SINGAPORE: A new community hub in Upper East Coast will house co-working spaces, a theatre and sports facilities such as a gym and jogging track.

Located along Upper East Coast Road, the Joo Chiat Community Hub will replace the 65-year-old Siglap South Community Centre at Palm Road and be three times its size.

At a community event on Saturday (Jan 18) giving a "sneak peek" of the hub's design, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong shared that the plans were formulated after extensive consultation with residents so they would feel "at home" using the space.

"We consulted widely, asked our residents what they want to see in here, what they felt was comfortable for them, what they were interested in," said Mr Tong, who is also Second Minister for Law and MP for Marine Parade GRC.

The three main themes that kept popping up were sports, the arts and "innovative spaces" where people can come together to collaborate, he added.

One of the key features is a gym and jogging track with scenic views, said the Joo Chiat Constituency Office in a press release.

The hub will have a sports hall, multi-purpose atrium, and co-working spaces. A black box theatre and a jamming studio will provide spaces for music and the arts. There will also be more than 200 parking lots.

Between 2020 and 2024, a few thousand Joo Chiat residents were consulted about the community hub, said the constituency office.

“More important than a good design alone is for the new integrated CC to be relevant to our community and be able to meet the evolving needs and aspirations of our residents. This project is truly shaped by the community for the community,” said Mr Tong.

One thing the hub will not have though, is a hawker centre. This is because there are already many established eateries in the area, said Mr Tong.

"We felt that we were in the middle of a space where the best food in the east is already at our doorstep. So we work with our coffee shops, our neighbours, the eateries, the cafeterias, coffee houses and incorporate all of them as part of the ... hinterland of this development," he said.

The final cost of the project has yet to be worked out, but Mr Tong said it will be shared between government funding, Tote Board funding, and fundraising by the community.