Marina South

Marina South

English	Marina South
Chinese	滨海南
(Pinyin	Bīn Hǎinán)
Malay	Selatan Marina
Tamil	மெரினா செளத்
Ruling party
Places of Interest

Marina South is a peninsula adjacent to the Central Business District in Singapore, and also the name of an urban planning area in the Central Area of Singapore's Central Region.

History

Land at Marina Centre and Marina South was reclaimed from the sea to form a sheltered body of water that came to be known as Marina Bay. After allowing for the reclaimed land to settle, the area was developed to allow kite flying and the playing of soccer as an interim measure. Commercial districts were also constructed to allow outdoor dining, bowling alleys and gaming arcades. In its hey-day back in the early 1990s, teenagers flocked to the area as there used to be Singapore's only Cantonese discothèque – Canto, but it has since closed down due to dwindling business.

As of January 2008, all operations at Marina South (other than those at Marina South Pier) have closed down as part of the Government's plans to redevelop the area.

Current developments

In the late 1970s, the Marina South was reclaimed from the sea. It was aimed to provide additional land near the Central Business Center of Singapore. An integrated resort, Marina Bay Sands, is built on the northern shore of Marina South and expected to be completed in 2010. It is situated next to the Gardens at Marina South and the Marina Bay Financial Centre, which will be completed by 2012.

A new ferry terminal, Marina South Pier, has been built to replace the old Clifford Pier at Collyer Quay. The new terminal opened on 1 April 2006.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has plans to build the new International Cruise Terminal next to the current Marina South Pier that will be larger than the current terminal, Singapore Cruise Centre, at HarbourFront. The Government is offering investors the option to build hotels, shops and entertainment draws at the new proposed site. The International Cruise Terminal is expected to stimulate the development of Marina South. A feasibility study on the cruise centre is being carried out.^[1]

Transport

Currently, Marina South is served by the Marina Bay MRT Station. When the Downtown Extension fork of the Circle Line is built, the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort will be served by Bayfront MRT Station as well. The future Marina Coastal Expressway will link the area with the nationwide network of expressways, enhancing accessibility of the area.

Panoramic view of Marina Bay, showing, from left to right, The Float at Marina Bay, Singapore Flyer, Benjamin Sheares Bridge, Marina Bay Sands, Keppel Harbour, Singapore's CBD and Esplanade Bridge.

References

1. ^ Krist Boo, "Southern Islands may be next big tourist attraction", The Straits Times, 29 November 2006