Former Indonesian President BJ Habibie’s Billion-Dollar Project To Transform Batam Reaches Next Milestone

BATAM, INDONESIA - Media OutReach - 18 March 2019 - Many people often associate Indonesia's Batam island with its beautiful sandy beaches and lush resorts, but retain the perception that the island is underdeveloped and lacking an urban landscape. However, this is all going change as soon as next year, when Batam locals and travellers can look forward to the island's very first mega-mall, Pollux Mall Batam, equivalent to the size of Singapore's Ngee Ann City.

Pollux Mall Batam is just one part of the Meisterstadt Batam project, a masterplan to transform the skyline of Batam, helmed by former Indonesian president Dr. Ing. H. Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie. He also serves as honorary chairman to Pollux Habibie International, the company overseeing the project.

The Meisterstadt Batam project will cover a sprawling land space of over 8.6 hectares, and will include the 860,000 square-foot Pollux Mall Batam, eight residential towers, a hotel, a hospital that will benefit locals in Batam, and a 100-storey office building measuring 350 metres, around twice the height of Singapore's famous Marina Bay Sands.

The project reached a new milestone on 5 March with a topping-off ceremony for its second residential tower. The ceremony was attended by Dr. Ilham Akbar Habibie, son of Dr. B.J.Habibie and President Commissioner of Pollux Habibie International, as well as Mr. Po Sun Kok, Chairman of Pollux Group.

"We're heartened to be so close to bringing the first phase of Meisterstadt Batam to both the locals and the many tourists visiting the island. This is just a small step in our long-term vision to transform Batam Island. After Phase 1, we look forward to unveiling more groundbreaking constructions that will become iconic landmarks of the Batam skyline," said Mr. Ilham Habibie.

Pollux Habibie International aims to complete the construction of four residential towers, known as the Wunderbar Residences, and a portion of the mall by this year, as the first phase of the Meisterstadt Batam project. By the second quarter of next year, visitors to Batam and locals can visit Pollux Mall Batam, which will house popular international brands such as J.CO Donuts & Coffee and BreadTalk, as well as a cinema.

Residents who purchased units in the first two towers of the Wunderbar Residences can also look forward to moving in next year, where they will be able to look forward to facilities and amenities such as a central park circumventing all four towers, sporting facilities and an infinity pool at the top of the last tower, where residents can catch a glimpse of neighbouring Singapore's Marina Bay Sands on a clear day.

"Batam is a mere 40-minute ride away from Singapore, and is a popular destination for many Singaporean travellers. With the completion of Pollux Mall Batam, Singaporeans now have an alternative to Johor Bahru, with the guarantee that the traffic will not be held up," said Mr Po.

"We are also expecting many Singaporeans to be interested in purchasing units in the Wunderbar Residences. Meisterstadt Batam is only a five minute drive from Batam Centre Ferry Terminal. A Singaporean living here can easily get to work in just a little over an hour. As the country's population continues to rapidly increase, this could be a viable option for many Singaporeans."

At the moment, the first three towers of the Wunderbar Residences have already been launched and 95 per cent of the units have been sold. The final tower will be launched later this month. The topping-off ceremonies for the third and last towers will be held on the first week of April and May this year respectively.