GEORGE TOWN: The Penang government has assured that no high-rise residential and hotel projects will be built inside Gurney Bay.
This came after a viral posting on social media recently, questioning if the northern part of the Gurney Bay project on reclaimed land would soon have a 69-storey high building.
State Local Government Committee chairman H'ng Mooi Lye reiterated that the Gurney Bay project was a state initiative to provide a public recreational park on a plot of land which had been surrendered to the state government as part of a component under phase two of the Seri Tanjung Pinang reclamation project.
"As far as we are concerned, it will remain as green as possible with some F&B components, multi-storey carparks and such.
"There will not be any 69-storey high building inside the Gurney Bay project," he said today.
The Gurney Bay project, built on a 40.8 hectare site, will be developed in two phases.
Phase one, measuring 10.9 hectares, has been completed and opened its doors to the public on Feb 4.
Works on phase two, measuring 29.9 hectares, are expected to be completed next year.
Explaining, H'ng said the supposed 69-storey high building would be sited on a 8.4 hectare site adjacent to phase two of the Gurney Bay project.
"This land is just opposite Gurney Plaza. It is part of a land swap deal for package two of a highway project.
"It is not part of the Gurney Bay project.
"The state also has a piece of reserve land, measuring 2.8 hectares, outside of the Gurney Bay project," he added.
H'ng said the Gurney Bay project is being monitored closely to ensure it is in line with the concept and idea announced by the state government.
