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HDB estate Bukit Merah to get makeover: Refurbished town centre, more green spaces
The improvements are part of an ongoing series of enhancements under HDB's Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme.
SINGAPORE — Bukit Merah is set to undergo a transformation of its town centre and community spaces, along with enhanced connectivity to green nodes such as the Rail Corridor and Southern Ridges, within the next five to ten years.
The improvements, which the Second Minister for National Development Indranee Rajah announced on Sunday (17 September), are part of the ongoing series of enhancements under the Remaking Our Heartland (ROH) programme.
Town centre makeover
The Bukit Merah town centre will see a new and larger sheltered event space with seating, which will replace the current sheltered stage next to the Rubikon building. It is intended to offer a more conducive space for larger community events such as performances, festive bazaars and fitness activities. Pedestrian malls at the town centre will also see more seating areas and new play areas built.
The minister said in her speech, at an event to launch the ROH exhibition, that residents will also have the opportunity to co-create some of these community spaces, and the Housing and Development Board (HDB) will reach out to them with details when ready.
More green spaces
A new pocket park will also be built next to the existing multi-storey carpark at Block 119 Bukit Merah Central, connecting the town centre to the Rail Corridor green passage.
There will also be enhancements to the pedestrian paths at Henderson Road – which connects Alexandra Canal, the Southern Ridges and Telok Blangah Estate to the future Greater Southern Waterfront – as new rest points with landscaped seating areas will be added along the paths.
The minister also said that residents can look forward to more green spaces and easier access to the Labrador Nature Park Network as new Build-to-Order (BTO) developments come up in Bukit Merah and the Greater Southern Waterfront area.
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Enhanced connectivity
It was also announced that pedestrian and cycling path networks will be expanded across Bukit Merah. This includes new pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as sheltered linkways, to be added along Redhill Close, making it easier to travel between the Bukit Merah town centre and Redhill MRT station.
Neighbourhood centres upgrade
The common areas of six existing neighbourhood centres in Bukit Merah will also be refreshed with more amenities such as outdoor seating, play facilities, pocket greens and spaces for community events. One example is the open space next to Block 121 at Alexandra Village neighbourhood centre, which will be given a facelift with new facilities such as play areas and landscaped seating areas.
Senior-friendly amenities
New amenities, such as therapeutic gardens and fitness stations, will be installed across Bukit Merah's various parks to encourage seniors to lead active and healthier lifestyles.
Common spaces and neighbourhood centres will also be upgraded with more seating, sheltered walkways, ramps and non-slip flooring to help seniors navigate their way safely. According to HDB, more than one-third of Bukit Merah residents are over 60 years old currently.
To date, 13 towns and estates have been identified by HDB for rejuvenation across four ROH batches – Punggol, Dawson and Yishun in 2007; East Coast, Hougang and Jurong Lake in 2011, Woodlands, Toa Payoh and Pasir Ris in 2015; Bukit Merah, Ang Mo Kio, Queenstown and Choa Chu Kang in 2020.
Bukit Merah is made up of several estates: Redhill, Tiong Bahru, Telok Blangah, Mount Faber and a part of Tanjong Pagar.
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