They hope new plans for estate will materialise fast; HDB says more details to be revealed soon
PLANS announced by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong for Punggol 21 have revived residents' hopes for more amenities and infrastructure to be built in their growing estate.
Mr Lee said in his National Day Rally speech on Sunday that Punggol 21 is 'back on track'.
The new 'Punggol 21-plus', as Mr Lee called it, will boast features like a freshwater lake and a waterway running through the estate with homes and a town centre built on both banks. The north-eastern coastal suburb will also get recreational facilities like water sports, gardens and parks with jogging tracks, and eateries for al-fresco dining, Mr Lee said.
THE FUTURE: Plans include a freshwater lake and waterway running through the estate with homes and a town centre built on both banks. -- FILE PHOTO: HDB
Residents told The Straits Times on Monday that they hoped the plan will bring more developments to the estate - and fast.
Punggol 21, launched in 1996 by former PM Goh Chok Tong, was heralded as a bold vision to transform the area into a resort-styled 'new concept housing'. But plans were hit by the 1997 Asian financial crisis which sent demand for flats nosediving, and then by financial troubles in the construction industry in 2003.
Marketing executive Shermaine Tan, 35, said it was with a 'feeling of deja vu' that she heard the latest news. She, like many others, had excitedly signed up for a Punggol flat after hearing it 'announced with a big bang'.
'Almost 11 years on, I still haven't seen the realisation of that dream estate,' she said.
POSH LIVING: Mr Gerard Raj, 38, who moved into Punggol estate last month, says he likes its 'posh, condo' feel. -- ST PHOTO: JOSEPH NAIR
Punggol Plaza remains the only shopping mall in the estate and there are no recreational facilities like cinemas or swimming pools for her family, said the mother of one.
But one resident, shopkeeper William Lee, 49, said that on the plus side, transport is improving as the estate is now connected by the MRT and LRT. The Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway will also provide a more direct route to the city for Punggol and Sengkang residents when completed.
Entrepreneur Henry Koh, 33, acknowledged that 'it takes time' for estates to develop and is happy to wait: 'I think the plans are excellent, but will take the next five to 10 years to be realised.'
An HDB spokesman told The Straits Times on Monday that more details about the plan will be revealed soon. HDB data shows there were 15,727 occupied units in Punggol as of March 31 last year. The estate is projected to have 96,000 units when fully developed.
Speaking at the sidelines of a Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry event, Minister of State for National Development Grace Fu said yesterday that Punggol will have to be built at 'the right pace'.
'I don't think we can put a timeline to it because we do not want to build ahead of demand. But with the increased demand we have seen recently, Punggol's development will pick up speed.'
Mr Mohamed Ismail, chief executive of real estate firm PropNex, said he expects the value of properties in Punggol to go up. 'It's only a matter of time. It will be a different township that shows Singapore lifestyle at its best.'
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