Boat Quay to get S$5m facelift
Artist’s impression of open spaces along the Boat Quay promenade. Graphic: URA
SINGAPORE – Boat Quay, which has lost much of its allure in recent years amid visitors’ complaints of blocked views of the riverfront and aggressive touting, will undergo a S$5-million facelift to revitalise its outdoor dining areas.
By the end of next year (2016), the bulky tents and partitions lining the riverfront promenade will be replaced by uniform structures with retractable fabric canopies, metal beams for the mounting of lights and fans, and timber-like flooring.
Overhead cables will also be moved underground — for aesthetic and safety reasons.
Three new open spaces with public seating will be developed along the promenade, offering visitors clear views of the Singapore River without having to patronise eateries.
Tent structures were first allowed to be erected in Boat Quay in 2002, following feedback from businesses to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA). However, this led to a plethora of canopies, pitched or flat roofs, and different-coloured tents, giving the area an “inconsistent and disorganised” image, said the authority.
About 60 outdoor dining areas line the 335 metre-long promenade.
In 2013, the Singapore River One (SRO) – which manages Boat Quay, Clarke Quay and Robertson Quay — engaged stakeholders to discuss sprucing up the promenade at Boat Quay.
Following a three-month consultation which ended in February this year, 80 per cent of the stakeholders in Boat Quay gave the green light for the revitalisation project
To minimise the impact of the renovation works, the URA — which will be funding the project — will be carrying them in five phases — lasting eight weeks each.
“At any one time, when a (section) is undergoing construction, the rest of the businesses can continue operations. In fact, the entire promenade will still remain passable to pedestrian traffic because the works will largely be centered on the outdoor refreshment strip,” said Ms Eliza Choo, URA’s director of urban design.
Business owners estimated that revenue may drop between 15 and 20 per cent during the renovation period, but they view the revamp as a long-term investment for increased footfall.
“At the moment, the outdoor dining areas are all mismatched ... People say it’s character. But you can go from tasteful to tacky,” said Mr Jason Pope, managing director of Dallas Restaurant and Bar.
Apart from its disorganised image, Boat Quay also has had to grapple with the touting problem, despite a campaign launched in 2011 to clean up business practices along the riverfront.
Business owners noted that the renovation project did not address the touting issue.
Mr Katsumi Mizutani, owner of the L’Opera Group, hoped to see more campaigns to raise awareness, while Mr Virender Singh, owner of London Bar, wanted the authorities to clamp down on touts by fining offenders.
Boat Quay visitors, however, were unfazed by the touts.
Tourist Alison Rushton, 50, said: “I don’t mind it. They’re a lot more aggressive overseas.”
She also preferred Boat Quay in its current state.
Agreeing, executive How Yi Xin, 28, said: “There’s a uniqueness to it. If it’s too structured, the identity of the place will be lost.”
The URA will call a tender to appoint a contractor later this year, and renovation works are expected to start in the first quarter of 2016.
