ST : Having a splash in the park

Dec 20, 2009
Having a splash in the park
By Amresh Gunasingham

SPORTS enthusiasts in Pasir Ris will have a shiny new facility to call on in by June 2011. Built at a cost of $40 million, it will be equipped with swimming pools, a 2,000-seater multi-purpose sports hall and tennis courts, among other features.

Work on the project, located near the MRT and bus interchange, commenced officially yesterday at a ceremony attended by Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean and Minister for Community, Youth and Sports, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan.

First announced at the 2006 General Election as part of the Government's $850-million plan to spruce up the Pasir Ris, Punggol and Sengkang areas, it will also be retrofitted with green features to reduce its energy consumption. These include the installation of solar panels and a rainwater-harvesting container that channels stormwater into a storage tank to be later used to irrigate plants.

Savings of up to 15 per cent in operating costs could be earned annually on electrical equipment alone, said Mr Kenneth Hui, chief of sports facilities group at the Singapore Sports Council (SSC).