THE Penang government is expected to receive a total of about 15 acres of the 131-acre Gurney foreshore reclaimed project in a week or two, says Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow.
“There will be an official handover ceremony,” Chow told a press conference when asked about the development of the project after officiating the International White Cane Day (National Level) at Dewan Sri Pinang today.
The Penang government has earmarked a public realm, called ‘Gurney Wharf’, within the 131 acres.
“Every one or two weeks, they will be surrendering five to 10 acres. By September next year (2020), all the reclaimed land will be handed over to the Penang government.
“With the land, we’ve promised we will create a park.”
Chow said the next step for the state government would be to appoint a consultant and then a tender would be called for physical work, possibly done phase by phase.
“We estimate that we will take about 18 months for the first phase to be ready and open for the people to enjoy the new waterfront of Penang.”
Chow said he expected the contract to start in June or July next year (2020) but prior to that, grass would be planted and top soil laid out for landscape work to be done.
He, however, said the waterfront promenade, cycling and walking track were ready.
On Oct 18, Chow and most of his state executive councillors were updated on the progress of the project at the Seri Tanjung Pinang sales gallery in Seri Tanjung Pinang and then brought to the site via four-wheel drive vehicles.
The first eight acres of land were handed to the Penang government on Oct 7.
In an agreement inked between the state and Tanjung Pinang Development Sdn Bhd (TPD), the company is to reclaim, at its own cost, and hand over 131.09 acres of reclaimed land along the Gurney foreshore to the Penang government by December 2022.
TPD is a subsidiary of Eastern & Oriental Berhad.
Story by K.H.Ong
Pix by Adleena Rahayu Ahmad Radzi
Video by Alvie Cheng