RH Consortium to develop 112-acre Riverbank Cove in Manjung

PETALING JAYA: Perak developer RH Consortium Sdn Bhd is gearing up to introduce its first flagship development Riverbank Cove in Manjung, Perak. The project has a total gross development value (GDV) of RM2 billion.

Located just 9km away from the upcoming West Coast Expressway’s Sitiawan Utara interchange, the 112-acre township development will include residential properties, commercial properties, a healthcare centre, a boutique hotel and student accommodation.

“Though it is not the largest project in the vicinity, it is the first of its kind in Manjung. It is a self-contained mixed development that will integrate its natural setting into the landscape design,” RH Consortium executive chairman Ramelle Ashram Ramli told EdgeProp.my.

The Perak-based RH Consortium has been in the construction and property development business since 2013. It recently completed a joint venture project of high-end gated-and-guarded super-link homes located in Bandar Taiping, Perak. It also built over 700 units of low-cost houses for the Perak state government from 2013 to 2017.

RH Consortium is also a regular main contractor for Yayasan Bina Upaya Darul Ridzuan’s affordable housing project in Perak. 

Situated right at the river mouth of Sungai Tiong overseeing Pangkor Island, Riverbank Cove will have six activated pocket parks, four lakes and a natural canal that flows through part of the development from Sungai Manjung. More than 10% of the total land size has been allocated to these green spaces. 

“This is our first flagship project and we want to do it right. We are planning our projects with nature as its core because we wish to provide homes in a serene environment. It is also part of RH Consortium project’s DNA,” said Ramelle.

The development is separated into two main parcels by Jalan A178, comprising 35 acres (first phase) and 77 acres (second phase). The developer will be applying to rename the road as Persiaran Riverbank Cove.

There are two sub-phases in the first phase. The first sub-phase comprises 100 units of double-storey terraced houses with a built-up of 20ft by 62.5ft and an indicative price from RM289,000 onwards. It was launched in August this year and some 60% have been sold so far.

The second sub-phase will offer another 100 double-storey terraced homes with a similar built-up and selling price, as well as 300 townhouses under the Rumah PerakKu affordable housing scheme with a built-up of 20ft by 65ft selling from RM190,000. The terraced homes are slated to open for sale mid next year while the townhouses are expected to be launched before this year-end.

The community has been designed as a gated community and a guardhouse is provided to give the residents an option to upgrade the community into a guarded one in future.

Lifestyle living in demand

The second phase located across the road will see another 500 “gated-and-guarded” landed homes, the boutique hotel, healthcare confinement centre, commercial lots, student accommodation and potentially, a riverfront resort.

“There is a beautiful 20m-wide canal flowing from the river into the heart of the project and we will create a 3km jogging track along the canal,” shared group CEO Hamzarul Hazmir Hamdan.

First to be introduced in the second phase will be 147 3-storey commercial shop units and the boutique hotel.

“We have yet to finalise the details but we should be selling some shoplots and keeping some, so that we get to control the right tenant mix. The boutique hotel will go hand-in-hand with the commercial component,” said Hamzarul, adding that the company is currently in talks with a few hoteliers.

He shared that a business hotel is very much in demand in the Manjung area as the place is becoming more vibrant with more business and industrial activities.

“Manjung is the fastest growing place in Perak, thanks to the robust business and investment activities such as the Lumut Port Industrial Park, TNB Janamanjung, Petronas oil terminal and the West Coast Expressway. These mega projects have brought in expatriates, hence accommodation- be it hotels or residences - are in very good demand in Manjung,” Hamzarul noted.

Riverbank Cove is strategically located in the heart of Manjung. There is a shopping mall, hospital, commercial centres and schools within a few kilometres. It is only 6.5km to 7.5km to mature towns such as Lumut, Seri Manjung and Sitiawan.

Ramelle said the developer is looking to build and lease the healthcare services and confinement centre for mothers to a third party. 

“This is so that we have the option to repurpose the property when market demand changes. For instance, currently, we do not have a high-rise residential component because the product is not in demand yet in Manjung,” Ramelle explained.

As for the student accommodation, he said it is to meet the demand from students enrolled at the Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) Manjung campus, which is located close to Riverbank Cove.

“Manjung’s housing rents are among the highest in Perak. Certain areas and property types could command even higher rents than Ipoh.

“We are looking at a sell-and-leaseback model and it may not be restricted to UniKL students. The student accommodation will have facilities like a common room and gym,” Ramelle shared.

Riverbank Cove will be developed over 10 years and detailed planning for some projects has yet to be finalised including the parcel fronting the river.

“It is one of the most precious spots of the entire development because it is quiet, more private and river-fronting. We may build some high-end landed residences there. We are also open to cooperation and we are in talks with some resort players to explore opportunities,” Ramelle said.

This story first appeared in the EdgeProp.my pullout on Nov 22, 2019. You can access back issues here.