Congested roads, factory pollution obstacles to transforming Jurong

Xue Jianyue Today Online 19 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE — The makeover of Jurong, complete with a scenic new garden and waterfront residential housing, could potentially be a big draw, but urban planners will have their work cut out to fully transform the area and cast off its industrial image, analysts said.

As the Government yesterday announced that the first phase of the Jurong Lake Gardens project — the Jurong Lake Park— will be completed by 2017, the analysts noted that with its water bodies, the area could emulate idyllic areas such as East Coast and Punggol. However, obstacles to achieving this include the congested public transport infrastructure as well as pollution from petrochemical plants on Jurong Island nearby, they said.

Writing on his blog, National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan acknowledged that the “exciting” plans for Jurong, including major improvements to the transportation networks, would take years to realise.

The Jurong Lake Park was originally planned in 2012 as one of three “Destination Parks” to attract Singaporeans across the island with its unique features. Construction has started at one of the parks, East Coast Park, and will last until 2016.

The third park, Admiralty Park, is currently “at the consultancy stage” and will be completed by 2016 as well, said the National Parks Board. The revamp of Jurong will include the integration of the Chinese Garden, the Japanese Garden and the Jurong Lake Park into the Jurong Lake Gardens.

New public housing developments around Pandan Reservoir is also on the cards. The Urban Redevelopment Authority said the conceptual idea will require detailed planning and technical studies. Currently, a mix of industrial offices, commercial buildings and Housing and Development Board flats line the area around the reservoir.

Analysts told TODAY that while housing prices in the Pandan Reservoir area might not be able to match those of waterfront housing in other parts of Singapore, such as Punggol and East Coast, developers will still be drawn to opportunities in the land around the reservoir.

Mr Nicholas Mak, head of consultancy and research at SLP International Property Consultants, said high-rise housing could be built there.

Noting that the area has no coastal park, he said: “I think it can potentially be like East Coast, but it will also need a lot of redesign.”

However, the analysts said Pandan Reservoir’s appeal could be affected by pollution from petrochemical plants on Jurong Island, as well as crowded roads and train networks.

“When the wind is going in a certain direction, will it blow the smell from the chemical factories towards the residents? ... There is a possibility, depending on how near they are,” said Mr Mak.

Mr Ku Swee Yong, chief executive of Century 21 Singapore, noted that the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) is usually congested and that the East-West MRT Line has reached its maximum capacity.

New residents will end up competing with heavy vehicles on the jammed streets, he added, suggesting that the AYE be widened or MRT lines be extended to the area.

Jurong makeover 'will breathe new life into estate'
Danson Cheong, Lester Hio and TJoa Shze Hui The Straits Times AsiaOne 19 Aug 14;

LAKE gardens in the heartland, a new science centre and maybe even Singapore's first high-speed rail station.

Jurong, the gritty industrial hub of the country, is transforming into a jewel in the west, and residents and workers in the area are cheering the prospect.

Almost all 24 Jurong residents and business owners The Straits Times spoke to said the changes would breathe new life into an old estate, though a few expressed disappointment that a planned hospital will open six months later than originally scheduled.

That aside, new plans for the Jurong Lake District include a new Science Centre, a possible terminus for the Singapore-Malaysia high-speed rail network, and an expanded park that will combine the decades-old Chinese and Japanese gardens, and the Jurong Lake Park, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced on Sunday in his National Day Rally speech. Taxi driver Patrick Ong, 54, told The Straits Times yesterday: "The upgrade will be good, it will give Jurong a younger feel."

Together, the Jurong East and Jurong West Housing Board estates are home to 358,000 residents. The Jurong constituency spans more than 12 sq km.

One retiree, who wanted to be known only as Mrs Cheong, is looking forward to the new 70ha Jurong Lake Gardens. "The gardens are a national treasure and so beautiful, but so few people come here. It's such a waste," said the 62-year-old.

The new gardens will be completed by 2017, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in his blog yesterday.

Long-time fans of the Science Centre were also excited to find out it will have a new home, on the north of the lake just beside the Chinese Garden MRT station.

