Sparkling new gem to draw in crowds

Fantastic sea-nery: Ahmad Fuzi admiring the view through panoramic binoculars at Gurney Bay as Chow (on Ahmad Fuzi’s right) looks on. — LIM BENG TATT/The Star

GEORGE TOWN: The Pearl of the Orient has a spanking new “gem” to boast about at the iconic Gurney Drive.After much painstaking planning and effort, Gurney Bay, the newly reclaimed coastline there, has opened just in time for the Chinese New Year and school holidays, making it a sure top-draw tourist attraction.

Sprawling 11.2ha, the first phase has a viewing deck, playground, skate park, kiosks, toilet and open air car parks, with a promenade around the park right next to the sea, providing a vantage view of the Penang coastline.

There is also lush greenery with 1,500 trees and 10,000 shrubs in the area.

Among the first to go on a walkabout at the bay yesterday was Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Ahmad Fuzi Abdul Razak, who was accompanied by Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow and other senior state officials.

“Phase One is now open to the public. Work under phase two is currently at 40% and is expected to be completed by mid-2025,” Chow said after the walkabout.

Gurney Drive is a popular seafront promenade within the city.

The road is famous for street cuisine at the seafront’s hawker centre and has been listed as one of the 25 best streets worldwide to visit by The Traveller, Australia’s travel magazine.

Chow said based on recommendations of the project consultant, the state appointed four sub-contractors to oversee the specific components.

Phase Two, which covers 29.98ha, will include a hawker centre, multi-level carpark, vantage point, toilets, a water taxi jetty, beach and broadway, and water garden.

“An additional 3,041 trees will be planted. In years to come after the trees have matured, the landscape of the area will be transformed,” the chief minister said.

Chow said there will be over 1,000 parking bays once the project is fully completed.

“There will be 800 bays for cars, 12 for buses and 238 for motorcycles. We will see if there is any buffer land left after the project’s completion to add more parking bays,” he said.

The ground-breaking ceremony for the RM247.8mil project was held on May 14, 2022.

Mooted in 2016, the project was first tagged Gurney Wharf before being renamed Gurney Bay to better reflect its location and concept.