Work on new Bishan hawker centre, polyclinic to start in this term of govt: Minister

Work on the new hawker centre, polyclinic and revamped bus interchange in the Bishan town centre will start within the current term of government and take several years to complete, said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat.

- Isabelle Liew and Samantha Lee

About 200,000 sq m of new office space could also be built in the town centre, matching the scale of that in Paya Lebar Central, Mr Chee said in a Facebook post on June 26.

The Government is studying plans to develop Bishan into a new business hub as part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) 2025 Draft Master Plan, which was unveiled on June 25.

Several government agencies are exploring the feasibility of relocating their offices to the area to jump-start the development of this business district, URA said earlier.

Plans are afoot to develop Bishan into a sub-regional centre. Such areas are business hubs, like those in Paya Lebar and Serangoon, that bring jobs closer to homes. They are smaller than the regional centres in Woodlands, Jurong East and Tampines.

Efforts to improve connectivity in Bishan will make it easier for residents to move around the town and access neighbouring facilities, said Mr Chee, an MP for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC.

For instance, cycling paths in the Bishan town centre will allow residents to cycle to upcoming recreational spaces such as those along the North-South Corridor and Kallang River.

Bishan Place – the road behind Junction 8 shopping centre – will be transformed into a pedestrian mall and be linked to transport hubs and facilities, he added.