Madam Prabavathi Natarajan, 34, started taking her son to the science centre when he was still in a stroller. Now he is six and "knows about motors, electromagnets and things like that", said the housewife, who lives in Jurong Town Hall Road.

She plans to take him and her older son to the new centre even more often.

Over the years, 29.5 million students have visited the Science Centre, which was built in 1977.

The new centre, the "jewel" of the district, said Mr Lee, will be integrated with the lake gardens.

Others were happy that there might soon be one more way to travel to Malaysia. The terminus of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail link - slated to be completed by 2020 - may be located in Jurong.

It would make life easier for people like Malaysian Sha Chia.

The 38-year-old retail associate, who lives in Johor Baru, takes a bus to Woodlands and then the MRT to get to work at a Jurong shopping mall.

"If there is a train, it will be very convenient for me," he said. Businesses said they were looking forward to increased traffic. "The new developments will only make the area more exciting," said Mr Tan Jian Da, 26, a deputy assistant outlet manager at Sync restaurant in Westgate mall.

On another note, three of the 24 interviewed were disappointed that the new Ng Teng Fong General Hospital will not be ready this year, because of a shortage of manpower and delay in getting construction parts from Thailand.

"When my son had food poisoning a year ago, we had to rush him to the National University Hospital (in Kent Ridge)," said Mr Lim Swee King, who lives at the Park Vista condominium in Lakeside.

And there were those worried they would be left behind as Jurong modernises and moves ahead.

Mr Tay Lye Whad, 60, who has been running the Bao Sheng Minimart in Jurong Street 13 for more than 30 years, said business has been flagging for more than a decade.

"Nowadays people stop and shop at the shopping malls like Jem," he said. "It's hard for shops like us to stay open."

The shops beside his store are shuttered and empty.

"Business was so much better last time. The Government should do something to help old businesses like mine," he said.
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First phase of Jurong Lake Gardens to be ready by 2017: Khaw
Sharon See Channel NewsAsia 18 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE: Residents in the city-state, particularly in Jurong, can look forward to enjoying the 70-hectare Jurong Lake Gardens "as early as 2017", said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in a blogpost on Monday (Aug 18).

He wrote that heritage elements at the Chinese and Japanese Gardens will be retained, but refreshed as part of Jurong Lake Gardens. The Gardens will be developed in phases, with Jurong Lake Park being the first to be completed in 2017, and implementation plans will dovetail with the greater plans for Jurong Lake District.

Mr Khaw also called on the public to share their ideas with NParks on how it can develop the area. NParks will invite ideas from planning and landscape design professionals and the local community next year for the development of the Gardens, he said.

The Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden were both built in the 1970s, and visitors comprise residents in surrounding neighbourhoods and the occasional tourist. Dr Harvey Neo of the National University of Singapore's (NUS) Geography department said he believes redevelopment would elevate the gardens' standing and create greater national interest in them.

"We're talking about a fairly radical imagination of the gardens, so I won't be surprised if (the gardens) look completely different. But that's almost inevitable because we're really trying to create new space, we're trying to incorporate new ideas," he said. And while he does not feel that the Japanese Garden had any iconic features, Prof Neo said the Chinese Garden's pagoda deserved to be retained. Still, "if they do not want to retain that, I think it's understandable as well because we're really talking about a major shift in how we use the space there," he said.

"JEWEL OF JURONG"

Mr Khaw also reiterated Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong's National Day Rally speech, which highlighted the new Science Centre as the "jewel" in Jurong when completed around 2020. The new Centre will be located at the eastern bank of Jurong Lake, next to the Chinese Garden MRT station.

"We will make it fun, educational and spectacular, in keeping with changing times and our achievements over the decades. Its location will enable NParks to integrate the future Science Centre with the new Gardens, combining themes such as science, technology and horticulture in a uniquely Singaporean way," Mr Khaw wrote.

Dr Neo said the site of the future Science Centre next to Jurong Lake presents new opportunities. "I hope they will make full use of the location and think of educational activities that involve the lake," he said. "The sky's the limit here. They can really push the boundaries of scientific learning. This is a unique opportunity for them to think big about the kinds of experiences we want to give to the visitors.

NEW HOUSING POSSIBILITIES

The Ministry of National Development (MND) also provided more details on developing the Jurong Gateway, as indicated by Mr Lee.

