SINGAPORE - Having lived in Frankel estate for nearly two decades, retiree Chua Joo Bin, 72, is glad that his quiet East Coast enclave will be getting a multi-generational spruce-up.

Besides upgraded drains that will double as footpaths and new estate markers for the enclave, the community park in Greenfield Drive will be upgraded with new playgrounds, exercise corners and the addition of a new multi-purpose hall, about 200 residents heard during a dialogue on March 10 at Kampung Siglap Lifeskills Training and Retreat Centre.

Works were supposed to commence in 2019, but were suspended due to the pandemic, said Mr Edwin Tong, an MP for Marine Parade GRC, who shared the proposed plans with residents alongside officers from agencies such as national water agency PUB. Frankel estate falls within Mr Tong’s Joo Chiat ward.

Frankel estate’s facelift was first announced in October 2019, when it was named as one of 10 private estates to be upgraded under the 10th and latest batch of the Ministry of National Development’s (MND) Estate Upgrading Programme (EUP).

The other private estates in the batch are Cheng San Cactus Sunrise in Yio Chu Kang; Fulton, off Sin Ming Avenue; Kew, off Upper East Coast Road; Mei Hwan in Lorong Chuan; Namly in Bukit Timah; Pasir Panjang Private Estate (East); Thomson Adelphi and Soo Chow, and Pemimpin near Bishan; Watten in Bukit Timah; and Westwood in Jurong West.

In response to queries, the MND said all estates in the 10th batch are still in the design and construction phase. There is no change to the $29 million allocated in 2019 for this batch to be upgraded, it added.

The EUP was started in 2000 to develop and upgrade infrastructure in ageing private estates, which do not have access to town council or Housing Board grants. Residents do not have to pay for the upgrading works.

As the upgrading picks up again in 2024, the works in Frankel estate will take place alongside the reconstruction of drains there – a “major project”, said Mr Tong, who is Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, and Second Minister for Law.

While EUP works for the estate are slated to start in the second quarter of 2025 and be completed within a year, upgrading works to cover roadside drains and turn them into footpaths will take about three to four years to complete.

Having both these works take place in tandem will minimise inconvenience to residents, said Mr Tong.

Residents like Mr Chua said they turned up at the dialogue to find out about the upgrading plans and raise concerns, which were addressed by the panel that included community and agency leaders.

“These upgrading works affect our daily lives, and I hope to see more greenery and senior-friendly amenities,” he said.

Mr Jason Lee, a 48-year-old lawyer who has been living in the area since 2016, said he was concerned about road safety and hopes the upgrading will include traffic-calming measures.

“There are many children in the area, and I have had no less than two close encounters with speeding cars in the area,” he said.

Another resident was worried that the removal of trees for the construction of drains will contribute to rising temperatures. The trees will be replaced after construction is completed, said Mr Alex Wai, an assistant director with PUB.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Tong said engaging community partners and residents is a key step as upgrading plans start to be rolled out.

He noted that the discussion revealed a need to tighten coordination between various agencies so that there is no time lag, such as between the completion of drainage works by PUB and the replanting of trees by the National Parks Board.

“Sometimes, we see it as this is a project by one agency, and this is a project by another agency, but for the residents, they look at everything as seamless,” he added.

MND said on March 10 that $216 million has been allocated for 10 batches of EUP, benefiting about 54,000 households in 74 estates. The programme will be offered to more estates subsequently, with details to be shared when ready, it added.

There are slightly more than 20 estates that are more than 30 years old that have yet to be selected for EUP, MND had said in reply to a parliamentary question in March 2023.

“We will continue to prioritise these older estates for EUP,” it added at the time.