Come early 2013, NSmen and their families will be able to enjoy a brand new $52 million Edutainment Hub with a comprehensive range of modern facilities and services for education, enrichment and recreation. SAFRA Toa Payoh, SAFRA’s very first permanent club, will undergo a total reconstruction to almost triple its current size and become the largest among SAFRA’s current network of five clubs.
This was announced by the Guest-of-Honour Mr Teo Chee Hean, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister for Defence and Chairman of SAFRA Board of Governors, at the SAFRA Toa Payoh Re-Making Ceremony held this evening.
“The new $52 million redevelopment is a strong signal of our commitment to recognise our NSmen and their families for the time, effort and sacrifices they put in to keep our country safe and secure,” said Deputy Prime Minister Teo.
“NSmen and their families can look forward to a good mix of children and adult enrichment, established F & B, and recreation vendors and partners to make the club a complete and exciting destination of fun and learning for the family,” commented Mr Johnny Tan, Chairman of the SAFRA Toa Payoh Development Committee.
Consisting of four storeys and occupying a gross floor area of 22,650 square meters, the new SAFRA Toa Payoh will be 50 percent bigger than SAFRA’s latest club at Jurong which was opened last year.
The new club will house a 24-lane bowling centre, a state-of-the-art EnergyOne Gym which overlooks the swimming pools and other sports facilities. NSmen with young children can also look forward to an interactive indoor playground, a children’s swimming pool with interactive water features and a childcare centre for their added convenience.
In line with its flagship theme of ‘Non-Stop Learning, Non-Stop Fun’, there are also plans for the new SAFRA Toa Payoh to house a dance or music school and at least four other enrichment centres. Compared to the current club, the area dedicated for such enrichment-centric facilities in the new SAFRA Toa Payoh is expected to double.
There will be a host of recreational, sports and entertainment facilities including a table tennis academy, cyber gaming, as well as a chill-out lounge and beer garden, which will showcase live band performances to appeal to younger NSmen. A selection of established F&B outlets offering various cuisines, cafes and a fast food restaurant will also be available.
Deputy Prime Minister Teo commented: “With these new facilities and offerings as an Edutainment Hub for ‘One-Stop Learning and Non-Stop Fun’, we expect visitorship to SAFRA Toa Payoh to more than double to 90,000 visitors per month, making it the most popular among SAFRA clubs. We hope that this new exciting clubhouse at a central convenient location will encourage more NSmen and their families to take up SAFRA membership”.
The new SAFRA Toa Payoh will have a unique aesthetic design to create the feel of an urban oasis with key design elements inspired by nature. Sitting above the club’s main entrance is an elliptically shaped ‘beacon’ (which encompasses a restaurant), a powerful marker by day and a glowing lantern at night. The Play Zone courtyard is the other area of the club which will interest visitors of the new club; those walking by the Play Zone will be able to have an underwater view of the 50-meter lap pool through clear panels which will be integrated into a feature wall.
The club will close from July and construction is expected to begin in August. The redevelopment of SAFRA Toa Payoh is a recommendation by the Fourth Committee to Recognise the Contributions of Operationally Ready NSmen to Total Defence (RECORD IV) in 2006.