One idea being considered is to realign the stretch of the AYE from Yuan Ching Road to Jurong Town Hall Road to free up land south of Jurong Lake for residential development, and to integrate the Pandan Reservoir area with the district to form a larger and more cohesive development area, it said.

"Environmental improvements can be made to the surrounding parks and water bodies such as Jurong River, Pandan River, Pandan Reservoir and Teban Gardens to create an attractive waterfront residential district with good quality living environment amidst lush greenery, similar to those found in Punggol and around Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park," MND said.

But Dr Neo urged caution when it comes to moving the AYE southwards, saying it should be studied further. "Of all the initiatives that were announced, that strikes me as a little bit hard to understand because I cannot see its relative advantage. I don't know how much southwards they want to move," he said. "I assume it is to free up a certain amount of space, so that the entire area can be bigger and development can be more seamless but this freeing up of extra space has to be weighed against the extra cost and the inconvenience."

The cost of the endeavour is hard to estimate without knowing what the freed-up land would be used for, he noted, pointing out that shifting entire expressways is not common abroad due to high costs. "I'm very sceptical. It was mentioned that (the land) will be used for housing in the plan, but how much extra housing are we talking about here? The details are not (furnished) yet."

MAJOR IMPROVEMENTS TO TRANSPORT NETWORKS

Mr Khaw added in his blogpost that there are many other "exciting plans" in store for Jurong, including major improvements to the transportation networks. "All these will take years to realise. We shall stage the implementation," the minister said.

For instance, as part of the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Land Transport Master Plan 2013, the current East-West and North-South MRT lines serving the region are currently being upgraded. Two new lines - the Cross-Island Line and Jurong Region Line - are expected to be completed by around 2030 and 2025, respectively, MND stated.

It added that agencies will explore building more dedicated cycling paths and park connectors to strengthen connectivity and accessibility between Jurong Lake District and the surrounding residential and business nodes such as Pandan and Teban gardens estates, Tengah New Town, JTC’s proposed integrated R&D and industrial township centred around Clean Tech Park, NTU, and Bulim and Tengah industrial estates.

"This will reduce the need to drive within the district and help promote a healthier lifestyle," MND said.

As for plans to site the future Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail terminus in Jurong East, MND said the Government is currently studying possible locations. These plans will undergo detailed planning and technical studies and will be progressively implemented in the next 20 to 30 years, it added.

LAKE-SIDE LIVING?
Once the Jurong Lake District development is complete, property experts believe there will be high demand for houses near the lake or coastal area, and they expect authorities to continue focusing on infrastructure development in Jurong.

Professor Sing Tien Foo of NUS' Department of Real Estate noted that the the plans for the Cross Island and Jurong Regional lines go hand in hand with the land use plan. "You cannot wait for the area to be developed then you put in all the infrastructure and roads. So some of these developments may have to take place earlier to support the future expansion of the area and land use intensification of the area," he said. "With more businesses and residents moving into the area, I think the demand for infrastructure capacity is also expected to increase. Early planning will actually minimise some of these interruptions in the long term and also allow for smoother transition into more integrated land use."

- CNA/kk/xy

First phase of Jurong Lake Gardens to be complete by 2017
Today Online 18 Aug 14;

SINGAPORE — The first phase of the Jurong Lake Gardens, a revitalised Jurong Lake Park, will be completed by 2017, announced the Urban Redevelopment Authority and National Parks Board (NParks) in a joint statement today (Aug 18).

The Ministry of Education will also set up a committee on plans for the Science Centre, which will relocated into the Jurong Lake Gardens, said Education Minister Heng Swee Keat in a Facebook post today. “I hope to have a diverse group of talented and passionate people on the committee, including, for instance, our best educators in the sciences and maths; scientists and researchers here and overseas; industry practitioners and technologists who use the insights of science and technology in their daily work; and people with a deep sense of wonder and love to share this,” he said.

NParks will be seeking ideas and engaging with designers and the community on the masterplan design of the Jurong Lake Gardens project next year. "This will allow for an implementation plan to be better established with a view to phase the completion of the entire Gardens," said NParks and the URA.

