Six HDB shopping complexes given new lease of life with $48 million upgrading works

Facade view of the renovated Loyang Point Shopping Complex. ST PHOTO: DON WONG
An upgraded atrium, which was previously unsheltered, at the newly renovated Loyang Point Shopping Complex. ST PHOTO: DON WONG
Improvements to the Loyang Point Shopping Complex include the installation of two new escalators and two new lifts. ST PHOTO: DON WONG
William Lee, proprietor of a joss paper store at Loyang Point Shopping Complex. ST PHOTO: DON WONG
A shopping arcade at the Loyang Point Shopping Complex. ST PHOTO: DON WONG

SINGAPORE - Six of the Housing Board's (HDB's) shopping complexes have been upgraded as of June with a $48 million effort to maintain their vibrancy and relevance to the community.

HDB started building shopping complexes in the early 1990s and these complexes island-wide are home to a total of 927 shops. There are 21 HDB shopping complexes.

The improvements are designed to enhance and add additional facilities, improve accessibility, offer residents more retail and dining options, and boost business vibrancy for shopkeepers, HDB said on Monday (June 26).

The latest mall to be upgraded is Loyang Point Shopping Complex in Pasir Ris, where works were completed in December 2016 after two years of renovation that took place in phases.

Loyang Point saw its floor space increase by 36 per cent to 17,045 sq m, and now has 77 shops, up from 60. About 90 per cent of the upgraded complex has been tenanted out.

At Loyang Point, which was completed in 1995, shop tenants were given the chance to renovate their shop interiors. HDB helped defray the costs by giving them a two-month rent-free period.

As part of the upgrading works, a new air-conditioned linkway connecting both wings of the shopping complex was introduced. Two sheltered linkways connecting the shopping centre to nearby bus stops were also added.

Other improvements include improved parking and restroom facilities, and the installation of two new escalators and two new lifts, along with six new ramps at the complex's entrances to make them more accessible to people from all walks of society.

HDB has been upgrading its older shopping complexes progressively. Elias Mall in Pasir Ris is currently being upgraded, and works are likely to be completed by the end of the year.

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