The Jurong Lake District Over The Years
In 2008, the Government unveiled a blueprint to turn JLD - a 360ha area comprising Jurong Lake and the area around Jurong East MRT station, where the Jurong Country Club was - into a lakeside destination for business and leisure over 10 to 15 years.
Almost a decade later, the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched a draft masterplan in August this year (2017), ambitious in its promises to elevate the district to a second CBD, as well as a sought-after living destination.
The Location
The goal is to provide more than 100,000 new jobs in sectors such as maritime, infrastructure and technology, as well as a further 20,000 homes.
For one, with more than a million people living in the west, there is a ready talent pool.
It is also situated in the middle of a "tech corridor", starting with business park one-north in Buona Vista, the National University of Singapore, the JLD, the upcoming Jurong Innovation District - spearheaded by statutory board JTC Corporation - and Nanyang Technological University in Jurong West.
Planning Parameters
"You won't see pure offices or pure residences. You might see an office with a hotel and shops and residences all in one complex. We don't want the area to be pitch dark after seven, but lively 24/7."
"For the first phase, you'd want some critical mass and good connectivity - a master developer makes sense,"
Unique Characteristics
..a major plus is the district's abundance of "green and blue spaces", in the form of parks and expanded lakes.
..a lot more greenery will be integrated into building surfaces, or what the URA has called a "green carpet".
"The green will be very visible, and it will be the most intensive vertical greenery you will see."
Another key feature is its
car-lite strategy, where planners are targeting eight in 10 rides in the district to be made using public transport, and have set aside buses-only lanes and carpark hubs to reduce the availability of nearby carpark spots.
Eco-friendly mixed-used districts, such as the upcoming Jurong Lake District, will function as demonstration projects and also serve as a testing ground for innovative urban solutions.
The Jurong Innovation District will create some 1,200 new jobs in industries such as advanced manufacturing, urban mobility and urban solutions over the next 18 months (from 2021).
The first phase of the 600ha Jurong Innovation District is expected to be completed around 2022. When it is fully developed, the advanced manufacturing hub will create over 95,000 new jobs.
The Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) is studying whether to build a new office tower in the Jurong Lake District (at 12 Science Center Road), as part of a broader move by the Government to free up prime space in the central area (at Scotts Road). The MSE currently also houses the PUB (Public Utilities Board) and the NEA (National Environment Agency).
Should it moves, it will be part of a cluster of government agencies based in the area in the future, along with the LTA (Land Transport Authority) and the MND (Ministry of National Development).
"The proximity to academic and research institutions and industries will facilitate collaboration on innovation and research and development in the food, water and environmental sectors."
The LTA is also studying the possibility of developing a separate building in Jurong East to house its remaining offices, as well as the Ministry of Transport.
MND said it is moving its offices to JLD in phases, beginning with the BCA (Building and Construction Authority) and the then Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority, which moved into JEM in late 2014.
MND had in 2011 signed a 30-year lease with developer Lend Lease for 29,300 sqm of office space in JEM.
In-flight caterer and ground handler Sats announced on Friday (March 11) that it will spend about $150 million to develop a food hub for its existing institutional catering businesses.
"Advanced food manufacturing with automation and Internet of Things capabilities will be deployed for operational efficiency."
The facility will also feature an open innovation platform to test-bed new products and services, as well as channels to commercialise viable food solutions in new markets.
The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) said it expects the new lifestyle and tourism hub to comprise high-quality accommodation as well as a mix of attractions, retail, food and beverage and entertainment offerings.
It should also complement existing nearby attractions such as the Jurong Lake Gardens and the new Science Centre, as well as be well-integrated with the entire Jurong Lake District through a network of pedestrian-friendly streets and well-designed public spaces, the board said.
Jurong Lake District will be the focus of development over the next two decades, with the Government set to prioritise the sale of sites within the district.
The Jurong development will comprise a minimum of 35,000 sq m of attraction space, a minimum of 21,000 sq m of hotel space, and a maximum of 19,000 sq m of commercial space. It will have an estimated 350 hotel rooms.
The development should attract
at least one million domestic and foreign visitors a year, STB said.
Contact Us
A Quick Note. JLD has been a long-term plan, and videos & graphics presented here to illustrate this will contain some outdated info. E.g. the mention of the HSR, which is off the table for now.