Punggol Promenade Starts Work

Punggol 21+ Artiste Impression
Punggol 21+ Artiste Impression

Punggol has started its ground breaking ceremony today to start work on its 4.9km long promenade that will start from Punggol Point.

Today, the town has a population of 53,600 and this is projected to grow to 70,000 by 2011.

I have recently sold a 5-room Design and Built in Punggol Central, this has been one of the most discussed selling point on the transformation of Punggol. “This is coming, the second generation of Punggol residents will enjoy what has been a bare land transformed” as quoted by my owner.

Price has also steadily raised for Punggol HDB apartments with its promised plans from the Government to transform the whole estate into a beautiful waterfront town. As we can see, the estate is slowly maturing.

Proposed Punggol Promenade Stretch Map
Proposed Punggol Promenade Stretch Map

Read more about the plans from URA here on the Punggol Promenade.

Punggol 21 – The Charming Waterfront Living of Singapore

How Punggol Marina looks like 2 years back, photo credits to elkin, Clubsnap
How Punggol Marina looks like 2 years back, photo credits to elkin, Clubsnap

How a short period of time has changed a place so tremendously.

Nicholas and I used to wakeboard regularly at Punggol Marina 2 years back with WakeTime and we knew there were development plans to close the channel where we used to ride. It was for quite sometime the announcement before the Police Coast Guards started to become serious and kept chasing our boats away. Since then, Nicholas and I stopped riding for awhile because of work commitment and wakeboard activities has moved to Seletar waters. Sad.

I caught up with a friend for a drink at the Marina yesterday. Gone was the smooth buttery flat channel which was totally dammed up with some sort of a station. Guess this has got to do with the plans that URA/HDB has laid out for Punggol 21 which was mentioned in 1996, and still reinforced in the recently gazetted Master Plan 2008.

High Quality HDB Flats in Punggol

Night view of Punggol Estate. Photo credits: Missy - verysporty, Flickr
Night view of Punggol Estate. Photo credits: Missy - verysporty, Flickr

Since 1996’s released plan by the government to develop Punggol, the estate has been on its track with its vision on building high quality HDB Flats, LRT and MRT lines to populate the area. And with the introduction of Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), residences here have improved road network to shorten the time span to travel to the city.

Design-and-Built and Design-plus flats were being offered then and we can see resale market is floating with movements of Punggol flats. The price has since been climbing steadily since 2005.

Punggol also has a strongly knitted community amongst residences. New happenings in Punggol? Things to take note such as watching out for hustlers or even having new community activities? Check out Punggol.org.

A Future Sports Complex, a Club House and a Reservoir

A new SAFRA clubhouse integrating a sports complex will be built in Punggol Central for the future convenience of dwelling residents. Coming 2010, we’ll have a new Punggol Reservoir. The new reservoir banks will feature unique plantations and more sports complex for Sengkang residents. The most catchy feature would be its fruit themed floating man-made wetland, which will become a habitat for fishes and birds.

Artiste Impression of Punggol Reservoir and Wetland from URA
Artiste Impression of Punggol Reservoir and Wetland from URA

2010’s Punggol Point and Punggol East

With the gazetted URA Master Plan 2008, a brand new waterfront promenade project awarded to LOOK Architects (The same award winning architect house whom brought you the iconic Alexandra Arch) will be ready in 2010 for residents of Punggol and Sengkang. A 4.2km waterway will connect Sungei Punggol and Sungei Serangoon together, with promenades on both sides running through Punggol Town.

Artiste Impression of Future Punggol Town Centre from URA
Artiste Impression of Future Punggol Town Centre from URA

Imagine water activities such as kayaking and waterfront dining at Punggol Point. This will definitely enhance the ‘Play’ mission of URA’s and improve the lifestyle living of the residents. You can read more about promenade details here.

Will Punggol 21 be Singapore’s answer to Venice? It’s a big statement, but give it sometime I’m sure it’ll still be impressive ;)

*Updated June 2013 – New Punggol Ecopolitan EC Opens for Registration!