Minister Lim Hng Kiang's written reply to Parliament Questions on Utilisation of the Pit Building for F1-related Activities

Question No. 593 of Notice Paper No. 95 of 2008

Name and Constituency of Member of Parliament
Mr Arthur Fong, Member of Parliament for West Coast GRC

Question
To ask the Minister for Trade and Industry aside from the 2-3 months of utilization of the Pit Building for F1 related activities, what are the plans for the use of the building and its immediate surroundings for the remainder of the year.

Answer
Mr Speaker Sir, the pit building is attractively located within the Marina Bay and next to the Singapore Flyer. Amongst its closest neighbors are the future Gardens by the Bay and Marina Bay Sands Integrated Resort. STB intends to maximize the use of the building and its immediate surroundings, during the months when it is not used for the race. The pit building could be put to a variety of business and leisure uses such as events, corporate training programmes, conventions and even art exhibitions. STB is exploring various options and targets to announce plans by September 2008. 

With 4 months to go before the F1 race in September, the priority now is to ensure timely completion of the pit building. On this note, I am pleased to inform the House that construction works are on schedule, and the pit building should be completed by early-July.

The race promoter and the many government agencies involved in this project are now entering the final stages of preparation for our inaugural F1 race and we look forward to a successful event.