SINGAPORE - The Government has “high ambitions for the Jurong Lake District (JLD) to be a demonstrative site for sustainable living” in addition to being the largest commercial district outside Singapore’s city centre, Minister for National Development Desmond Lee said.
Speaking during his visit to the Housing Board’s first rooftop allotment garden in Jurong on Sunday, Mr Lee said in response to The Straits Times’ query that the Government “wants the master developer to help to plan for and catalyse the Jurong Lake District”.
A 6.5ha white site, featuring three separate plots of land, was put up for sale on Thursday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), kick-starting the development of Singapore’s second Central Business District in the south of Jurong Lake District.
This is expected to yield about 1,700 residential units, 146,000 sq m of office space and another 73,000 sq m for retail, food and beverage, entertainment and other uses.
At least 600 private housing units, 70,000 sq m of office space, an early childhood development centre, a supermarket and a foodcourt are planned under the first phase.
Bids will be evaluated under the concept and price revenue tender approach, which requires tenderers to submit concept proposals and tender prices separately.
“We have high ambitions for the JLD to be a demonstrative site for sustainable living, mixed-use including residential. This being the second CBD in Singapore, it is a very important demonstrative site for us.
“We will bring in new technology, (and) also urban planning for central district cooling, car-lite towns, for a part of Singapore that will be net-zero by 2045, ahead of the rest of the country,” said Mr Lee.
The URA also outlined broad plans for the area, which includes the site that was previously planned for the terminus of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail.
Future residents and visitors will be able to access facilities, green spaces and public transport nodes such as the three MRT stations within 10 minutes by walking, cycling and public transport. This will be achieved via a network of elevated, ground level and underground pedestrian links.
Asked about the high-speed rail, Mr Lee said: “We have to wait and see.
“Between Singapore and Malaysia, if that project is to be revived, it will be something that the Malaysians will have to raise.”
