Meranti Condominium, Taman Raintree, Batu Caves
Gone are the days when Batu Caves was a place far off from the city, best known for the landmark temple and Thaipusam festival. These days, thanks in part to the expanding KL city edges, and the MRR2, Batu Caves is a hub of business and residential activity. It has sort of become that much nearer to Gombak/Melawati on one side, and Selayang / Kepong on the other side, and it has always been seen as an extension to the Jalan Ipoh area.
Many developers have been active here in recent years, and one of them being Sunway. The rapid development is evident as you drive along the elevated stretches of the MRR2, and you can see the new areas are slowly encroaching to form a part of the older, more established areas that once defined Batu Caves.
Impiana Land and Development have launched a mixed development in the area, and Meranti condominium is the first launch from that project. This forms part of their Taman Raintree, and there are some landed units planned in the mix, too. Altogether there are three blocks of condominiums in the project, the other two are named Penaga and Semarak, and are not launched yet.
The location is actually quite attractive for those looking to stay in this area. The actual site is just beside the limestone hills of Batu Caves, just a few minutes off the main road of MRR2. The developers are banking on the completion of a proposed new KTM station here, plus a proposed dedicated flyover connecting to the highway, as part of their marketing plan. The salespeople are expecting the KTM station to be completed in 2009 before the completion of condo. If the infrastructure is successfully completed by KTM on time, it will be a definite boost to the not only the project, but the surrounding areas as well.
Being the first block of units to be open for sale to the public, the units are designed and priced to cater for a wider market appeal. There are 18 floors of units, with 216 units in total. Units either face Batu Caves, or face the faraway Genting Highlands. There three unit types - Type A1 at 926sq.ft. (60 units), Type A at 1,098sq.ft. (84 units) and the largest Type B which is 1,227sq.ft. (with 72 units).
All units come with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths, and with a small balcony. They are the ’semi-D’ design, each unit shares a party wall with one other unit. For the largest Type B, the party wall is quite short, and there is slightly more privacy afforded to the living room.
The facilities provided are standard, like swimming pool, security, shops, sauna and steam bath, etc.
Units start from onwards RM145,000, which is about the same as some of the other condominiums offered around this area. With the right unit, you can get a nice ‘green’ view that would not be obstructed. The price is below RM150k, and is definitely accessible to a wider market, especially first time buyers looking to stay in this area.
| Project Name | Meranti Condominium |
| Location | Taman Raintree, Batu Caves |
| Description | Three blocks of residential mid-rise condominium |
| Land type | Leasehold |
| Encumbrances | Charged to Bank Rakyat |
| Price | from RM145,000 to RM182,000 (starting from RM156psf) |
| Unit size | 926, 1,098 and 1,227sq.ft |
| No of units | for this block: 216 in total: 684 |
| Launch Date | now available |
| Expected Completion | Dec 2010 |
| Developer | Ratus Bayan Sdn. Bhd. (subsidiary of Impiana Land & Development Sdn. Bhd.) |
| Contact | 03 - 6185 8423 |
| Contact | www.impianaland.com.my (apparently, it’s not working…) |
This condominium should attract the Middle-Class Indians. Also suitable for those in their Sixties and prefering Modern Apartments in real Countryside settings where life is slower and more relaxing.
Comment by Alfred Kok TL — March 24, 2008 @ 7:01 pm
Please dont be racist. Indian, Malay, Chinese all same. God does not discriminate by race.
Comment by malaysian — March 24, 2008 @ 9:17 pm
Hey Malaysian, please don’t read anymore into some innocent statement than there is, or are you too blind or ignorant to notice that in some suburbs/areas, you will see a predominant race living there. So if we say that some new development in Bandar Utama will appeal to middle income Chinese, or some new bungalows in Shah Alam will appeal to higher income Malays…. is that racist? It’s just about demographics, so stop making your politically correct religious statements here, you sad case.
Comment by Kev — March 26, 2008 @ 5:33 pm
I totally agreed with Kev. don’t have to jump into racist remarks whenever the word malay, chinese or indian is mentioned. As long as we are not condemning any particular race by name.
Comment by linustw — April 1, 2008 @ 3:42 pm
Dear Administrator, can you introduce more properties in this area? I’m interested in the potential of the proposed railway. Thank you.
Comment by rister — April 16, 2008 @ 7:46 pm
any suggestions of other projects in this area that we can look at?
Comment by Administrator — April 16, 2008 @ 7:55 pm
Hi, the website of the developer, www.impianaland.com.my, is working now.
Comment by rister — May 5, 2008 @ 10:39 am