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  Business Times -15 Aug 07
Sentosa to develop Mount Faber ahead of IR: report

Straits Times 15 Aug 07
Mt Faber foothills slated to be next lifestyle hot spot
Recreational, dining facilities and tourist attractions are in the works
By Jeanette Wang & Lim Wei Chean

Channel NewsAsia 14 Aug 07
Sentosa planning to develop Mount Faber ahead of IR

SINGAPORE: Plans are underway to develop the Mount Faber area ahead of the opening of the integrated resort at Sentosa.

Recreational activities, dining outlets and accommodation for locals and tourists are among the options that are being considered for Mount Faber.

Chairman of Sentosa Development Corporation, Dr Loo Choon Yong, revealed this at the opening of the island's latest attraction – the Asian Tour headquarters – on Tuesday.

He said: "(The) Tourist board, MTI are asking us to prepare a master plan to look at how we can develop the foothills in Mount Faber, how we can incorporate it into the whole neighbourhood.

"Sentosa is an exciting place, so is VivoCity and St James Power Station. There is residence, there is activity and nightlife, so I think the Faber foothills present opportunities."

The Asian Tour is the official regional sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, with an aim to expand tournament golf. With the opening of its headquarters next to the Sentosa Golf Club, Asian golfers are now given more opportunities to play in tournaments held in the region. The Asian Tour now comprises 27 events worth a total of US$27 million in prize money.

Asian Tour's executive chairman, Kyi Hla Han, said: "Asia is a big region now. We cover over 16 countries and we are now starting tournaments in Cambodia and Vietnam.

"Just as Sawgrass is the home of the PGA Tour and Wentworth is the home of the European Tour, we are now proud to say that Sentosa is the home of the Asian Tour."

There are also plans to grow the Barclays Singapore Open, which is one of Asian Tour's flagship events. - CNA/so

Straits Times 15 Aug 07
Mt Faber foothills slated to be next lifestyle hot spot
Recreational, dining facilities and tourist attractions are in the works
By Jeanette Wang & Lim Wei Chean

THE sleepy foothills of Mount Faber are set to come alive. The Sentosa Development Corporation (SDC) has been tasked with turning it into the next lifestyle-cum-entertainment hot spot in Singapore.

This was revealed by SDC chairman Loo Choon Yong at the official opening of golf's Asian Tour headquarters at Sentosa yesterday.

He said: 'The Singapore Tourism Board and Ministry of Trade and Industry (MTI) have asked us to prepare a master plan to look at how we can develop the foothills at Mount Faber, and how we can incorporate it into the whole neighbourhood.'

He did not elaborate on what the master plan would contain, but said recreational activities, accommodation, tourist attractions and dining facilities are in the works.

He explained that Mount Faber was being tapped because the 500-ha Sentosa island was 'quickly running out of room'.

When contacted, MTI declined comment.

But The Straits Times understands that while plans are only in the preliminary stage, the bottom half of the 106-m-high Mount Faber has been earmarked for development.

No forest reserves will be touched. Only the foothills accessible by roads, such as Keppel Hill and Temenggong Road, will be revamped.

Dr Loo said that since the 10-year master plan for Sentosa is already in place, the next step is for what he dubbed a 'Greater Sentosa'.

'Together with Resorts World at Sentosa, VivoCity, St James Power Station and Mount Faber, Sentosa will form a vital part of this world-class environment to live, work and play in Singapore,' he explained.

'Plans to include Faber foothills in this vision are currently being explored, with more details to be announced in due course.'

He added: 'Now, Sentosa is an exciting place, and so are VivoCity and St James Power Station. There are residents, activity and nightlife. So, I think the Faber foothills present an opportunity.'

He declined to reveal the costs involved, the exact location or the expected completion date of the project.

The idea to develop the area has surfaced in the past - in 2002, when the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched an Identity Plan, which combined ideas and proposals on how to keep and enhance the special character of 15 areas in Singapore.

One of the suggestions was the creation of 'hillside villages', with shops and activities, at Mount Faber's foothills. It was also proposed that the old black-and- white bungalows along the foothills be converted into culinary schools, bed-and- breakfast lodgings, restaurants or museums.

Miss Susan Teh, chief executive officer of the Mount Faber Leisure Group, which owns The Jewel Box, a leisure and dining complex housed in the revamped Mount Faber Cable Car station, said it was 'too preliminary' to comment on the area's development plans.

'However, we have been in talks with the relevant authorities in exploiting this strategic location,' she added.

Business Times -15 Aug 07
Sentosa to develop Mount Faber ahead of IR: report

THE Mount Faber area is to be rejuvenated before the planned integrated resort opens at Sentosa, Channel News Asia reports.

The announcement came yesterday from Loo Choon Yong, chairman of Sentosa Development Corporation at the opening of the island's latest attraction, the Asian Tour headquarters.

The Asian Tour is the official regional sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, which aims to expand tournament golf. The Asian Tour now includes 27 events offering a total of US$27 million in prizes.

Dr Loo was reported as saying that the tourism board and the ministry of trade and industry were 'asking us to prepare a master plan to look at how we can develop the foothills in Mount Faber; how we can incorporate it into the whole neighbourhood'.

He said: 'Sentosa is an exciting place, so is VivoCity and St James Power Station. There is residence, there is activity and nightlife, so I think the Faber foothills present opportunities.'

Options being looked at for Mount Faber include recreational activities, dining outlets and accommodation, the report said.
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Related articles on Singapore: general environmental issues and Development plans for the Southern islands
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