Singapore Gov’t Looking To Build Office Tower In JLD
SINGAPORE – In line with the authorities’ broader move to free up prime space in the Central Region, a government agency is studying whether to construct a new office building in the Jurong Lake District (JLD), reported The Straits Times on Monday morning (31 January, SGT).
In an interview with the news outlet, a representative from the Ministry of Sustainability and the Environment (MSE) revealed that it is conducting exploratory studies in building a new office tower at 12 Science Centre Road, which is occupied by the former French-Singapore Institute.
The area measures around 175,172 sq ft, which is equivalent to over two football fields, and the proposed office tower would have a gross floor area (GFA) of roughly 980,958 sq ft. The building is also planned to be connected to neighbouring projects via an elevated pedestrian walkway.
Should MSE move from its present main office is the Environment Building in Scotts Road, it will become part of a cluster of government agencies that will be headquartered in the area in the future, including the Ministry of National Development (MND) and the Land Transport Authority (LTA).
If the proposed relocation proceeds, the move could support the development of Singapore’s western business district, noted the MSE representative.
“The proximity to academic and research institutions and industries will facilitate collaboration on innovation and research and development in the water, food and environmental sectors,” he said, adding that the new office tower will come with the latest green features and technologies.
Meanwhile, when LTA was queried about its relocation to Jurong, a representative shared that the construction of the Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub started in May 2021 and it is expected to be ready by 2027. Thereafter, some of the agency’s offices will relocate to the hub as part of the government’s efforts to optimise land use and to decentralise government offices from the city centre.
The hub will contain offices and retail spaces as well as civic and sports facilities within an 8-storey podium block and a tower with a height of 27 storeys. The LTA is also researching whether to construct a separate building in Jurong East to house its remaining offices, in addition to the Ministry of Transport.