Plans to integrate the Japanese and Chinese gardens with Jurong Lake Park to create a "beautiful set of gardens in the heartlands" was mentioned by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the National Day Rally yesterday (Aug 17).

In a blog post today (Aug 18), National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan said: “Heritage elements at the Chinese and Japanese Garden will be retained but refreshed as part of Jurong Lake Gardens.”

The authorities also touched on longer-term plans, such as building new homes in the area. It could realign the stretch of the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) from Yuan Ching Road to Jurong Town Hall Road to free up land south of Jurong Lake for residential development, and to integrate the Pandan Reservoir area with the district to form a “larger and more cohesive” development area.

To reduce the need to drive within the district, the Government will also explore building more cycling paths and park connectors to link up the Jurong Lake district with surrounding areas such as Pandan and Teban gardens estates, Tengah New Town, and the Bulim and Tengah industrial estates.

More buzz for future Jurong tenders
Kalpana Rashiwala The Business Times AsiaOne 20 AUg 14;

Developers are expected to take a keener interest in future state land tenders in Jurong Lake District - whether for residential, commercial or hotel projects.

The greenery attractions may also boost home values, said property consultants, following plans announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to liven up Jurong Lake District.

The buzz will be greater if a decision is made to house the future Kuala Lumpur-Singapore high-speed rail terminus in Jurong Gateway, they said.

"Going forward, the plans to realign Ayer Rajah Expressway and convert some of the old industrial estates to waterfront housing could greatly enhance the liveability of Jurong as it enjoys an image overhaul, thanks to all the leisure elements that the Government will put in place," said Christine Li, research head at OrangeTee.

"Existing property owners can look forward to one of the most liveable housing estates in Singapore outside the central and fringe areas," she added.

CBRE's Singapore research head, Desmond Sim, felt that the changes will "remove the stigma of an industrial township that Jurong was originally planned for".

Jurong Lake Gardens, spanning over 70ha, will integrate the revitalised Jurong Lake Park - to be completed by 2017 - as well as the Chinese and Japanese Gardens, which are set to be spruced up, and not forgetting the new Science Centre, which will emerge next to the Chinese Garden MRT station around 2020.

DTZ's regional head (SEA) research, Lee Lay Keng, said: "Even though the overall conditions in the residential property market remain tepid, the buzz created could provide a minor boost to existing projects and help support prices and transaction volumes in the area."

The plans are expected to fuel developers' interest in a 99-year private housing site just above Jurong Lake - between The Lakeshore and Lakeville condos - that will be launched in December through the confirmed list of the Government Land Sales Programme. Said Mr Sim: "While the number of bids is expected to be high... bid prices are expected to be dampened by current market sentiment and confidence."

Ms Li expects development sites for residential, commercial as well as integrated uses (for example, office, retail and residential elements) to whet developers' appetite - if they are released over the next year or two. "Hotel sites are also likely to be released once the terminus of the high-speed rail is confirmed," she added.

Mr Sim added that should the terminus be located in Jurong Gateway, it could boost the nascent office market in the area.

JLL's head of research, South-east Asia, Chua Yang Liang, said the realignment of the AYE will generate the opportunity to develop "more lakefront homes for the masses".

Once the current slowdown ends, he expects developers to grab the opportunity. "We can expect the regenerative efforts by the state to be capitalised into higher real estate values in the long term," he added.

Wow wow west
Natasha Ann Zachariah The Straits Times AsiaOne 25 Aug 14;

Often thought of as an industrial neighbourhood with few leisure options, Jurong became the talk of the town this week, after plans to turn it into a "people's garden" were revealed.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday, announced major changes to the area, in particular to the 70ha Jurong Lake Gardens.

This comes six years after the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) released plans in 2008 for Jurong to become a key regional hub, as part of a move to bring jobs closer to homes.

One of the major developments involves the Japanese and Chinese gardens being combined with Jurong Lake Park.

The two gardens, surrounded by the man-made Jurong Lake, were built in the 1970s and need an injection of new life.

The Japanese Garden was initiated by the late deputy prime minister Goh Keng Swee. Built at a cost of $3 million and completed in 1973, it received funding from the Singapore and Japanese governments. It was designed by Professor Kinsaku Nakane, a leading Japanese garden and landscape artist, and his three assistants from Tokyo.

