More open spaces with sea views at East Coast Park

SINGAPORE — Work will start in the middle of this year to redevelop Raintree Cove, formerly a recreational site at East Coast Park where the popular Long Beach Main Seafood Restaurant was located. 

In response to TODAY’s queries last week, Mr Chia Seng Jiang, the National Parks Board’s group director of parks, said that the plan is to create open spaces with “vistas of the sea”, improve amenities, as well as raise connectivity within the park. The statutory board took over the site at the end of March. 

Raintree Cove made headlines in February last year when TODAY reported that businesses there would shut down to make way for the land’s redevelopment when the site’s lease lapsed this February. 

The lease was later extended by a month until March 31 to “facilitate site reinstatement” at Raintree Cove’s request, the Singapore Land Authority told TODAY last December. 

Apart from Long Beach, fast-food restaurant Burger King was among the development’s long-standing sub-tenants before its closure.

Park-goers interviewed by TODAY said that they hope to see more recreational and food options at the revamped site. 

Mr Lawrence Toon, 42, a long-time resident of the nearby Marine Crescent, called for a large hawker centre serving food that reflects Singapore’s heritage. 

The chef-trainer noted that other developments in the park, such as Marine Cove, housed cafes and restaurants, and the nearest hawker centre in the park is several kilometres away from Raintree Cove.

A food centre with “reasonable prices” would be welcomed, and this would also draw tourists, he said. 

Engineer Alvin Tan, 38, proposed that there be a combination of food outlets, sports activities as well as a space for children to play.

The father-of-two said that the playground at Marine Cove — which reopened last June after a four-year closure and an S$18 million facelift — “really gets too crowded” on weekends, with a 15-minute wait to use the swings, for instance.

Food outlets that overlook the beach and sea would also be “nice”, Mr Tan added. 

However, for administrative clerk Tracy Lam, 50, a development that is “too commercial” is not attractive. She plumped for a “more nature-focused” development with more green spaces. 

Madam Lam, also a Marine Crescent resident, said: “All (throughout) Singapore are a lot of commercial businesses ... A beach should be natural.”