News Releases

26 JUNE 1996

The Minister for National Development, Mr Lim Hng Kiang, officiates the ground breaking- ceremony of the new Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) building today. The ceremony takes place at the site of the new building which is adjacent to the current URA Building and fronts Maxwell Road. More than 150 guests from the public and private sectors attend the ceremony.

URA has awarded the tender for the design development and construction of the new building project to a joint venture of the local firm, Four Seas Construction Company Pte Ltd and of the Japanese firm, Kajima Overseas Asia Pte Ltd. The design for the new building was done in-house by the URA. The contract sum for the new building is $118, 943,575. This works out to a construction cost of about $2,260 psm of gross area.

The new building will have a gross floor area of about 38,800 sq m. It will be a 16- storey office tower block with a 5-storey podium and two levels of basement car park.

The new building will centralise all URA offices which are currently located at three separate premises - the Car Parks Division at Golden Shoe Building, the Development Control Division at Annexe A of MND Building and the existing URA HQ. The integration of all the offices will give URA greater operational efficiency.

Customers of URA like developers, architects, motorists and the public can look forward to better services as all the transaction counters will be located at the ground floor of the new building for easy access. URA will also better use information technology to speed up transaction time.

A Visitor Centre for visitors to understand how Singapore is planned from the past to the present and into the future will be set up in the podium block. There will be exciting exhibits of plans and models relating to the physical planning of Singapore as well as cities of the world and in the region. It will be a place of discovery learning through the use of interactive multi-media presentations.

The new building is expected to be completed by end 1998.

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SPEECH BY MR LIM HNG KIANG, MINISTER FOR NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT, AT THE URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY'S NEW BUILDING GROUND-BREAKING CEREMONY ON WED 26 JUN 96 AT 10.00 AM AT MAXWELL ROAD

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen.

1. One of the key strengths of Singapore as a global business hub is our world-class infrastructure system. We are well linked to various parts of the world by air, sea and telecommunications. An efficient network of roads and expressways facilitates business activities. Modern commercial and office buildings, high-tech industrial estates and business parks enhance Singapore's attractiveness as a business and working environment for investors, industrialists, entrepreneurs and professionals.

2. In Fortune magazine's 1995 list of best cities for business, Singapore was ranked first in the top global cities category ahead of San Francisco, New York, Hong Kong, Paris and Tokyo.

3. The latest World Competitiveness Report ranks Singapore second after the United States. It recognises Singapore as a nation of little accumulated wealth but which is highly competitive.

4. In the World Economic Forum ranking for competitiveness, Singapore topped the list. Singapore scores first in infrastructure, government, finance and civil institutions.

5. The development of a first-class infrastructure system has been a critical driving force behind Singapore' transformation into a thriving and competitive economy. Our success in developing a modern infrastructure system is attributed to the sound and forward-planning approach adopted by our infrastructure agencies like the URA, PWD and LTA. These agencies plan ahead our infrastructure development and build the facilities in anticipation of future economic expansion. As a result, we have an efficient infrastructure system that not only supports our present economic needs, but also acts as a catalyst for our future economic development. That is why our economy was able to take off rapidly as we had adopted such an approach in upgrading our infrastructure in the early days.

6. The world-class infrastructure we see today - the expressways, the MRT system, the advanced telecommunications system, the high-tech industrial parks, Changi International Airport and the port - are the result of our sound and forward planning that was done some 25 years ago. This was laid out in our 1971 Concept plan - the blueprint for the physical development of Singapore. I commend our infrastructure agencies on their good planning and, importantly, their good execution of the plans.

7. Although we have done well, we cannot afford to rest on our laurels. We are facing strong competition from the emerging and developing countries. They are catching up quickly in developing the right environment to attract the entrepreneurs, financiers, managers and professionals and skilled workers. They are also investing heavily in infrastructure development. So are the developed countries. How can we stay ahead of our competitors?

8. The answer lies in enhancing the attractiveness and efficiency of our city. We must make Singapore not only a conducive environment to work in, but also a pleasant place to live in. This is the goal we have set out to achieve in our revised 1991 Concept Plan. The plan aims to bring Singapore's development into the 21st century. This is the challenge confronting our infrastructure agencies.

