Orchard Road is 2.2 kilometres long but much of the activity takes place in the middle stretch
Orchard Road holds a special place in the hearts of many Singaporeans.
It has transformed from a street of plantations to a residential enclave before becoming our internationally-renowned shopping street. Beyond its iconic status as the country’s largest shopping street, the precinct is a place where friends and families gather to enjoy quality time together.
To ensure the continued vibrancy of Orchard Road, government agencies have been engaging stakeholders and the public to envision the next phase of Orchard Road’s evolution.
Many of the older properties along Orchard Road’s periphery will be redeveloped with incentives provided by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore’s land planning agency.
One challenge facing URA and private sector developers keen to redevelop the upper stretch of Orchard Road is the ownership structure of many older commercial buildings. Instead of coming under a single holding company, these properties are divided into tiny strata units held by different owners.
This same feeling of emptiness pervades many of the older malls along the upper stretch of Orchard Road, which extends from the posh Tanglin residential area near the Singapore Botanic Gardens to where the Orchard MRT is located.
Orchard Road, Singapore’s main shopping street, is 2.2 km (1.3 miles) long but much of the activity takes place in the middle of the stretch as well as at selected malls linked via underground walkways to subway stations. Far East Shopping Center isn’t connected to Orchard MRT unlike several of its neighbors.
This situation could be about to change, however. Many of the older properties along Orchard Road’s periphery are expected to be redeveloped in the coming years following a slew of financial incentives from the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Singapore’s land planning agency. But the investments required will still be significant, likely running into the billions of dollars due to the high cost of land and construction in Singapore.
Beginning 2025, URA will start work on a series of enhancements to the entire Orchard Road area, which include a 6-kilometer-long “green connection” linking the Singapore Botanic Gardens to Istana Park and Fort Canning Park located near the other end of Orchard Road.
(Source: URA, CNBC)