Sentosa makeover in the works

Janice Lim Channel NewsAsia 20 Nov 14;

SINGAPORE: Major redevelopment plans for Sentosa are in the pipeline over the next five years, announced the Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) on Thursday (Nov 20).

A consultancy exercise to study a possible revamp for its six precincts will be conducted, SDC said. The exercise will be carried out in three phases and will aim to provide insights into enhancing the built environment and making more efficient use of land.

SDC said it has put up for tender the first phase of the consultancy exercise, which will look at the area between Resorts World Sentosa and the Beach Station.

Spanning nine hectares, it is the central artery of the island and takes visitors past various attractions on the way to the beaches. The Beach Station is also an important transit point, with around 30 to 40 per cent of the total number of visitors to Sentosa passing through it.

SDC hopes that the changes along this route will enhance visitors' walking experience and increase footfalls. The beach-front precincts and Imbiah Lookout will be examined during Phase 2 and Phase 3 respectively.

CHALLENGES AHEAD

However, according to experts, the redevelopment plans are likely to face some challenges. Temasek Polytechnic Hospitality and Tourism Management Senior Lecturer Koh Chiew Li said crowd management could be an issue.

“Like it or not, Sentosa island has a capacity limit in terms of its land size. So it would not be possible for them to keep accommodating increasing number of visitors,” she explained.

Besides land size limitations, experts have also point to the difficulties of satisfying the needs of a diverse group of visitors.

As the number of local and foreign visitors is relatively equal, SDC has to balance the needs of both groups. Other groups it needs to consider are the elderly or visually handicapped, as they would face some level of difficulty getting around the island.

- CNA/xk