Demolition of Rochor Centre begins
Ex-residents, heritage buffs turn up in rainstorm to watch work begin
Level by level, the iconic multi-coloured Rochor Centre will be torn down over the next 10 months, with demolition work starting yesterday morning.
In a corner of the four-block public housing estate known for its shades of red, blue, yellow and green, an excavator arm peeked out from behind the hoardings as it tore at a wall.
The rainstorm could not stop some former residents and heritage buffs from turning up to witness their old homes and a part of Singapore's history making way for redevelopment.
The 13,749 sq m residential and retail complex, which had 183 shops and 567 households, is making way for the upcoming North-South Corridor, which will connect the island's northern region to the city centre when completed in 2026.
The 21.5km corridor was originally conceived as an expressway but was redesigned as Singapore's first integrated transport corridor.
It will feature dedicated bus lanes and cycling trunk routes.
Among the onlookers yesterday was an 85-year-old man seated on the steps of the Fu Lu Shou Complex entrance across the road from Rochor Centre.
Identifying himself only as Mr Tan, he said he lived with his older brother in Block 2 on the estate for decades, before moving to Sengkang.
Most of the other residents at Rochor Centre moved to Kallang Trivista, a Housing Board development in Upper Boon Keng Road.
"What is there to feel - I don't feel sad," Mr Tan said in Mandarin. "It just felt like we were chased away."
The demolition is being carried out by contractor Aik Sun Demolition and Engineering, and it is expected to be finished next April, said the Land Transport Authority in a statement last week.
Mr Tay Hing Heng, a demolition specialist at contractor Rock Busters, said floor-by-floor demolition would allow the use of smaller excavators, which would produce less noise.
During the demolition, pedestrians can use temporary sheltered walkways as alternative routes around the site.
Signs have been put up to redirect pedestrians. - ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY ISABELLE LIEW
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