9. In enhancing our business and working environment, we have made good progress in the key economic areas. The first of the four new regional centres has taken off smoothly. Big organisations have set up offices at the Tampines Regional Centre which serves the eastern sector of Singapore. Major retail complexes have been established. Work on the telecommunication park and the finance park are progressing well. The region is well-served by the MRT.

10. Developments are also taking place in the Downtown area, which is being rejuvenated to meet new and expanding business needs. We have completed the reclamation of land around Marina Bay, which will form the heart of the new Downtown Core. Private developments have injected more activities to the Downtown area. Over at Marina Centre, major commercial projects have come onstream. We also see more commercial activities in the Rochor area with the restoration of conservation shophouses in Little India and Kampung Glam.

11. High-tech industrial parks and modern business parks are being set up to support high value-added, knowledge-intensive industries. Construction of an international business park in the Jurong East DGP is underway, with some buildings like the German Centre having been completed.

12. The port and airport are also continuously being upgraded. We are building a new container port at Pasir Panjang with tremendous capacity to reinforce Singapore's position as a global hub-port. We are planning for a third passenger terminal at Changi Airport.

13. On land transportation infrastructure, URA is working closely with LTA to develop a world-class system of roads, expressways and MRT. Soon, we will be building the Light Rail Transit System. This comprehensive land transport system will provide an efficient island-wide network linking homes to workplace, commercial centres and recreational places.

14. Besides creating a conducive business and working environment, we also seek to make Singapore an attractive and pleasant place to live in. This will further enhance Singapore's appeal as a business hub. As Fortune magazine has described, best cities for business are those that best serve the evolving workplace, and as life and work become more intertwined, people will flock to cities that cater most appealingly to both. It added: "Top quality workers demand a top-quality living environment. That means affordable housing, good infrastructure, and plenty of opportunities for recreation and culture." Where does Singapore stand in terms of quality living?

15. The World Competitiveness Report 1995 and a recent study of 118 cities by the Swiss-based Corporate Resources City have ranked Singapore as Number One in Asia with the highest quality of life. In terms of world ranking, both studies placed Singapore 9th in the world.

16. We can do more to make Singapore a better city to live in. To achieve our goal, we have introduced more innovative forms of housing. Quality waterfront housing has taken shape in Tanjong Rhu. We will see more waterfront communities sprouting along the Singapore River, and at Changi Point and Ponggol.

17. Our infrastructure agencies are also developing a wide variety of recreational and leisure centres. URA has helped to revitalise the conservation areas such as Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and the Bugis area which now provide and interesting mix of entertainment and leisure outlets. The National Parks Board is opening up more green areas for recreational activities, and is continuously enhancing our garden environment. URA also plays an important role in improving the aesthetics of our environment by creating open spaces, landscaping and beautifying our streetscape through well-designed pedestrian malls and street furniture.

18. Ladies and gentlemen, the URA, as the master planner, has a key role to play in ensuring the successful development of our infrastructure. It must work closely with the other infrastructure agencies to implement the plans in an efficient and expeditious way to achieve our goal. I am confident our infrastructure agencies will succeed in transforming Singapore into a world-class city which offers a competitive business environment as well as a high quality of living.

19. The new URA Building will symbolise our success in the physical transformation of Singapore into a Tropical City of Excellence. The modern building is designed to provide a more conducive work environment to achieve a higher quality of service. Customers of URA such as developers, architects and the public can look forward to a one-stop service point for all transactions as all URA agencies will come under one roof. These agencies will make better use of Information Technology to reduce transaction time.

20. I wish URA every success in their new building project.

For media enquiries, please contact:

Ms Ang Hwee Suan
Head, Public Relations
DID: 6321 8134
Email: Ang_Hwee_Suan@ura.gov.sg

Ms Gillian Tan
Executive Public Relations Officer
DID: 6321 8280
E mail: Gillian_tan@ura.gov.sg