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Everything About Greater Southern Waterfront, The Future ‘Punggol By The Bay’ of S’pore

2019-08-19 , 12:00 pm

In a country starved of space, redevelopment often comes at the expense of historical sites, old apartments, and even caskets in the cemetery.

So, when you see men and women prancing about hitting a tiny white ball in a vast, vacant field of green, you’re bound to wonder why golf courses have escaped destruction.

Well, not anymore!

Greater Southern Waterfront

On Sunday (Aug 18), Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced the construction of the “Greater Southern Waterfront”, a waterfront development that contains 2,000ha of land.

That’s six times the size of Marina Bay and twice the size of Punggol!

The huge waterfront development has 30 km of coastline that stretches from the Gardens by the Bay East area to Pasir Panjang.

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Around 9,000 housing units – both public and private – will be built on the site of Keppel Golf Club, PM Lee added. Golfers will be upset, but this means more HDB flats and private properties for Singaporeans.

For those that don’t know, a waterfront is basically a part of a town that borders a sea or river. So, in addition to East and West Coast Park, residents of the Greater Southern Waterfront will be one of the few to have a seafront living in Singapore.

It might look a little like this:

Now, this is just an artist’s impression, but it certainly looks like a more futuristic Gardens by the Bay that belongs in a science fiction novel.

Which is why PM Lee called it “Punggol by the Bay”.

Work: More job opportunities too

Aside from the futuristic facilities and additional housing, PM Lee added that the waterfront will also be a commercial node, as several big companies like Google, Cisco and Unilever have offices in the vicinity.

“We will develop more office space in the GSW… which will bring in more jobs,” he said.

So, if you’re tired of spending hours commuting, you may soon find a job near your home.

Play: The “new Sentosa”

But perhaps the most exciting facet of the waterfront development is the new recreation projects.

Two old power stations in Pasir Panjang along with the Brani Terminal will be redeveloped into an area for recreation facilities.

This includes attractions like Universal Studios and “Downtown South”, a resort for NTUC members.

The North and West will have to wait for their own Downtowns, unfortunately.

Lungs of the city

The Greater Southern Waterfront will also be linked to surrounding green areas, such as from West Coast Park to East Coast Park, and connecting the Rail Corridor and Sentosa.

In addition to jobs, housing, and recreational activities, this additional greenery will provide a “new green heart” in the centre of the country, adding to its reputation as a “City in a Garden”.