SINGAPORE - A 12 hectare plot of land in Sembawang will soon be home to an integrated sports and community hub, just a five minute walk away from Sembawang MRT station.
Various agencies will be working together to make the hub a reality, including Sport Singapore, the National Parks Board and the National Heritage Board.
Transport Minister Mr Khaw Boon Wan, who is also a Member of Parliament (MP) for Sembawang GRC, attended a roadshow outside Sembawang MRT station promoting the hub on Sunday (July 3).
Focusing on the areas of water, sports and health, and nourishment, the hub is expected to have a swimming pool with natural settings, multi-play courts, and an eco-friendly hawker centre with efficient energy lighting and water-saving fittings.
Other ideas include forest trails and community gardens.
The hub will also incorporate the former Admiralty House, a historic building built in 1940 for the British navy.
Gazetted as a national monument in 2002, the house is currently occupied by the Furen International School, which will vacate the premises in 2020.
There will also be a senior care centre providing services such as day care and physiotherapy for seniors in the area.
Acting Minister for Education Ong Ke Yung, who attended the roadshow, said that it was important the hub incorporate the natural environment and heritage of the area.
"Our overall approach is to build facilities into the forested area, rather than planting trees around the facilities," said Mr Ong, who is also an MP for Sembawang GRC.
"In a densely built-up city state like Singapore, it is important that here in Sembawang, we have a community space that will retain the heritage and greenery of the area and preserve many of the key features in the terrain," he added.
A completion date for the hub has yet to be announced as ideas for the facilities are still being solicited, though certain facilities are expected to be up by 2019.
Said Sport Singapore chief executive officer Lim Teck Yin: "We are engaging residents for their thoughts on growing these ideas into a reality that they will embrace and enjoy."
