Ikano Centres Malaysia will officially unveil the name of its Batu Kawan mixed-use development on Penang's mainland next week.
This meeting place will provide Penangites with a unique and enhanced shopping, dining, entertainment, and leisure experience, with an integrated shopping centre anchored by IKEA.
The shopping centre currently contains 200,000 square (sq) feet (ft) of gross leasable area (GLA). Phase 1 was completed in December 2019, and Phase 2 in November 2021.
Following phases of the mixed-use development will be built in accordance with the Aspen Vision City (AVC) township expansion plans.
Covering 245 acres of freehold land in Bandar Cassia, AVC is the collaboration between Aspen Group and Ikano Pte Ltd, owner of popular furniture franchise IKEA.
Strategically located at the landing point of the Second Penang Bridge, the township offers a mix of condominiums, shop offices, serviced suites, hotels, office tower, financial hub, medical centre and international school.
Among the key highlights of the township is the development of the integrated shopping centre and the Northern Region's very first IKEA store.
Vertu Resort, one of AVC's iconic residences, expects to have at least 700 apartments occupied by the second quarter of this year, with 90 per cent of its units sold. In 2023, two more residential projects in AVC will be complete
Ikano Centres, a subsidiary of Ikano Retail, which is owned by the Ikano Group, is starting the next phase of the Batu Kawan development.
According to reports, an additional 60,000 square feet of retail space, anchored by TMG Plus, Mr. DIY, and Mr. Toy, will open in the fourth quarter of this year to provide more choices of everyday necessities for the growing township.
TMG Plus is TMG's full-fledged concept store, offering a wide choice of grocery, general merchandise, and fresh food items sourced locally and abroad.
MR D.I.Y. is a well-known store of do-it-yourself home improvement products and materials.
KFC, A&W, Tealive, and The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf are among the outlets that will join the shopping centre's F&B drive-thru concept later this year.
A&W, Malaysia's oldest fast-food chain, will open 2,250 sq ft of drive-tru space, featuring designs from the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
The Tealive drive-thru at Batu Kawan will be Malaysia's first Tealive drive-thru with a hot kitchen.
In addition, Ikano Centres has obtained a deal to open a gas station in the area.
Ikano Centres also owns the IPC retail centre in Mutiara Damansara (which opened in 2003), the MyTOWN shopping centre in Cheras (opened in 2017), the Toppen shopping centre in Johor (opened in 2019), and the Megabangna shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand (opened in 2012).
Each shopping centre has IKEA, the powerful Swedish furniture and home furnishing brand.