Standing near the Jurong Lake Gardens, 57-year-old Benjamin Ang gestures at the large expanse of land around him and laments that it is bare and lacks vibrancy.
“Nobody comes here. It is underdeveloped,” the interior designer, who has been a Jurong resident for about 12 years, said yesterday.
“Most of the time, the Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden are empty. Few people go there.”
Mr Ang is among the staunch supporters of developments being planned for the area by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
From 2026, the Jurong Lake District will welcome a new 7ha integrated tourism development.
STB yesterday launched an expression of interest exercise for the development, which will include attractions, a hotel and other complementary lifestyle offerings.
Mr Ang is looking forward to having more amenities and food options. “I hope to see greater vibrancy, maybe even a casino? That will definitely draw crowds,” he told The Straits Times.
For Mr David Chew, 24, whose condominium will be put up for a collective sale, new developments will be a good thing, and also mean higher property prices.
Some residents, however, have reservations about the area being transformed into a major tourist destination.
Part-time teacher Nancy Sebastian, 31, said: “Once the construction starts, there might be noise pollution.”
Mr Jay Gobal, 66, a resident of Jurong for more than 20 years, added: “Development is good as long as they don’t disturb the parks.”
Retiree Ng Ham Moi, 80, was sceptical that the new attractions would excite, “especially if they are to include attractions which are being offered elsewhere in Singapore”.
She said she prefers to see more restoration of cultural attractions which showcase individuality and creativity, such as little shops or places with cultural significance.
Dr Michael Chiam, senior tourism lecturer at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, said expanding tourism attractions into the heartland provides tourists with the opportunity to learn about the heritage of different areas, and to see where Singaporeans work and live.
It also prevents the issue of overcrowding, he said, adding: “It is quite a fresh idea – we never really talk about tourism or any leisure or recreational activities in the Jurong area.”
The waterfront can be used for sports and events, while leveraging the nearby Science Centre and creating a futuristic hub can help it to stand out from other precincts, he added.
Associate Professor Lim Tit Meng, chief executive of the Science Centre Board, said that development planning has begun for the new Science Centre, which is scheduled for completion by the mid-2020s.
Currently, the visitors to the centre – about a million a year – gravitate towards “experiential, participatory and visual experiences with social media elements”.
“Hence, we hope that more of such experiences can be made available in the district,” he said.
“Source:[Residents welcome tourism hub plan for Jurong Lake District but some express reservations] © Singapore Press Holdings Limited. Permission required for reproduction”
