THE fifth-largest town in the country by population, the municipality of Subang Jaya, has evolved from a rubber plantation known as Seafield Estate into a vibrant and popular self-contained township.
The municipality comprises the original Subang Jaya township as well as its extension, UEP Subang Jaya (commonly referred to as USJ), parts of Bandar Sunway and Putra Heights.
In the first part of our focus on Subang Jaya carried recently in Herald, we looked at the northern side of Subang Jaya covering SS12 to SS19.
In this second part of our focus, we shift our attention to USJ. Mostly developed by Sime UEP Properties Bhd, USJ comprises 27 sections, USJ 1 to USJ 27, USJ 3A-3D, USJ Heights and Subang Heights.
USJ is home to several industrial parks, including Ultramine, Sungai Penaga Industrial Park, Subang Industrial Park and Sime UEP Industrial Park.
Several national and multinational corporations have established their headquarters in the area, including national carmaker Proton with its centre of excellence headquarters, Lotus Cars and Faber Castell, the world-renowned maker of writing instruments.
USJ’s commercial activity is mainly centred in two areas, USJ 10 (popularly referred to as Taipan) and USJ 9.
The former is the central business hub of the township, and a popular spot where people frequent for food, shopping, banking and other support services. There are also quite a number of shopping malls, the three most prominent and oldest being the Summit (adjoined to Summit Hotel), Giant and Mydin (hypermarkets within vicinity of the Summit).
Newer malls include Da Men, The Main Place and One City at USJ 25, which is an integrated commercial development comprising retail and office units, small office/home offices and a hotel.
Subang Jaya enjoys excellent infrastructure and connectivity and is amply linked to Kuala Lumpur, Shah Alam and Petaling Jaya via a network of expressways as well as rail transit such as KTM Komuter and the Kelana Jaya light rail transit (LRT) line. Major highways that serve the township include Federal Highway, Shah Alam Expressway, New Klang Valley Expressway, New Pantai Expressway, North South Expressway and Damansara-Puchong Highway.
The Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (often known as Subang Airport) is also located nearby.
The recent expansion of the Kelana Jaya LRT line has benefited USJ residents, with four stations which are USJ 7, Taipan, Wawasan, and USJ 21.
These stations are just a few stops away from the Putra Heights terminus (which is also an interchange to the Ampang LRT line) and the Subang Jaya station (which is an interchange to KTM Komuter’s Port Klang line, and which also serves as a bus hub at the same time).
Most of the highrise residential projects in USJ were completed in the 1990s (16 of 32), with another 10 completed in the 2000s. The newer ones like USJ One Park, Da Men Residences, Main Place Residences and The Regina were completed in the 2010s, Da Men Residences is the most recent completion (2016).
Unit sizes vary significantly, starting from 418 sq ft (Main Residences) up to 3,056 sq ft (You One). Units exceeding 1,000 sq ft are in ample supply in the area.
Most residential properties in the USJ area remain affordable and within reach. Based on our data, the main price bracket for USJ is between RM201 and RM600 per sq ft, as most developments have units which fall within that price range. In particular, the Goodyear Court brand (1 through 10) offer affordable serviced residences in the area.
Sri Nipah and Angsana, both priced below RM200 per sq ft, offer lower cost options, while recently completed projects like You One, Main Place, USJ One Park and Da Men occupy the higher end of the pricing spectrum, reaching a higher limit of RM800 per sq ft.
There are three projects currently underway in USJ — Reo Suites (370 to 609 sq ft, with its completion by 2020), The Duo (668 to 993 sq ft, with completion by this year) and The Edge Residences (647 to 1,008 sq ft, with completion by this year). All three projects are priced between RM601 and RM800 per sq ft.
The advent of higher-priced, better-equipped developments in USJ is a sign of evolution, that the area is undergoing a wave of revitalisation and modernisation to meet the needs of its more affluent urban residents.
The recent expansion of public transit infrastructure, which connects USJ to the rest of Kuala Lumpur, accelerates the process as well.
This is appealing for those working in the area but are residing in areas like Klang and Shah Alam, as the improved public transportation options offer a convenient means of commuting to and from work.
We can expect to see more offerings in the future catering to younger and more affluent urbanites, and with more amenities built to meet their needs and lifestyles.
Story courtesy of Henry Butcher Malaysia