Bukit Damansara

Bukit Damansara or Damansara Heights is a western suburb in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located less than 5 kilometres from the city centre. It is a much sought-after residential and commercial address in the Klang Valley. It was dubbed as the Beverly Hills of KL by The Star, listing it as one of the most expensive and upmarket housing markets in Malaysia.

Background & progress

Damansara Heights is one of the most exclusive neighborhoods in KL positioned high up on the hills in the midst of a quiet surrounding, just minutes away from the hurly-burly of the city centre. This panoramic and easily accessible township is a much sought after refuge for elite class Malaysians, cabinet ministers and expatriates among others. Damansara Heights is a paradise that caters to the desires of Malaysians and successful expatriates of all walks of life with world class facilities, international cuisines and a glamorous nightlife.

This area is considered a prime elite location with its easy accessibility from the city center and Petaling Jaya. Jalan Maarof from Bangsar easily connects Jalan Damansara. Jalan Duta and Jalan Semantan can be utilized for a quick drive into Damansara Heights from the North-South Expressway.

According to The Edge Daily, Damansara Heights prides itself as one of the most exclusive neighbourhoods in Malaysia. Starting as a residential scheme for government servants more than two decades ago, the address has evolved into a popular choice for high net-worth and the elite class. Besides this, almost all major financial institutions are represented in this limited commercial enclave which now hosts colleges, large multinational corporations, restaurants, regulatory bodies and government departments. To be precise, Jalan Semantan, Jalan Dungun, Jalan Damanlela and Medan Setia are the main corridors with commercial developments.

Over the years, the strategically located Damansara Heights has emerged as a favourable alternative to the congested Golden Triangle in KL.The first office building that came up in Damansara Heights was Wisma Damansara, built in 1970 by Selangor Properties. This was followed by Damansara Office Complex on Jalan Dungun, which at the time also housed the local stock exchange.

There are about 25 purpose-built office buildings within the Damansara Heights Commercial enclave, contributing some 5,000,000 sq ft (460,000 m²) of lettable office space. Rentals here are about 25% cheaper than that in the city — for example in KL City Centre with the exception of Grade A buildings like Petronas Twin Towers, Menara Maxis, Menara Citibank, Menara Dion and Menara IMC, rent averages at RM 10 psf against RM 5 psf in Damansara Heights. The crème de la crème of Petronas Twin Towers commands RM12 psf while Menara Milenium in Damansara Heights fetches RM 8 psf.

The Damansara Heights landscape is improving and demand heating up — as evidenced by the 100% occupancy in 70% of the buildings. The net take-up in 2006 was 71,000 sq ft (6,600 m²). The housing facility availability in the area is another draw. The lists of A-grade tenants relocating here is growing, due possibly to the easier traffic flow (helped by the upgrading of the Sprint Highway), competitive rentals and accessibility between KL, Petaling Jaya and other suburbs. Fortune 500 firms such as Caltex, Hewlett-Packard, Siemens, Ogilvy and Shell all have their operational bases in Damansara Heights.

The office market in the Klang Valley totals 70,000,000 sq ft (6,500,000 m²) and this is dominated by city-located projects (65%), Damansara Heights (7.5%), Bangsar/Pantai (6.4%), Petaling Jaya (9.5%) and others. Based on government-sourced data, Damansara Heights will see another 500,000 sq ft (46,000 m²) in the near future. These will be Grade A and B buildings and with demand tightening in the area, we see the additional space being absorbed quite easily.

Damansara Heights is limited by its small size of developable commercial land and redevelopment is therefore on the cards. The trend is already evident in the demolishing of Wisma Socfin on Jalan Semantan for the construction of UOA II Damansara. Several buildings nearby have also been slated for redevelopment. Increasing efficiency of newer buildings and more modern designs are the driving forces behind this trend. There are now redevelopment plans for some office buildings in the area, such as Banguan SPPK and Wisma Damansara. Wsma Beringin is undergoing refurbishment.

Shopping, Leisure and Entertainment

MidValley Megamall is 5 minutes away from Pantai Dalam while Bangsar Shopping Centre located 3 minutes away

Facilities

• Saidina Umar Al-Khatab Mosque
• Plaza Damansara
• Damansara Specialist Police Station
• Youth Parks

Damansara Heights Twins

See also

• Damansara