The Chinese Garden, which is connected to the Japanese Garden, was designed by prominent Taiwanese architect Yu Yuen-chen and opened in 1975.

Once plans are finalised, the integrated space will have a park in the heartland, bigger than the 62ha Bishan- Ang Mo Kio Park, one of the largest urban parks in central Singapore. The new gardens will be completed by 2017, said National Development Minister Khaw Boon Wan in his blog on Monday.

The transformation is not confined to the gardens. Under the URA Masterplan, which includes the Jurong Gateway, the Jurong Lake District will have edutainment attractions and hotel clusters.

The district, bounded by Boon Lay Way, Yuan Ching Road and Ayer Rajah Expressway, also looks set to become more vibrant as the 37-year-old Science Centre moves to a new site. The new building is slated to be completed in 2020.

There are also plans for waterfront housing, hotels and more leisure options.

A call for garden design ideas will go out next year and PM Lee encourages Singaporeans to send in the ideas they have for the area. Residents who spoke to The Straits Times earlier this week gave the plans a resounding thumbs-up.

Revamped gardens can be testbed for ideas

The Japanese and Chinese gardens have been around for more than three decades, without a major revamp to date. While their physical look is about to get a makeover, a change of perception of the area might be in order too.

DP Architects director Seah Chee Huang says if people see the Jurong district as an industrial part of Singapore, the changes, especially with more developments around the lake, will make it less so.

"If there are hotels and more waterfront housing, that will inject a 'live-in' population to the area. This also has the potential to bring people straight to the heart of the action, which is the lake... This will add to the vibrancy of the area. People will know it's a good place to hang out."

The gardens in the middle of Jurong Lake have long been dogged by comments that they are ghost towns most of the week. Even Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said at Sunday's rally the Jurong Lake Gardens were "under-utilised" and looked dated, compared with the nearby Jurong Gateway area, which has educational institutions and new malls.

But Associate Professor Tan Puay Yok from the department of architecture at the School of Design and Environment, National University of Singapore, says residents would not think the gardens are not well used. Instead, he feels these areas are "under- visited" - an impression that should change once the new amenities are built.

He says: "Residents get a lot of utility out of them. But those who travel to visit don't return because they think they've seen it all.

"But there are two factors the area has: serenity and natural landscape, much of which should be retained and its biodiversity highlighted. This will get more people in. Keep it natural, rather than a highly managed area, like with other parks."

Indeed, the area has much biodiversity, especially bird life.

The Nature Society (Singapore) has a list of important bird sites in the Jurong Lake area with many uncommon and rare birds. The list was last updated in 2010. The group has records of 123 species of birds in the lakeside area, along the shoreline and at the Chinese and Japanese gardens.

For example, there is the rare Grey-headed Fish-eagle, spotted at the Chinese Garden, that is a resident breeder and is nationally threatened.

The non-profit organisation first wrote to the Urban Redevelopment Authority in 2008 to make recommendations on what can be done to the area. The suggestions included growing aquatic plants along the lake to "create marshy habitats and to make the lake more scenic".

Dr Ho Hua Chew, vice-chairman of the society's conservation committee, says the members hope their recommendations will bear fruit now. "We're glad the National Parks Board will be on the team to look at the area's redesign. We're happy to work with them to see how the wildlife here can be protected."

Mr Franklin Po, chairman of landscape architectural firm Tierra Design, suggests the lake can be a good way to test new ideas for the future, especially when it requires "water-sensitive urban design" - a relatively new concept here. The lake could be a catchment area, and different ways to manage water can tried out.

For example, harvested rainwater can be used for irrigation. Mr Po, who is an architect and landscape architect, adds: "Grey water, which is from household water points such as sinks, can be recycled, while small riverines can have turbines within them to generate electricity."

DP Architects' Mr Seah adds that the redevelopment of the area with the new Science Centre as the jewel is an "exciting opportunity to take a more experimental approach".

He adds: "There are plenty of possibilities out there. Key is that the proposals must be sustainable, attractive and inclusive. Remaking Jurong with purposeful planning can show others what a liveable city Singapore can be."