Kencana Square vs SJCC - Subang Jaya City Center

UOA has in fact started to take bookings for their 1st launch in Kencana Square - the SOVO (Small Office Virtual Office) units. Why don't they want to call this traditional SOHO (Small Office Home Office)? SOHO means you actually live and work in the same place therefore, it's also a home. So, I wonder if SOVO means you can't live there.... or, is it by omitting the Home from the name allows the developer to circumvent Schedule H which gives protection to buyers under the Housing Development Act?

Anyway, coming back to Kencana Square, they've got 2 blocks of 10-storey Duplexes with "high ceiling and sleek glass facade". As with all SOVOs or SOHOs, car parks are not in the package. The prices range from RM800k to RM900k for 900sf up to 1200sf units. UOA is offering DIBs and a 8% discount to early birdies...

Much of the hype about Kencana Square is the very visible location by the Federal Highway. The Kelana Jaya LRT line will also be extended up to here - a very own station by the project. I do not understand why UOA need to publicize so much about the link bridge across to the KTM station in Subang Jaya. The KTM, unlike the LRT is a very unreliable service. Poor folks and students in Subang Jaya use it because they have no other choice. However, with the LRT extended into Kencana Square and Subang Jaya, there is hardly any need for this.

The success or failure of Kencana Square perhaps is best compared with Plaza Pantai. This plaza, is an office complex by the Federal Highway directly opposite RTM. In fact, it has the Kerinchi LRT station right inside the plaza. But it has been an epic failure from the start. Many people blame the access - there is no direct access from the Federal Highway and of course the very poor management. Kencana will also have no direct access from Federal Highway. Some say there will be access but nothing is in the master plan and even if there will be access it will only be from one side, the Klang towards KL side.

Kencana Square will also face a lot of competition from Sime Darby's planned Subang Jaya City Center which will be built on the empty plot of land along the KTM tracks.

Sime Darby has already engaged a reknowned architecture firm, Benoy to design an integrated city in this plot. Much will be centred around the fact that the current KTM station will have a bus interchange and the LRT extended right into it. This will be the future transport hub on the West part of the Klang Valley. Current owners of the e-Tiara, Empire Subang and Saujana Residency must be very excited about this prospect. 

So, here Kencana buyers have just been added on an extra risk - we don't know yet what SJCC is going to offer, but if they are exactly the same as Kencana then they are looking at some serious competition. Will Kencana be able to share the glory and vibrance of SJCC? I doubt it, because it will be so cut off by the Federal Highway to be able to enjoy it although it is just 1 LRT stop or a short walk across the link bridge to be able to make it. I won't say Kencana Square will be a failure... I just say it has to be executed so well that it sets itself different from the competition literally just across the road...