$19m waterfront oasis to be built in Woodlands

Channel NewsAsia 26 Jan 08;

SINGAPORE: Come 2010, Woodlands residents can enjoy seafront recreational amenities right at their doorstops.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has unveiled a S$19m design plan to build a coastal promenade and park in their neighbourhood.

Woodlands will certainly live up to its name with URA's "Woodlands Waterfront" proposal, where more lush greenery, trees and woods will be planted.

A nine-hectare park will be created from vacant land along the coastline, featuring playgrounds, picnic areas and nature trails to cater to different recreational needs.

Right next to the park is a 1.5-kilometre long promenade that will offer unobstructed views of the Johor Straits.

To allow visitors to be closer to the water, an old jetty connected to the park will be refurbished as well.

On why the waterfront idea was mooted, head of the project at URA, Wan Khin Wai, said: "In Woodlands today, you'll find that this is one of the towns that are located along the coastline. However if you're inside of it, you can't appreciate the coastline. So, this project offers residents (the chance) to get to the coastline and have recreational activities there."

The Woodlands Waterfront proposal is part of URA's overall vision to raise the standard of living here, said its director for conservation & urban design, Ler Seng Ann.

"Singapore is an island, surrounded by water on all sides. The waterfront is an important asset. So, in the planning of parks and waterbodies plan, we have capitalised on all these so that we can generate recreation space for Singaporeans to enjoy."

A Woodlands resident, Mrs Chow, is looking forward to the new amenities. "The plan's very good because so far, we don't have any of these things around our area. If you want to have this kind of places, we have to travel all the way to the east side."

Construction of the Woodlands Waterfront will begin by the middle of this year and is expected to be completed by the middle of 2010.

The Woodlands Waterfront is also something Dr Tony Tan, ex-MP of the area, will definitely look forward to as it was his dream to have it.

"He shared his dream of using the waterfront....bring in water sports, water activities, and let the residents enjoy the waterfront and have a good view of Johor Baru, our closest neighbour. It has been one of his (Dr Tony Tan's) dreams for Sembawang," revealed Health Minister Khaw Boon Wan. - CNA/938LIVE/ir


URA unveils another new waterfront proposal
URA press release 26 Jan 08;

Residents in Woodlands New Town get to enjoy more recreation spaces at their doorsteps

The Urban Redevelopment Authority today unveiled the design proposals for the Woodlands Waterfront, comprising a coastal promenade and a park in Woodlands. The new facilities are part of URA's plans to enhance our living environment by capitalising on our natural assets.

Exciting plans in store for residents in the northern region

Residents of Woodlands and those living in nearby residential estates can look forward to a new waterfront recreational playground, right at their doorsteps.

To improve accessibility to the northern coast and to open up the scenic waterfront, URA will be building a 1.5-km long promenade and a nine hectare park along a tranquil stretch of coastline in Woodlands.

The new promenade is conceived as a linear recreational and fitness trail offering unobstructed, expansive views of the Johor Straits. The landscaped promenade will offer beautiful lush greenery and will be interspersed with rest points and fitness stations. The promenade in the form of boardwalk will be built over the seawall, bringing visitors closer to the water’s edge. Whether you are an avid runner, exercise enthusiast or simply enjoy a relaxing stroll with your family, the promenade makes an attractive recreational facility.

To further capitalise on the sea frontage, a park will be created right next to the coastal promenade. The design of the park leverages on the existing terrain and contours to create interesting spaces and views within the park.

The park is designed to cater to different recreational needs with a variety of amenities. For example, there will be jogging and fitness trail and cycling tracks for fitness enthusiasts; playgrounds for young children; event spaces to hold outdoor community functions; picnic areas for families; and nature trails as a haven for nature lovers. To bring visitors closer to the water, an old jetty connected to the park will also be refurbished to allow for recreational activities.

Realising Plans in Partnership with the Community

The Woodlands Waterfront will form part of the comprehensive network of parks and park connectors in the area. When it is completed in 2010, residents will be able to access and enjoy a large part of the northern waterfront. It will be linked to the new Admiralty Park, which opened last October. In future, it will also be linked to the Woodlands Town Garden via a park connector along Woodlands Centre Road and through the HDB estate.

The idea to enhance the Woodlands Waterfront was first mooted and exhibited as part of the Woodlands Improvement Plan in February 2002. It was then incorporated into the Parks and Waterbodies Plan as part of Master Plan 2003 review.

URA’s CEO, Mrs Cheong Koon Hean, said, “This is another example that shows that our plans do not remain on the drawing board. The new facilities are part of URA’s plans to continually enhance the quality of our living environment and to strengthen Singaporeans’ sense of belonging and identity. We will continue to work in partnership with the community to provide an attractive living environment for all to enjoy.”

Members of Parliament for the Sembawang GRC welcome the plans to activate the coastline to provide an additional recreational destination close to the residents. “This will be one project highly anticipated by the residents. With the new facilities, they can indulge in a greater variety of leisure activities without having to travel very far,” said Mr Hawazi Daipi, MP for Sembawang GRC and Chairman of the Facilities Co-ordinating Committee for Sembawang, Woodlands and Yishun.

Mr Khaw Boon Wan, Minister for Health and MP for Sembawang GRC, will officiate the launch of the “Woodlands Waterfront and the Discovery Map” at Woodlands Civic Centre on Saturday, 26 January 2008. The design proposals for Woodlands Waterfront will be exhibited from 26 to 29 January 2008. Members of the public, including the residents are welcome to give their feedback on the proposals.

JY Huang Associates has been appointed to design and build the coastal promenade and park. Construction will begin in the middle of this year.

In November 2007, the URA also announced the plans for a new waterfront promenade and a park at Punggol Point.

Links

Upping the Wow Factor in Woodlands
in Skyline the URA e-newsletter Jan/Feb 08 issue