Out with the old and in with the new. This is currently the main theme for the Toa Payoh area in Singapore.
The “old” that is moving out of Toa Payoh is the “unofficial” vegetable night market. It will see its final run in August of this year after being in operation for about five decades.
The “new” that Singaporeans can now look forward to when they visit Toa Payoh is the upcoming Toa Payoh Integrated Development.
While it is sad that some of our longstanding “traditions” in Singapore are being phased out, hearing what this new development has to offer may erase all the sadness in your heart.
Toa Payoh Integrated Development Will Offer One-Stop Convenience for Singaporeans
When the Toa Payoh Integrated Development is completed in 2030 (hopefully, we do not see any construction delays attributable to COVID-19), “convenience” will be the keyword you think of when you visit this development.
The site spans a massive 12ha, so there is sure to be something for everyone. For now, there are plans to include a polyclinic, a public library, a regional town park and a regional sports centre.
How does dropping your kids off at the library for some quiet reading time while you take a leisurely walk in the park sound?
Or perhaps you would like to send your elderly family members to the clinics and hit the gym while they brave the long queues to seek medical treatment?
This integrated development may be the best thing for those who are efficiency-driven because you can kill so many birds with one stone.
There have already been sneak peeks provided for this development—a public roadshow was held at HDB Hub atrium in Toa Payoh this weekend. The design for the development was showcased by all the stakeholders involved in it, being Sport Singapore (SportSG), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the National Library Board (NLB), the National Parks Board (NParks) and the National Healthcare Group Polyclinics (NHGP).
Attendees were also invited to share their feedback about the development during the roadshow. The responses have largely been positive.
Mr Tham Tuck Choy, a business owner who has lived in Toa Payoh for about half a decade and is an avid user of the swimming complex there, expressed his excitement for “something fresh” in the area.
The provision of the Toa Payoh Polyclinic near sporting facilities was also well-received by Associate Professor Chong Phui-Nah, the chief executive of NGHP and Primary Care. The feedback was that the arrangement of the two facilities was strategic and “well-placed to meet the needs of residents”.
There Are Plans to Build an Impressive Sports Centre
Since the government is placing an emphasis on being healthy and keeping active (remember the Nutri-Grade labelling requirement and recent changes to the National Steps Challenge), it is no surprise that the plans for the sports centre are grand.
The sports centre is slated to house a variety of sporting facilities, including courts for sheltered tennis, futsal and netball. Plans are also underway to build a swimming pool, a gymnasium, and a football stadium.
For those who prefer to exercise indoors in the comfort of air-conditioning, you will be pleased to know that fitness studios and indoor sports halls are also planned within the integrated development.
Given the wide variety of sporting arenas and venues suitable for training enthusiastic athletes, it is no surprise that there have been talks of housing the national training centres for sports such as netball, table tennis and aquatics at this new Toa Payoh development.
It seems that sheltered facilities are receiving the spotlight in this integrated development. The captain of the national artistic swimming team, Ms Vivien Tai, expressed her desire to have a sheltered pool so that her team will not need to “face bad weather”.
Very relatable, given that sunny Singapore is prone to rain and swimming is prohibited when there is a risk of lightning.
Education officer Mr Yong Eng Kiat, a Toa Payoh resident, also mentioned that he is “most excited about the sheltered tennis court” because it is “so hard” to find a tennis court here.
Together with the Punggol Regional Sports Centre, the upcoming project in Toa Payoh is part of the Sports Facilities Master Plan. This plan stems from Vision 2030. Vision 2030 is a national sports blueprint. Some other integrated community hubs you may have heard of are Our Tampines Hub, [email protected], Bukit Canberra and One Punggol.
For the bookworms who don’t fancy getting all sweaty with sports, you may be interested in the new public library in the integrated development. This library will replace the existing one.
Let’s hope they have more study spaces for all the students cramming for their exams.
If you like to take walks in the park or visit landmarks, paying a visit to the new town park will surely be on your bucket list.
The existing Toa Payoh Town Park is slated to include “enhanced greenery and new amenities” with the aim of bringing people “closer to flora and fauna”. This sounds promising since Singapore has at least ten types of plants native to local soil, which could be well-suited for the park.
Iconic landmarks such as the Lookout Tower will also be conserved in the new development’s park.
To increase the convenience factor and make residents’ lives better, sheltered walkways to bus stops and running tracks are also under consideration.
As for the polyclinic, the plan is to bring good quality medical care closer to residents by having the polyclinic included in the integrated development.
The polyclinic will provide a range of services for people of all ages—from child development assessment to frailty screen for seniors.
We expect nothing less as the government caters its services for Singaporeans of all ages.
Hopefully, more of such developments will be created in the future so that we are all a stone’s throw away from everything we need.
