SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) – The Jurong Lake District transformation will include marked change of a part of that area into major tourist destination said the Senior Minister of State (SMS) for Trade and Industry, Chee Hong Tat. The SMS made the announcement on the Jurong Lake District transformation at the Tourism Industry Conference organised by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) on April 16.

Mr Chee said that the Jurong Lake District transformation will be in line with Singapore Tourism Board’s strategy to spread out its tourism offerings across different parts of Singapore.

The SMS said, “we will be launching an Expression of Interest exercise for new integrated tourism development with attractions, hotel and other complementary lifestyle offerings such as F&B and retail at the Jurong Lake District. With its unique waterfront environment and location adjacent to the new Jurong Lake Gardens and the new Science Centre, we envision this area to be transformed into a key attraction from 2026. The Expression of Interest exercise will close in early November this year, and we look forward to receiving your ideas and proposals.”

The Jurong Lake District transformation will see a 7-hectare site being redeveloped to include new integrated tourism attractions.

Currently, the site is vacant and is situated next to the Chinese Garden MRT station. The new Science Centre is set to move to this location from Jurong Town Hall next year.

The Jurong Lake District transformation is part of the Government’s plans to change “preconceived notions” that Jurong is “far away, inaccessible, industrial estate”, said STB chief executive officer Keith Tan. Mr Tan added that there is no specific concept for the new tourism site as this would depend on the ideas submitted through the expression of interest exercise. The STB chief said there was keen interest in the site from industry players.

The Jurong Lake District transformation to include the integrated tourism attractions is expected to bring the shine back to the area – part of which was lost after the Kuala Lumpur-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) project was suspended.

Mr Tan who said that the STB’s plans for Jurong Lake District transformation are not dependent on the take-off of the HSR project added that the eventual attractions to be developed there will be deeply integrated into the larger precinct.

“Next door will be the new national Science Centre, across the lake will be Jurong Lake Gardens. That makes it quite distinctive from some of the other standalone attractions in Singapore,” he said.

The Draft Master Plan 2019 also gives Jurong Lake District a big boost. The 360-hectare Jurong Lake District (JLD) will be the largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre, with quality offices, housing, amenities and abundant green spaces. Complimentary leisure and the recreational cluster has also been planned around Jurong Lake to leverage on the area’s unique lakeside and garden setting.

Offering pedestrians shelter in JLD come rain or shine, the existing J-Walk network will be extended to more developments. Beyond being just a linkway between malls, the elevated pedestrian network will also have programmes for fitness enthusiasts to clock more steps while moving around the district.

With 4 MRT lines serving the district by 2035, residents, workers and visitors will have enhanced accessibility to the rest of the island, including direct connections to the CBD, Changi Airport and Jurong Innovation District (JID).

The development of JLD will revolve around 4 key themes:

Jurong Innovation District

Served by 6 future Jurong Region Line stations, JID will be an industrial district for advanced manufacturing, supporting an ecosystem of manufacturers, technology providers, researchers and education institutions with Nanyang Technological University nearby.

Workers and residents of nearby Jurong West and Tengah towns can look forward to a new 11-kilometre-long sky corridor that allows pedestrians, cyclists and autonomous shuttles to move seamlessly within the precinct to nearby transport hubs and exciting lifestyle options.

JID is envisioned to be:

Jurong Lake Gardens

Jurong Lake Gardens will be Singapore’s first national gardens in the heartlands, bringing nature closer to homes. It will open progressively from 2019, with new attractions and enhanced community spaces to serve residents, workers and visitors. As a people’s gardens, residents can look forward to nature-themed and water play areas, lifestyle and sports facilities, as well as a restored swamp forest and wetlands.

There is now some 160 hectares of land that is yet to be developed within the 360-hectare district. Draft Master Plan 2019 promises to design a greener way of life. New housing and community facilities in the West will be nestled within lush green spaces, close to parks and nature corridors. They will be developed sensitively, allowing biodiversity to thrive and co-exist in harmony with humans. By integrating developments with greenery, residents will be able to enjoy a good quality living environment.

Draft Master Plan 2019 will enable the discovering of nature at every corner. With new parks and enhancements to existing green spaces and waterways, communities will be able to get closer to nature for leisure and recreation. These green and blue networks will also help to enhance biodiversity in our living and working environments.

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