There will soon be more recreational space for the crowds thronging the popular East Coast Park.
Visitors will 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, and a garden-themed carpark with 306 spaces lined with trees and shrubs.
A covered walkway will link the area to an existing underpass at 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.
The new 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 had been located there, but 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 receives more than seven million visits annually, the board's park management and lifestyle cluster assistant chief executive officer Kong Yit San said that the projects are part of NParks' continual efforts to upgrade amenities, and improve accessibility and connectivity within the park.
Regular visitors to the park welcomed the new developments.
National University of Singapore undergraduate Zachary Soh, 25, who lives nearby and visits it two to three times a week, said the new facilities would help to spread out the crowds, especially at weekends when the park is often packed.
"It can be quite hard to cycle at the park on weekends.
"The two places may help to disperse the crowds so that they don't congregate in the same areas," he said.
Corporate trainer Dennis Milnerhas been visiting the park at least once a week since he was a schoolboy at St Patrick's Secondary.
"I go there to run and cycle. I hope it keeps its charm," said the 43-year-old.
