SeaPRwire

Maris Stella High School gate to be demolished, new gate will retain original look

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - The iconic Maris Stella High School gate will be demolished but a new archway, slated to be completed by year end, will be built using parts of the old gate with the look of the original retained. The gate has to be removed from its current location in Mount Vernon Road as the road has to be widened to serve residents of an upcoming housing development in Bidadari estate, said the Housing Board in a statement on Saturday (May 15). The new gate will be located at Bartley Walk. In a Facebook post the same day, Minister of State for National Development Tan Kiat How said that HDB had since 2018 been in talks with the school management on ways to preserve the gate. The option of relocating the whole gate was discussed but engineers accessed that doing so would risk damaging the gate and may pose a safety risk to students. Mr Tan said: "HDB intends to incorporate as much of the old gate into the new, such as the iconic blue tiles and possibly the plaque that carries the school's name." The decision comes amid a petition to save the original gate. The campaign on Change.org has garnered more than 5,000 signatures since it was started on Thursday. The petition was launched the...

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Thomson Road building to be demolished: Owners of residential units left stunned

aseanpr
6 minutes

SINGAPORE - News that a building in Thomson Road will be demolished to allow nearby excavation works to be carried out safely came as a shock to the owners of the 12 residential units there. For months, they and their tenants had engaged with the authorities about the need to vacate the building temporarily as its foundation had to be strengthened to withstand the impact from the construction of an underground tunnel for the upcoming North-South Corridor. All had moved out by February, but the expectation was that in two years, they would be able to return to their units or lease them out again. With the improved connectivity brought about by the transport corridor, which will have dedicated bus lanes, cycling trunk routes and pedestrian paths connecting towns in the north to the city, there were hopes of a collective sale in future. But any chance of a windfall was dashed by the sudden announcement on Friday (April 16) morning that the building at 68 to 74 Thomson Road and its 776 sq m site were being acquired for demolition. "I'm still in shock," said Mr Roger Ting, 63, who owns a unit in the building. "To us, this is a sudden U-turn by the Land Transport Authority and Singapore ...