A new undersea road will create a new precinct that will complement the existing central business district while offering boundless possibilities, according to a media report quoting consultants.
Property and planning consultants noted that the 70ha Marina Downtown will be developed once a portion of the East Coast Parkway (ECP) is removed, featuring a mix of offices, homes, retail and recreational facilities.
Last week, the government unveiled details on the undersea Marina Coastal Expressway linking the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE) and the ECP. In view of the development, a 1km section of the ECP running from Marina Boulevard to Prince Edward Road will be removed.
Based on the 2008 URA Master Plan, land within the area is known as the “Downtown Core” and are zoned white sites, meaning they are intended for commercial, hotel, residential, sports, recreational and other such uses.
With high-intensity development allowed in the area, consultants expect more skyscrapers to be built there.
Century 21 Chief Executive Ku Swee Yong expects to see more buildings with large floor plates while Ong Teck Hui, Jones Lang LaSalle’s National Director of Research and Consultancy predicts more mixed developments.
Ku also expects civic facilities like parks and places of worship to dot the area and ensure that it doesn’t turn into a ghost town on weekends.
Ian Loh, Head of Investment at Knight Frank, said there could also be plans for links between the new developments, mostly underground passageways.
But consultants added that the new Marina Downtown will be dominated by office space.
“There will be more offices than homes in the new area, because Marina Bay already has quite a lot of residential developments like The Sail, Marina Bay Residences and Marina Bay Suites,” Loh noted.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
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