Imperio Group’s bold developments set to transform Kedah’s status quo
Beneath the apparently stable property market in Kedah, the needle has been moving. In April, the state’s inaugural Cold Storage opened at Simpang Kuala’s mid-century cinema building, Tai Kuan. Long fallen into disuse, Tai Kuan’s former vibrancy is now revived with a gentrified lifestyle element brought upon by the grocer’s opening.
Far from a standalone project, Cold Storage is the premier component of the site’s rejuvenation into a vibrant plaza named The Tenz Emporium. This upcoming plaza will feature a 200m covered walkway connecting directly to The Tenz which is Kedah’s first integrated development, situated on the historic site of Simpang Kuala’s former marketplace, Chap Keng Tiam.
Both developed by Imperio Group, The Tenz specifically comprises Vivre Residence (serviced apartments), Vaycay Suites (serviced suites), The Tenz Commercial Podium and Ibis Styles Hotel. The developer has woven in an activation strategy for The Tenz, underpinned by walkability, conveniences within easy access and community interaction at the open-air courtyard with a modern, lifestyle-driven design. With its sales gallery set to open for its July launch, it represents a major departure from the single-purpose developments common in Kedah.
In an interview with StarProperty, Imperio Group founder and chief executive officer Lee Woei Nen, an Alor Setar native and a former civil engineer, believes that Kedahans deserve more thoughtful developments seen in major urban cities. He started Imperio Group in 2010 with the mission to produce something different.
“The Kedah property market has always been conservative. It is predominantly landed and there aren't many high-rise developments or integrated products. There isn’t a signature project. The developers here are mostly small-scale and they usually build below 100 units,” he said.
“At my first project (Taman Savori), built on my parents’ land, I was already trying to do something different. I incorporated modern designs and offered semi-furnished units. We tried to bring in some lifestyle elements to the rather conventional market in Kedah. That became our company DNA,” he added.
Imperio Group’s first high-rise development, Imperio Professional Suites, featuring facilities such as a rooftop infinity pool and gym, was fully sold, defying the sceptics.
“When we first launched our high-rise, skeptics in different institutions questioned us whether the Alor Setar market was ready to accept and sustain the development? But our projects are based on deep studies of the market and it (Imperio Professional Suites) proved to us the market was ready for it. But first we have to understand what the market wants,” he said.
Lee also explained The Tenz is backed by a comprehensive study as well as his market knowledge as a local. Vivre Residence at The Tenz is built for the younger homebuyers, with novel concepts such as units with hackable walls to accommodate their lifestyles at different stages of life, a dedicated zone for parcel delivery and a community super app. For commercial vibrancy, Lee said Ibis Styles Hotel is brought in to fulfil the area’s demand for quality but inexpensive hospitality services. Moreover, the developer is fully retaining The Tenz’s commercial components, underscoring its confidence in the development.
“The market study informed us about setting the right entry selling price (for younger buyers), as a landed property costs (them) double. Secondly, we brought in the right hotel tier for the market. Every planning and design has its reasons and rationale, so that’s where our confidence came from,” Lee emphasised.
Best of both worlds
About 5km from The Tenz, at Jalan Tanjung Bendahara near the Kedah river, Lee is creating another first for the more affluent upgraders: 11 Tanjung, a landed strata development. It is not a mere gated and guarded enclave; it has a clubhouse, an elevated, vehicle-free spine for residents and children to roam free and comprises three-storey residences with a central courtyard.
Lee said 11 Tanjung is born out of his fondness for the good old kampung way of living where children have the outdoors for playtime and neighbours truly interact with one another. He called the elevated, vehicle-free spine Laman Santai – a representation of the modern city version of the village ways. With landed strata, 11 Tanjung offers the best of both worlds for upgraders where they can have the security and facilities enjoyed in high-rise and the generous layout and plenty of outdoor space found at landed developments.
“11 Tanjung is for the multi-generation, lifestyle-driven families. In Kedah, landed property is always chosen for space and privacy, and condos are for security and facilities. You couldn’t have both here and this is a compromise that never sits right with me. That’s why 11 Tanjung removes that compromise entirely. It is Alor Setar’s first hybrid project,” Lee enthused.
“We have a very good location on the cape of the river and we also want to introduce the Chinese courtyard home concept (Siheyuan),” Lee added. “The courtyard at the centre of the unit brings in natural lighting to all levels on the ground, first and second floors, brightening up the entire home. At a typical terrace home, natural lighting cannot reach the kitchen area because it is blocked by the car porch. So Siheyuan is actually an old architectural wisdom.”
While Siheyuan comprises separate dwellings for each unit of the family hierarchy, creating a potentially sprawling complex, 11 Tanjung’s three-storey residences make a neat demarcation between active living and privacy. Lee explained that the former, which takes place in the kitchen and living area, is on the first floor where there is no bedroom. Bedrooms are allocated on the ground floor, ideally for the maid and elderly to reduce staircase dependency, and on the 2nd floor, for privacy.
“Our buyers are not first-time home owners. They already have properties in the surrounding area but they are looking for something different to upgrade towards. With 11 Tanjung, there is now a unique product,” Lee said.
Delivering on promises made
Both The Tenz and 11 Tanjung have received industry acclaims at the recent StarProperty Real Estate Developer Awards 2026, winning the highest honours in their respective categories.
“The judges’ recognition makes us quite proud of the projects themselves which were said to be too bold. One (The Tenz) is on the heritage site, sitting on community memory. The other (11 Tanjung) introduces a living concept that isn’t common even in Klang Valley. The awards validate not just the company but every buyer who believes in this vision before everybody else,” Lee reflected.
Nevertheless, delivering the promises of both developments remains the top priority for Lee and his team. With 11 Tanjung’s completion targeted for Q42028 and The Tenz’ full launch slated for Q12029, Lee emphasised that they are fully committed to the high standards they have set. This execution is particularly vital since Imperio Group’s retained stake in The Tenz’ commercial components ties directly into the company’s long-term plan to transition toward the build-and-operate model.
“We make deliberate design decisions at The Tenz for it to reflect how people actually live. Instead of a mall, we want to create service-driven outlets. People go in person for services like a pre-school or to shop at a quality grocery store. We will build a community hub to generate recurring income. Since we are retaining our commercial component which is about 30% of the GDV, it is our conviction that the recurring income can weather any cycle,” he shared.
“When your own skin is in the game, you will think differently and build differently. My deeper mission has always been to transform Alor Setar into a city with a premium property market. This, I hope the industry will continue taking notice,” he said.
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