Bukit Timah Fire Station to be redeveloped as a community hub with community spaces, allotment gardens

Looking for a place to recharge during these times of pandemic and get active? Here’s some good news!

The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) announced on Thursday (Sep 16) that the former Bukit Timah Fire Station will be redeveloped to allow for a community hub – one where nature, heritage, and adventure lovers can gather. 

The site creates an environmentally sustainable lifestyle hub that combines urban farming, wellness, and outdoor recreational activities with generous public spaces surrounded by lush greenery and rich heritage.

Through workshops, nature-based programs and allotment gardens, visitors will have the ability to connect with nature in shared open spaces that embrace the surrounding greenery.

The historic former fire station will also serve as a gateway to heritage and natural landmarks in the area – such as the former Ford Factory, Bukit Batok Memorial, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Bukit Batok Nature Park. 

It will also provide access to popular recreational trails on the island, such as the 24km Rail Corridor and the 36km Coast-to-Coast Central Trail.

The project was part of the ‘Reinventing Cities’ global competition – aimed to implement carbon-neutral and sustainable urban features on identified sites worldwide.

During the competition, developers, architects, environmentalists and business owners were allowed to envision and conceptualise ways of giving the historic Bukit Timah Fire Station a new lease of life.

Bidding teams were required to consider how to transform the State property to promote healthy living, greater community interaction, integration with nature, and environmental sustainability in the city. 

Under the theme ‘Good Food, Good Life’, the winning proposal showcases well-curated community event spaces and allotment gardens designed to promote sustainable food production and reduce food waste. 

There will also be several other activities, such as farm-to-table experiences, health and wellness events, and nature-related workshops.

Several community spaces are included in the proposal, with trails and murals designed to display the heritage of the old Bukit Timah Fire Station and its surroundings. 

In addition, many environmentally sustainable features will be implemented throughout the tenancy, such as improved waste management strategy, sustainable construction, and low carbon mobility initiative. 

“Visitors can look forward to the former Bukit Timah Fire Station being transformed into a thriving community node, and this will provide another convenient access point into the Rail Corridor,” said Mr Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development.

He also noted that the Rail Corridor had been continuously enhanced over the past few years to create an open green space for nature, recreation, and community use. 

The site is scheduled for reconstruction beginning around the end of 2021. The community node is tentatively scheduled to launch to the public around the second quarter of 2022.