GEORGE TOWN, July 30 — The draft Transit-Oriented Development (TOD) Master Plan for Sungai Nibong is expected to be finalised in October, said Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
He said the state government is currently conducting engagement sessions with various stakeholders to gather feedback before finalising the master plan.
“The TOD concept can be finalised and the next step is to decide on implementing the components in the TOD,” he said at a press conference after opening a Stakeholder Engagement Symposium on the Draft Transit-Oriented Development Master Plan for Sungai Nibong today.
Chow said the implementation phase would be the challenging part and was projected to take between 10 and 15 years.
The implementation phase would include determining the project management structure, financing arrangements, as well as the respective roles of the public and private sectors in developing each of the proposed components.
The draft master plan was prepared through collaboration between the Penang government, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), appointed consultants, MRT Corporation, and various federal and state government agencies.
He said the implementation model would be determined based on suitability, including the possibility of adopting public-private partnership (PPP) arrangements for certain development and financing components.
“When we reach the implementation stage, this plan, which is currently still conceptual, may be further refined in accordance with planning guidelines, public facility requirements, housing provision including social housing, as well as other development conditions,” he said.
Chow said implementing the project would be more challenging than preparing the master plan itself as it involved project management, financing and coordination among multiple parties.
He said the entire development area covered about 23.47 hectares (58 acres), including the LRT depot.
Chow said the Penang Pesta component under the new master plan would be significantly smaller than its original footprint as much of the site had been allocated for the LRT depot, LRT station, bus terminal and public park.
However, he said the identity of Penang Pesta would be preserved in a new form through the development of a cultural centre, commercial spaces and entertainment areas that could operate throughout the year, instead of being limited to the traditional year-end fair.
When asked about the project’s gross development value (GDV), Chow said the estimate had yet to be announced as the master plan remained in its final preparation stage, with the final report expected to be completed in October.
Earlier, during a presentation on the draft TOD by Asian Development Bank architect and urban planner Pranjali Deshpande and Abhijit Kondalkar, it was revealed that the proposed project included up to 700 units of affordable housing and 350 units of high-end housing, with a residential population of about 3,600 people.
They also said limited parking spaces would be available at the Pesta site to encourage the use of public transportation, as the area would also serve as a transport hub with bus and LRT services.
State Infrastructure, Transport and Digital Committee chairman Zairil Khir Johari said the draft featured a pedestrian-friendly design by integrating residential, commercial and recreational developments with high-capacity public transport to discourage private vehicle usage at the site.
“We encourage people by designing a system that is pedestrian-friendly and allows them to get everything they need within a five- to 10-minute walk,” he said.
