Pandan Gardens is a housing estate which is part of Jurong East New Town in the West Region of Singapore. Immediately north of Pandan Reservoir and adjacent to Teban Gardens, it comprises exclusively public housing built by the JTC Corporation and Housing and Development Board. Its namesake road connects Jurong Town Hall Road to West Coast Road.
Geography
Like its sister town – Teban Gardens, Pandan Gardens was a patch of mangrove swamp bordering on the banks of Sungei Pandan[1] but was subsequently reclaimed to make way for housing development projects by the JTC Corporation in 1970.[1]
Flanked on the south side by the Pandan Reservoir and the east side by the bank of Sungei Pandan, it sits situated at the fringe of Jurong Industrial Estate as well as being on the crossroad from Singapore's city center and other parts of the island towards the various industrial estates located within Jurong, Tuas and the nearby Jurong Island.
History
The name was derived from the former Malay village in the area, Kampong Sungei Pandan. Although the land reclamation of the estate began in 1970,[1] the actual construction did not commence until after 1975 as the land needed time to settle after being reclaimed from the mangrove swampland of the Sungai Pandan. JTC Corporation undertook the construction of the public housing blocks in the estate as a means to provide additional housing for the families of the workers from the nearby areas of Jurong Industrial Estate. This was done to help ease the housing problem due to overcrowding in the then nearby Taman Jurong housing estate, which was also built by JTC in 1969.[2]
The first housing block was completed around 1978[1] with a running sequence from block 401 through 416 (both blocks 415 and 416 are four-storey shophouses). Currently, Pandan Gardens and Teban Gardens are satellite towns to the nearby Jurong East New Town.
Amenities
Places of Worship
- Yang Tao Yuan Sheng Hong Temple (杨桃园城隍庙)
- Gailee BP Church
- Calvary Pandan Bible Presbyterian Church
Community Centre
The precinct's community centre (Ayer Rajah Community Club) is located beside blocks 416 and 415.
Recreation
Pandan Gardens offers a variety of recreational facilities, including the Pandan Gardens Leisure Park and Pandan Gardens Park Connector, which runs along the Pandan River.
The area was once home to the Pandan Gardens Swimming Complex, located at 200 Pandan Gardens. Opened in 1979, the facility was closed in 2003 due to declining usage.[3] The site, now occupied by PeopleUp@Pandan, is now an enrichment complex with amenities targeted at families with children.[4] The area has been identified as a potential location for Singapore's only Olympic-sized ice rink, with construction scheduled to start in March 2025 and be completed by end-2026.[3]
Public transport
Pandan Gardens is accessible via public transport service by taking Bus services 51 or 143 to the Jurong East MRT station and the Jurong East Bus Interchange, while Ayer Rajah Expressway provides it with a well connected road access.
- Nearest MRT station
- NS1 EW24 JE5 Jurong East MRT station (1988 – present)
- JE7 Pandan Reservoir MRT station (future)
- Nearest bus interchange
- Jurong East Bus Interchange (1988 – present)
- Bus services serving the town
- SBS Transit service number: 30, 51, 154, 197, 198, 201, 655
- SMRT Buses service number: 176
- Tower Transit Singapore service number: 78, 79, 143, 143M
- City Transit service number: 762
Public schools
- Commonwealth Secondary School (Nov 2006–present).
Politics
As of May 2020, Pandan Gardens is a part of Ayer Rajah ward within the West Coast GRC.[5]
Together with Teban Gardens, parts of Jurong East New Town and Clementi West New Town, the four estates formed the Single Member Constituency (SMC)[6] of Ayer Rajah SMC prior to being absorbed into the West Coast Group Representation Constituency during the 2006's election in Singapore. Dr Tan Cheng Bock was the incumbent member of Parliament, since the formation of the ward in 1980. Dr Tan subsequently retired in 2006 after making way for his successor – Mr S Iswaran. After the 2011 Singaporean general election, the Members of Parliament (MPs) within the constituency was reshuffled and Mr Iswaran was reassigned to become the MP for West Coast, while Ms Foo Mee Har took over as MP for Ayer Rajah (Now Ayer Rajah - Gek Poh).
See also
References
- ^ a b c d "BALLOTING OF JTC 5-ROOM FLATS AT PANDAN GARDENS". National Archives of Singapore (Jurong Town Corporation - Press Release). 19 August 1978. Retrieved 27 March 2016.
- ^ "Ministry of Health, Singapore Press Release" (PDF). National Archive of Singapore. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 June 2011.
- ^ a b Ng, Keng Gene (1 February 2025). "Pandan Gardens identified as location for new Olympic-size ice rink". The Straits Times. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
- ^ "PeopleUp Singapore – Nurturing the Next Generation". Retrieved 18 January 2025.
- ^ "MPs of West Coast GRC". West Coast Town Council. Archived from the original on 20 March 2008.
- ^ "Types of Electoral Divisions, SMC & GRC". Elections Department, Singapore.
