New community hub in Bedok North with therapy cats, shared kitchen to be ready by end-2025

SINGAPORE: A new community hub in Bedok North will house facilities such as a kitchen for home-based businesses to experiment with recipes and conduct culinary workshops, as well as a therapy centre for people to interact with rescue cats.

Plans for the new community hub, which is expected to be ready by the end of 2025, were unveiled by the People’s Association (PA) and social enterprise City Sprouts on Saturday (Jan 18).

It will sit on the site of the former Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre, located at Bedok North Ave 1, which will be repurposed into a “vibrant, sustainable and inclusive Intergenerational Community Hub", PA and City Sprouts said in a joint media release. 

Other facilities include a community garden for residents to grow their own produce, a multi-purpose hall that can be used for sports and events, a community podcast recording studio and a co-working space for aspiring entrepreneurs and start-ups.

There will also be a space equipped with a 3D printer, laser cutter and digital plotter for children and youths to unleash their creativity.

City Sprouts was chosen to be the master tenant and operator of the facility by the PA and the Singapore Land Authority in December last year.

It will work with partners such as MENDAKI, Masjid Al-Ansar Mosque, pickleball school Play! Pickle, as well as VIVITA Singapore, an organisation that conducts creative programmes for children.

AN "INTERGENERATIONAL" SPACE 

The new hub is part of the East Coast Plan, which was first announced by Deputy Prime Minister Heng Swee Keat during his nomination day speech in the lead-up to the general election in 2020. 

The plan seeks to implement new initiatives to create a more caring, vibrant and green community. 

During his speech on Saturday, Member of Parliament for East Coast GRC Tan Kiat How, who represents the Kampong Chai Chee ward, said that his residents had shared with him their desire for the former Kampong Chai Chee Community Centre to be repurposed to better meet their diverse needs.

The space was conceptualised after months of surveys and interviews with residents and community partners, read the release. 

According to the media release, older residents had said they wanted to use the space for community bonding, especially with younger residents, while the youths surveyed said they wanted a space where they could gain new skills, engage in meaningful activities and co-develop community programmes. 

Mr Tan encouraged youths living around East Coast to participate actively in shaping the relevance of the future Intergenerational Community Hub for themselves as well as their community.

Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Mr Tan said the profile of residents in Bedok and Kampong Chai Chee has changed, with more younger families moving in. 

“These are opportunities in which we can reuse some of the existing buildings that have been vacant and reactivated for the needs of the community, and this is something we've been working on together with the residents for the last few years,” he said. 

“We wanted this space, where grandparents can also bring their grandchildren (and have) intergenerational bonding.”