Todayonline.com, November 24, 2006
STB to announce blueprint to develop Singapore River area into a 24-hour hotspot
THE Singapore Tourism Board (STB) will soon reveal plans for a vibrant Singapore Riverfront that never sleeps. A tender for qualified surveyors to study the site — stretching from the Esplanade Drive in the east to Kim Seng Road in the south — was recently called. Upon appointment, the site survey must be completed within six weeks. The STB said it intends to appoint a design consultant to "develop Singapore River into a must-see, 24-hour favourite riverfront precinct in the region". Said Mr Oliver Chong, STB director for cluster development (events and entertainment): "We are currently looking into plans to revitalise the Singapore River and position it as a must-visit, 24-hour lifestyle and entertainment precinct that targets the well-heeled young professionals, business travellers, singles and couples." Since December last year, landscape and planning consultancy Edaw has been appointed to look into the revitalisation project and work with stakeholders. Ms Jo McAllister, Edaw associate and senior landscape architect, told Today: "We've been studying other waterfront cities such as Sydney to help the STB realise its vision for a vibrant waterfront in Singapore, and to bring Singapore's waterfront to the world stage through a mixture of software and hardware." Infrastructure enhancements may include more walkways, viewing points and promenades. Software elements will include signature events and regular activities to breathe life into the river stretch. There may also be plans to seamlessly link up Boat Quay, Robertson Quay and Clarke Quay, which recently went through an $80 million makeover. Said Mr Chong: "We believe the Singapore River precinct has the potential to stand out as a 24-hour lifestyle and entertainment riverfront belt that attracts visitors and local residents. "More importantly, the area adds to Singapore's profile as an exciting and dynamic destination. This project will be one of the key initiatives that will contribute toward realising STB's Tourism 2015 vision."
The STB's aim is to double tourism arrivals to 17 million by 2015.
