SINGAPORE - A hawker centre and market - sited within the new Fernvale Community Club - gives residents the convenience of buying raw ingredients that can be whipped up into meals at designated stalls.
This is the first hawker centre and market to have such a service in Singapore.
Speaking at the official opening of the community club on Sunday, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said the facility is designed to be family friendly and well-ventilated.
This aligns with considerations that go into the planning of new towns like Fernvale, including how to bring residents together and encourage greater interaction.
He said: "Public infrastructure plays a big role in this. Residents need shared spaces to meet, to interact, to build togetherness. We designed Fernvale CC with this in mind - to be a focal point for the community, to bring together residents not just from Fernvale but from all across our GRC and even beyond."
The new facility is the second community club within Ang Mo Kio GRC to have a hawker centre and market, housing 28 hawker and 20 market stalls. The first is Ci Yuan Community Club in Hougang.
PM Lee - who is one of the five MPs in Ang Mo Kio GRC - said many residents asked for the hawker centre so that they can have affordable and convenient food options.
He added that efforts have been taken to make the community club attractive for residents, with programmes developed based on their feedback. For example, there are wellness classes and culinary courses.
Other amenities include a 24-hour gym and a jogging track. Services meant for young families, such as a childcare centre, playground and activity rooms, take up an entire floor.
The community club, which is located next to Fernvale LRT station and Seletar Mall, is set to become more accessible with the roll-out of more roads in the area, said PM Lee.
By the end of 2025, phase two of the Buangkok Drive extension and the new Sengkang West Drive linking Fernvale to Seletar and Tampines expressways are expected to be completed.
Construction of the Fernvale facility started in 2018 but progress was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was earlier reported that the community club was supposed to be completed by the second half of 2020, but it was not till this year that it welcomed its first visitors.
The community club is a big plus for Fernvale resident Zurianah Abdul Rahman, who moved into the town eight years ago after she got married.
The housewife, 34, said her three children, who are learning silat, a form of martial arts, now have a proper and comfortable training area, instead of taking lessons at a multi-purpose hall at a Housing Board block.
Grocery shopping is now also a breeze, with the community club just a five-to-10-minute walk from her home.
"Prices at the wet market are definitely cheaper... having a food court is also convenient. There are a few halal places that I can buy food from," she said, adding that she is looking to sign up for culinary courses.
