ASEANews Headlines: SINGAPORE- Punggol residents to get integrated town hub in 2021

SINGAPORE – Punggol residents can look forward to new amenities and programmes coming under one roof when the upcoming Punggol Town Hub opens in 2021.

The new facilities include a hawker centre, regional library, childcare centre and healthcare facilities. The hub will also include a revamped Punggol Vista Community Centre, which will be about seven times the size of the current void deck community centre.

The hub will be located opposite the Waterway Point shopping mall and next to the upcoming Punggol Regional Sports Centre.

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At a ground-breaking ceremony for the hub on Sunday (Oct 7), Dr Janil Puthucheary, an MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said the hub was designed after meeting residents and hearing their needs.

Dr Janil, who is also Senior Minister of State for Communications and Information and Transport, said that over the years, residents have come together to suggest ways to make Punggol a better place for all.

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The community and lifestyle hub, managed by the People’s Association (PA), will bring together programmes and services from multiple agencies, catering to the needs of over 146,000 residents in Punggol.

When completed, it will be connected to Punggol MRT via a linear green park, and to the Punggol Regional Sports Centre via a pedestrian overhead bridge. The cycling path around the hub will integrate with the larger cycling network in Punggol.

Residents said the new hub, with various facilities under one roof, will bring greater convenience.

Mr Daryl Tan, 41, who works in the food and beverage line, said the various hub amenities, such as the hawker centre and library, are within a short walking distance from landmarks such as Waterway Point. “It is something we have been eagerly looking forward to for many years,” he added.

At the ground-breaking ceremony at Punggol Town Square on Sunday, Minister for Trade and Industry Chan Chun Sing, who is deputy chairman of the PA, hopes that the new hub will also foster a sense of community identity in residents.

He added: “We can build a house, but we need your help to build a home.”