BATAM, INDONESIA - Media OutReach - 18 March2019 - Many peopleoften associate Indonesia's Batam island with its beautiful sandy beaches andlush resorts, but retain the perception that the island is underdeveloped andlacking an urban landscape. However, this is all going change as soon as nextyear, when Batam locals and travellers can look forward to the island's veryfirst mega-mall, Pollux Mall Batam, equivalent to the size of Singapore's NgeeAnn City.
Pollux Mall Batam is just one part of the Meisterstadt Batamproject, a masterplan to transform the skyline of Batam, helmed by former Indonesianpresident Dr. Ing. H. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. He also serves as honorary chairman toPollux Habibie International, the company overseeing the project.
The Meisterstadt Batam project will cover a sprawling land spaceof over 8.6 hectares, and will include the 860,000 square-foot Pollux MallBatam, eight residential towers, a hotel, a hospital that will benefit localsin Batam, and a 100-storey office building measuring 350 metres, around twicethe height of Singapore's famous Marina Bay Sands.
The project reached a new milestone on 5 March with a topping-offceremony for its second residential tower. The ceremony was attended by Dr.Ilham Akbar Habibie, son of Dr. B.J.Habibie and President Commissioner ofPollux Habibie International, as well as Mr. Po Sun Kok, Chairman of PolluxGroup.
"We're heartened to be so close to bringing the first phase ofMeisterstadt Batam to both the locals and the many tourists visiting theisland. This is just a small step in our long-term vision to transform BatamIsland. After Phase 1, we look forward to unveiling more groundbreakingconstructions that will become iconic landmarks of the Batam skyline," said Mr.Ilham Habibie.
Pollux Habibie International aims to complete the construction offour residential towers, known as the Wunderbar Residences, and a portion of the mall bythis year, as the first phase of the Meisterstadt Batam project. By the second quarter ofnext year, visitors to Batam and locals can visit Pollux Mall Batam, which will housepopular international brands such as J.CO Donuts & Coffee and BreadTalk, aswell as a cinema.
Residents who purchased units in the first two towers of theWunderbar Residences can also look forward to moving in next year, where they will be ableto look forward to facilities and amenities such as a central parkcircumventing all four towers, sporting facilities and an infinity pool at thetop of the last tower, where residents can catch a glimpse of neighbouring Singapore'sMarina Bay Sands on a clear day.
"Batam is a mere 40-minute ride away from Singapore, and is apopular destination for many Singaporean travellers. With the completion ofPollux Mall Batam, Singaporeans now have an alternative to Johor Bahru, withthe guarantee that the traffic will not be held up," said Mr Po.
"We are also expecting many Singaporeans to be interested inpurchasing units in the Wunderbar Residences. Meisterstadt Batam is only a five minutedrive from Batam Centre Ferry Terminal. A Singaporean living here can easilyget to work in just a little over an hour. As the country's populationcontinues to rapidly increase, this could be a viable option for manySingaporeans."
At the moment, the first three towers of the Wunderbar Residenceshave already been launched and 95 per cent of the units have been sold. The finaltower will be launched later this month. The topping-off ceremonies for thethird and last towers will be held on the first week of April and May this yearrespectively.