More open spaces and new amenities slated for East Coast Park

Channel NewsAsia 21 May 14;

SINGAPORE: East Coast Park visitors can look forward to more open spaces, new family-friendly amenities, and a range of recreational options when work at Parkland Green and Marine Cove are completed.

The enhancements by National Parks Board (NParks) include a reduction in infrastructure footprint so as to allow for more open green spaces.

Parkland Green will open in September, while improvements at Marina Cove are slated to be completed in mid-2016.

Once open, Parkland Green will feature a 1-hectare open lawn, as well as eight dining establishments. There will also be a laser tag arena and two sports and retail outlets.

When Marina Cove is completed in mid-2016, its open park space and mix of dining and recreational facilities will complement those at Parkland Green.

The enhancements are part of NParks’ efforts to make Singapore a City in a Garden.

While improvements are going on, park users can still use the dining and other recreational activities in the area.

- CNA/ek


More open spaces at East Coast Park in September
Today Online 22 May 14;

SINGAPORE — Visitors to East Coast Park will have their pick of seaside activities when the National Parks Board (NParks) completes the ongoing development projects at Parkland Green and Marine Cove in September and mid-2016 respectively.

In a press release on the enhancements yesterday, NParks said Parkland Green would have eight new dining establishments and visitors would be able to picnic on a 1ha open lawn or have fun at a laser tag arena.

A 4ha plot of land situated between Big Splash and Marine Cove, formerly known as the Parkland Golf Driving Range, will feature other facilities such as two sports and retail outlets and a garden-themed 306-lot car park. A covered green roof walkway will link Parkland Green to the existing underpass from Marine Parade.

NParks said the enhancements are part of its efforts to upgrade the facilities and improve accessibility and connectivity within the park. To ensure more green open spaces for visitors, Parkland Green’s gross floor area has been reduced by 25 per cent, while the lawn that was previously fenced up will be opened.

“With more than seven million visits annually, East Coast Park is Singapore’s most popular park, catering to the diverse needs of users. There are quiet corners and lawn areas where families and friends can play together,” said Mr Kong Yit San, assistant chief executive officer (park management and lifestyle cluster) at NParks.

Marine Cove is expected to offer more facilities to complement those at Parkland Green, such as a playground with a range of equipment suitable for children of all ages, including those who are physically challenged.

The completion of Marine Cove’s redevelopment projects in mid-2016 will mark six years since the restaurants, pubs and the popular McDonald’s outlet at East Coast Park were shut down.

While Marine Cove is undergoing enhancements, East Coast Park visitors can enjoy dining and other recreational activities in areas such as Rain Tree Cove and Playground @ Big Splash.


More room to play at East Coast Park
Melissa Lin The Straits Times AsiaOne 22 May 14;

SINGAPORE - There will soon be more recreational space for the crowds thronging popular East Coast Park.

Visitors will get to enjoy more open lawns for picnics, family-friendly amenities and recreational facilities when two new developments are completed.

One of them, Parkland Green, will open in September, the National Parks Board (NParks) said yesterday.

The 4ha development will have eight dining establishments, including a microbrewery, two sports and retail outlets, and a laser-tag arena where people can shoot at one another with handheld infrared guns.

There will also be a 1ha open lawn for picnics and gatherings, along with a garden-themed carpark - with 306 parking spaces - lined with trees and shrubs.

A covered walkway will link the area to an existing underpass in Marine Parade.

The site - previously a private golfing range - is being redeveloped by NParks at a cost of $11.5 million, which includes the cost of demolishing existing structures and traffic-impact studies.

Another enclave, Marine Cove, is on track to be completed by mid-2016.

This development will have "a good mix of dining and recreational facilities", said NParks.

It will also have a playground with equipment suitable for children of different ages and those with disabilities.

An iconic McDonald's fast-food outlet used to be located there, but was closed in March 2012 for the area's redevelopment.

NParks will call a tender for Marine Cove's construction by the end of the month.

Both developments are part of efforts by NParks to cater to the large number of visitors at the 185ha East Coast Park, the largest and most popular coastal park in Singapore.

Noting that the park attracts more than 7 million visits annually, Kong Yit San, assistant chief executive of NPark's Park Management and Lifestyle Cluster, said that the projects are part of the board's continual efforts to upgrade amenities, and improve accessibility and connectivity within the park.

National University of Singapore undergraduate Zachary Soh, 25, who lives nearby and goes there two to three times a week, said the new facilities would help to spread out the crowds, especially during weekends when the park is often packed.

"It can be quite hard to cycle at the park on weekends," he said.

"The two places may help to disperse the crowd so that they don't congregate in the same areas."

Corporate trainer Dennis Milner, 43, has been visiting the park at least once a week since he was a schoolboy at St Patrick's secondary school.

"I go there to run and cycle. I hope it keeps its charm," he said.