More than 2,600 homes would be built following the development of 2 wellness hubs in Medini Iskandar.
A joint venture between Singapore’s Temasek Holdings and Malaysia’s Khazanah Nasional, both flagship projects – Afiniti and Avira, have a combined worth of RM3 billion (S$1.2 billion). The projects are built with a strong focus on wellness that incorporates spas and medical facilities and are designed to meet the increasing demand for a well-balanced life.
Avira, a resort wellness project located in Medini, sits on 85 hectares of land which features residential properties and a commercial hub. Avira would be providing more than 2,400 homes where 96 bungalow units, 458 units of terrace homes, 168 semi-detached homes, 1,769 condominium units and 320 service apartment units are slated to be built. A wellness sanctuary forms the focal point of the development, which would target residents who are seeking a resort lifestyle all year round away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
As for Afiniti, the project is on a relatively smaller scale in comparison to Avira. The development sits on 1.8 hectares of land and comprises a wellness centre, service apartments, a corporate training centre and Oasis, a 147-unit development of premium strata residences which consists of studio, 1, 2 and 2+1 bedroom units.
Situated next to Legoland Malaysia and between Medini Mall and Gleneagles Medini Hospital, Afiniti would also feature a 33-storey and 310-unit Somerset Medini service apartments managed by The Ascott Ltd. On top of that, there would be a four-storey corporate training centre housing its anchor tenant, CIMB’s Leadership Academy.
According to The Ascott, the Somerset Medini project aims to attract professionals who would be there for corporate training, visiting higher education institutes located in Educity Iskandar or for the purpose of medical tourism from the adjacent Gleneagles Medini Hospital, all of whom would be keen on short-term stays at the service apartments.
Afiniti targets to complete construction by 2015 and aims to be a regional destination for families, tourists and professionals looking to combine wellness, retail and hospitality with corporate training needs.
Overall, developers are generally optimistic about the reception and prospect for both Medini projects. They are specifically targeting buyers who are baby boomers, many of whom have reached or would be reaching their retirement age. The projects would be looking to provide a holistic environment built on the concept of a resort wellness lifestyle with world-class healthcare facilities which include the development of a 16 hectares Gleneagles Medini Hospital.
When commenting on the Iskandar development area as a whole, PM Lee said that the robust development in the Islandar region would offer companies with the prime opportunity to set up their bases there. He added that for those companies which are looking to expand in Singapore but cannot quite fit in, Iskandar would serve as the next best choice.
