Clementi Stadium to be redeveloped by 2030, to feature baseball and softball fields: Desmond Lee
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Set for completion by 2030, the new stadium will feature softball and baseball fields, and other sports facilities.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
SINGAPORE – After more than 40 years of use, Clementi Stadium will be redeveloped along with the vacant site of the former West Coast Recreation Centre, said Minister for National Development Desmond Lee.
Set for completion by 2030, the new stadium will feature softball and baseball fields and other sports facilities, including a running track and activities for the public to learn a sport, said Mr Lee on July 6.
The stadium and the site of the former recreation centre, which is currently an empty field after the centre was demolished in 2020, sit alongside each other on a plot between West Coast Road and the Ayer Rajah Expressway.
Two other stadiums of similar vintage – Yio Chu Kang and Bedok stadiums – are also being studied for redevelopment.
Mr Lee, who is an MP for West Coast GRC where the stadium is located, also announced that the authorities are exploring building a new mixed-use development integrated with the upcoming West Coast MRT station.
The new station, which is scheduled to be open by 2032 on the site of the former Tanglin Secondary School, will be fully underground along with the rest of the line connecting Jurong to Changi via the Central Catchment Area.
Mr Lee said the new development, if built, will give residents easy access to shopping, amenities and other services.
He was speaking at the first event of the PAssionArts Festival in 2024, an annual series of community events organised by the People’s Association, which will run from July to September.
The event, held at West Coast Community Centre, featured arts activities such as painting and weaving, as well as a guitar ensemble performance by over 100 residents.
Mr Lee added that Clementi Stadium has been a key landmark in West Coast for many years since opening in 1983, but the time has come to refresh its infrastructure and facilities.
The redeveloped stadium will support training for Singapore’s softball and baseball national teams, he said.
Mr Lee also invited suggestions from the public on the kinds of sports courts they would like – basketball or tennis – and what sports they would like to learn there.
He added that the Clementi Sports and Recreation Centre, which is located across the Ayer Rajah Expressway from Clementi Stadium, will remain open while the stadium is being redeveloped, and that SportSG is working on detailed plans and timelines, and will provide more details when ready.
The stadium, which has a grass football pitch and a running track, once served as home field for several local football clubs, including Clementi Khalsa and Tanjong Pagar United.
Mr Lee also spoke about ongoing developments in the constituency, such as efforts to enhance parks in the area, including West Coast Park, HortPark and Labrador Nature Reserve.
In September 2023, the Government announced plans to rejuvenate and connect 13 parks, including these three, in southern Singapore as part of the revamp of the Greater Southern Waterfront and the Southern Ridges.
The stadium and the site of the former recreation centre sit alongside each other on a plot between West Coast Road and the Ayer Rajah Expressway.
ST PHOTO: KELVIN CHNG
He said: “We are also seeing how we can showcase the heritage of the park and the activities that used to take place in the past.”
Improvements to both private and public housing estates are also in the works, Mr Lee said.
These include the Neighbourhood Renewal Programme for Housing Board flats, as well as improvements to play and fitness corners in neighbourhood parks.
Efforts are also being made to make the area more senior-friendly as residents age, he added, including health fitness trails and barrier-free access ramps.
West Coast resident Su Bao Zhuang, 59, said she is looking forward to changes that maximise West Coast’s greenery and access to nature.
Madam Su, who has lived in a condominium in West Coast for 26 years, said that as someone who is environmentally conscious and enjoys spending time in nature, linking the parks in Singapore’s south is an exciting prospect.
The retired pre-school teacher, whose adult daughter also lives in the area, said: “Hopefully, we can keep improving the environment and greenery, which may help young people feel like they can raise children here.”
