Mt Faber foothills slated to be next lifestyle hot spot - 15 Aug 07

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Aug 15, 2007
Mt Faber foothills slated to be next lifestyle hot spot
Recreational, dining facilities and tourist attractions are in the
works By Jeanette Wang & Lim Wei Chean

THE sleepy foothills of Mount Faber are set to come alive.

The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has been tasked with
turning it into the next lifestyle-cum-entertainment hot spot in
Singapore.

This was revealed by SDC chairman Loo Choon Yong at the official
opening of golf's Asian Tour headquarters at Sentosa yesterday.

He said: 'The Singapore Tourism Board and Ministry of Trade and
Industry (MTI) have asked us to prepare a master plan to look at how
we can develop the foothills at Mount Faber, and how we can
incorporate it into the whole neighbourhood.'

He did not elaborate on what the master plan would contain, but said
recreational activities, accommodation, tourist attractions and
dining facilities are in the works.

He explained that Mount Faber was being tapped because the 500-ha
Sentosa island was 'quickly running out of room'.

When contacted, MTI declined comment.

But The Straits Times understands that while plans are only in the
preliminary stage, the bottom half of the 106-m-high Mount Faber has
been earmarked for development.

No forest reserves will be touched. Only the foothills accessible by
roads, such as Keppel Hill and Temenggong Road, will be revamped.

Dr Loo said that since the 10-year master plan for Sentosa is already
in place, the next step is for what he dubbed a 'Greater Sentosa'.

'Together with Resorts World at Sentosa, VivoCity, St James Power
Station and Mount Faber, Sentosa will form a vital part of this world-
class environment to live, work and play in Singapore,' he explained.

'Plans to include Faber foothills in this vision are currently being
explored, with more details to be announced in due course.'

He added: 'Now, Sentosa is an exciting place, and so are VivoCity and
St James Power Station. There are residents, activity and nightlife.
So, I think the Faber foothills present an opportunity.'

He declined to reveal the costs involved, the exact location or the
expected completion date of the project.

The idea to develop the area has surfaced in the past - in 2002, when
the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched an Identity Plan, which
combined ideas and proposals on how to keep and enhance the special
character of 15 areas in Singapore.

One of the suggestions was the creation of 'hillside villages', with
shops and activities, at Mount Faber's foothills. It was also
proposed that the old black-and-white bungalows along the foothills
be converted into culinary schools, bed-and-breakfast lodgings,
restaurants or museums.

Miss Susan Teh, chief executive officer of the Mount Faber Leisure
Group, which owns The Jewel Box, a leisure and dining complex housed
in the revamped Mount Faber Cable Car station, said it was 'too
preliminary' to comment on the area's development plans.

'However, we have been in talks with the relevant authorities in
exploiting this strategic location,' she added.