Mitsui Fudosan Co Ltd, a Tokyo-based real estate company, has officially opened the Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Bukit Bintang City Centre, or LaLaport BBCC for short, to the public.
Spanning over 78,500sqm, it is Mitsui Fudosan's first LaLaport mall in Southeast Asia. It is the core of the RM8.7 billion Bukit Bintang City Centre (BBCC), a 7.9-hectare mixed-use urban development project currently under construction on the former Pudu jail site.
BBCC is being developed by BBCC Development Sdn Bhd, a consortium comprising UDA Holdings Bhd, Eco World Development Group Bhd, and the Employee Provident Fund (EPF), and will include residences, serviced apartments, office buildings, and hotels.
The BBCC project, when completed, will be the only landmark that proposes a new Japanese-based lifestyle, allowing the local community to "live, work, play, and gather" in a more convenient manner.
The RM1.6 billion retail mall was developed by Mitsui Fudosan's 50 per cent-owned Malaysian subsidiary MFBBCC Retail Mall Sdn Bhd. The consortium partners own the remaining 50 per cent.
As LaLaport BBCC opens to the public, works will continue on new projects such as the serviced apartments, a parcel developed by the company that is expected to commercialise starting 2024.
Mitsui Fudosan said in a statement that with its vast experience in mixed-use complex development in urban areas, it would provide a variety of convenient services for office workers and residents in the adjacent blocks.
Furthermore, it will proceed with the development of the BBCC area in a step-by-step manner, collaborating closely with adjacent facilities and partners such as BBCC Development.
According to the company, it will contribute to the revitalisation of the surrounding area as well as the value enhancement of the entire BBCC project.
LaLaport BBCC is one of the largest LaLaport malls in the world, and the second of its kind outside of Japan, following the April 2021 opening of Mitsui Shopping Park LaLaport Shanghai Jinqia.
In Japan alone, there are 16 LaLaport shopping malls.
LaLaport BBCC has a total floor area of 133,000 square metres and approximately 2,400 parking spaces.
There will be about 400 stores to be opened in stages, starting from this month, including popular brands from Japan, such as Nitori, Nojima, JONETZ by Don Don DOnki, and Coo&RIKU, Japan's largest pet shop with a cat café.
Other tenants include Nitinagin&Co, Malaysia's first indoor Thai floating market offering Thai street food and products, BookXcess, ROLLERWA+, a Korean indoor roller skating rink, Golden Screen Cinemas, and MR DIY.
The Garden Dining Food Court, Gourmet Street, and Depachika Marche are among the three food courts at the mall.
It also includes a 1,700-square-meter 'Central Rooftop Garden,' which includes a roofed step stage surrounded by greenery.
In addition, "Zepp Kuala Lumpur", one of Japan's leading concert halls, will open in the "entertainment hub" area of the block adjacent to LaLaport BBCC. The mall plans to have regular music events and campaigns in this facility in collaboration with Zepp, which operates 10 other facilities in Japan and Taiwan.
This will be the first-ever Zepp hall in Malaysia. There are also plans to collaborate with other adjacent partners, such as the "Malaysian Grand Bazaar", which focuses on local specialties, as well as Golden Screen Cinema.
The mall is currently 70 per cent occupied, according to MFBBCC managing director Kohei Kawashima.