A jazzed up Jurong is primed to become a hip town
Its name pays homage to England’s famous Lake District, whose scenic beauty has been immortalised in numerous paintings and poems. And perhaps Jurong Lake District will soon inspire its own cultural rhapsodies – this 360-ha region, after all, is in the midst of a major makeover that will transform it into Singapore’s “jewel in the west”, with enticing scenic views and vibrant waterfront leisure destinations numbering among its most appealing attractions.
Jurong Lake will soon boast a lakeside village that offers exciting shopping, dining and entertainment options, as well as boutique hotels. A new public park will add to the area’s natural charm, and water sports enthusiasts will be able to pursue fun activities like kayaking and dragon boating.
With a new waterfront promenade in the works, boardwalks, a fishing and garden deck, a viewing plaza, wetlands and a geyser are in the pipeline. A new world-class Science Centre will also join popular existing attractions like the Jurong Bird Park and the Chinese and Japanese Gardens.
In addition to the wide variety of leisure and commercial options Jurong will offer, residents will also be conveniently linked to other parts of the island through the PIE and AYE, as well as the Lakeside and Jurong East MRT stations.
Residents and visitors are already enjoying the facilities at the new eco-friendly JCube mall, which boasts an Olympic-size ice-skating rink and the first IMAX Theatre in the suburbs.
Coming soon: Westgate, a 7-storey lifestyle mall and 20-storey office complex that will house international high-street fashion outlets, IT and electronics stores, a supermarket, restaurants, a childcare centre and a gymnasium, thus offering a work-play environment within one development.
All these lifestyle options will cater to the growing population of what will soon be Singapore’s biggest regional commercial hub outside the Central Business District. Known as Jurong Gateway, the hub will eventually provide 500,000 square metres (5.38 million square feet) of office space, 250,000 square metres of retail, F&B and entertainment space, about 2,800 hotel rooms, and at least 1,000 new homes.
Companies based in Jurong Gateway will be able to leverage on the proximity of the International Business Park and the Jurong and Tuas Industrial Estates, as well as research hubs in Nanyang Technological University, National University of Singapore, One-North and the Science Park.
Nestled within the heart of this “jewel in the west”, Lake Vista @ Yuan Ching is a residential development by Hoi Hup slated for completion in 2015. Its prime lakeside location means most of the 682 units boast a panoramic view of Jurong Lake, and its lovingly landscaped grounds will echo the soothing serenity of its natural surroundings.
The development is being built under HDB’s Design, Build and Sell Scheme (DBSS) that involves public housing built by private sector developers. The flats boast better design and finishing for higher-income home buyers.
Source : Today – 26 Oct 2012
