numerous national and vernacular schools in the pipeline. Up and coming international schools have also shown keen interest in setting up here.
Part of the award-winning City of Elmina is also the 1,500-acre Elmina Business Park, the largest freehold business park in the Klang Valley and the first wellness-oriented industrial masterplan in Malaysia.
It features a complete industrial ecosystem offering high-grade industrial developments fully equipped with facilities and amenities such as recreational parks, sports avenues and a proposed business support centre with a co-working space.
With a master development plan of 20 years, Elmina Business Park will comprise 1,300 industrial units alongside 183 commercial units, with employment projections of 35,000.
The City of Elmina proves that nature can thrive alongside a well-planned development with a strong sustainable agenda.
Nature-friendly landmark
The City of Elmina had its humble beginnings as one of Malaysia’s oldest oil palm plantations, with its name paying homage to the rich heritage of the Elmina Estate of the past.
The development captured the ‘Spirit of Plantation’ by preserving the graceful way of living where community spirit is alive and well, and where family time is treasured.The masterplan was crafted to embody all aspects of life based on the ‘eight pillars of wellness’ as a guiding philosophy, as well as in line with Mercer’s Quality of Living Survey assessment of international liveability.
Inspired by the estate community, it also adopted placemaking principles to ensure that all urban forms and designs are integrated with wellness elements including the homes, landscapes and amenities to enable a healthy and balanced lifestyle for residents.
From the onset, the City of Elmina was master-planned as a wellness-centric, environmentally sensitive and liveable city as Sime Darby Property believes that key to developing a great and thriving township is sustainability and liveability.
Boasting 1,118 acres of sprawling parklands complemented by the 2,700-acre Bukit Cherakah Forest Reserve, the township is planned with a scenic 90km interconnected jogging and cycling track, and a 300-acre Central Park.
The crown jewel of City of Elmina – the majestic Central Park – is essentially an urban rainforest replanted with native forest trees including ERT (Endangered Rare & Threatened) species.
Comprising six distinctive themed parks, namely the Community, Urban, Arts and Cultural, Forest, Wildlife and Sports, there will be an abundance of green amenities for the public to connect and rejuvenate amid nature.
Additionally, the township is also dotted with 480 acres of natural greenery and pocket parks alongside open social spaces for residents to enjoy a wide spectrum of outdoor activities.
The City of Elmina aims to plant 210,000 trees at full completion, with a minimum of 10% from ERT species.
The holistic masterplan exemplifies the developer’s purpose to be a Value Multiplier for People, Businesses, Economies and the Planet, proving that nature can thrive alongside a well-planned development with a strong sustainable agenda.
As such, the Elmina Rainforest Knowledge Centre (ERKC) was established in partnership with Tropical Rainforest Conservation & Research Centre (TRCRC).
Positioned as the ‘Gateway to Malaysia’s Natural Heritage’, ERKC strives to promote long-term reforestation initiatives and experiential biodiversity education for the community within and beyond the City of Elmina.
A part of ERKC is the Elmina Living Collection Nursery (ELCN) where a variety of ERT tree species are nurtured, functioning as a seed and gene bank for future ecosystem and habitat restoration.
Even the Elmina logo concept, the ‘Seed of Life’ is inspired by the oil palm seed. The seed is split into half, in a symbolic interlocking pattern that forms the number ‘8’ to reflect the eight elements of wellness; community, environmental, intellectual, family, occupational, physical, emotional and mental.
The city of Elmina’s masterplan embodies eight pillars of wellness to promote a balanced lifestyle amid natural surroundings without compromising convenience and connectivity.
Accessibility assured
Discover a balanced and healthy lifestyle enveloped by luscious greenery without compromising convenience and connectivity at the City of Elmina.
This freehold township, set along the rapidly growing Guthrie Corridor Expressway (GCE), is well connected to an extensive network of highways including GCE, Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR), North Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE) and the newly opened Damansara Shah Alam Highway (DASH).
A stone’s throw away are also educational institutions, hospitals, shopping malls, a golf course and recreational club, key infrastructures and other lifestyle conveniences.
Visionary developer
As one of the foremost property developers in Malaysia, Sime Darby Property has carved its niche as a reputable force with 50 years of experience in building sustainable communities.
With 25 active townships and developments under its belt, the developer has a wide reach encompassing assets and operations across the country, and even in the United Kingdom as part of a Malaysian consortium that developed the iconic Battersea Power Station in Central London.
As a responsible corporate player, Sime Darby Property and its philanthropic arm Yayasan Sime Darby (YSD) actively implement various social welfare initiatives to assist underprivileged communities living within and nearby its townships.
The award-winning developer has garnered numerous international and national industry accolades throughout the years. In 2022, the Group remained a top property developer in The Edge Malaysia’s Top Property Developers Awards, achieving the feat for the 11th year running.
The Group is also a consistent recipient of the BCI Asia Awards for Top 10 Developers (Malaysia) and was accorded a Platinum ranking in the Property Development category for Putra Brand Awards 2022.
It was also named Top 10 in the Top-of-the-Chart (RM1bil and above) category under the FIABCI-Malaysia and Star Media Group’s Malaysia Developer Awards 2022.
As a recognised brand with an established track record, Sime Darby Property is further poised to take on the next 50 years and beyond! It is aligned with the purpose of paving the way for communities, the environment, businesses and the economy to thrive for generations to come.
Learn more about the City of Elima, visit https://www.simedarbyproperty.com/city-of-elmina.
