Marina Bay To Provide 1.1m Sq M Of Office Space

Source : The Business Times, February 29, 2008

YESTERDAY IN PARLIAMENT

It will become a seamless extension of Raffles Place, says Mah

THE upcoming financial district at Marina Bay will be twice the size of London's Canary Wharf and will provide as much Grade A office space as Hong Kong's Central.
















Revealing more plans for Singapore's new financial hub, National Development Minister Mah Bow Tan told Parliament yesterday that Marina Bay remains the centrepiece of the government's efforts to provide more office space.

'URA (the Urban Redevelopment Authority) will make available more sites for development in this area over the next five to six years, in line with market demand,' he said. 'When completed, these new developments will provide more than 1.1 million sq m of office space, to match the total amount of office space at Raffles Place today.'

The area will become a seamless extension of Raffles Place, Mr Mah said. It is expected to take more than 15 years to materialise, depending on market demand.

The existing central business district will not be neglected, he said. URA will release land around the Tanjong Pagar precinct as well as redevelop the Ophir/Rochor corridor into an office cluster.

Mr Mah also touched on plans for Orchard Road, saying that URA plans to work with the private sector to build a pedestrian network with underground links, walkways at street level and second-storey links between buildings.

The Ministry of National Development will set out its land use plans for the next 10-15 years in the next few months in its Master Plan 2008. The plans have been developed with three key objectives in mind - to ensure that Singapore has sufficient land to support economic growth; to reduce commuting by bringing jobs closer to home; and to provide greater greenery and leisure options.

Addressing a now-hot topic, Mr Mah said that sustainable development will continue to be a priority.

To encourage environmentally friendly practices, the government will look at a range of measures including public education, research and development, and possibly legislation, he said.