Located next to Choa Chu Kang MRT, Block 303 is home to myriad eateries, stores, and other general amenities.
Besides providing great convenience, the block also holds special memories for those living nearby who frequently patronised the establishments there for their daily needs.
However, in 2018, Land Transport Authority (LTA) acquired the land which Block 303 sits on for the upcoming Jurong Region MRT line.
Recently, demolition works have begun and it’s hitting residents right in the feels.
As the building makes way for new developments, many can’t help but feel nostalgic about the heartland hangout attraction.
Block 303 along Choa Chu Kang Avenue 4 is essentially an HDB multi-storey carpark with many ground-level shops.
It looks just like any other heartland spot in Singapore, but perhaps that’s also why it will be sorely missed.
Housing an NTUC Foodfare food court, a Singapore Pools outlet, as well as old-school utility stores and cobblers, the place is painfully ordinary.
But that’s perhaps what makes the place such a beloved spot for Choa Chu Kang residents — it was the quintessential local neighbourhood hangout.
As cliche as it sounds, it’s the ordinary things that will be missed — walking by the uncles enjoying their morning kopi, the convenience of walking to the 24-hours Cheers, and seeing the long queues when there were grand TOTO lottery prizes to be won.
Seeing its demolition, Choa Chu Kang residents couldn’t help but reminisce about the long-standing multi-storey carpark that has been closed since Nov 2019.
Speaking to MS News, a Choa Chu Kang resident shared that she will miss the duck rice stall most.
The famous duck rice store is apparently known for its tender duck meat, fragrant rice, and melt-in-the-mouth tofu slices that soaks up the braised sauce like what a sponge does to water.
In 2018, LTA announced their plans for the Jurong Region Line — Singapore’s 7th MRT line.
It is reportedly a crucial piece of the puzzle to enhance connectivity in the West and develop Jurong into an attractive place to work, live, and learn.
But development often comes at a price. For this case, the government had to acquire the land that Block 303 sits on — deemed necessary for construction and road works, said LTA.
In time to come, Choa Chu Kang West MRT station will be constructed on the ground where Block 303 used to occupy.
The Jurong Region MRT line is expected to be completed in 2028.
In the grand scheme of things, the old HDB carpark was perhaps a necessary sacrifice for greater accessibility and convenience.
As demolition work begins, residents naturally felt a twinge of heartache as they bid a final farewell to their favourite stores at Block 303.
It might not seem like much, but it was after all, a heartland landmark that brought residents in the area together.
Development, however necessary, often comes hand in hand with the bittersweet nostalgia of what will be lost.
In the thick of our city’s rapidly changing landscape, we can only hope the new MRT line will come to be equally treasured as new memories are fostered in the future.
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Featured image adapted from Facebook and Google Maps.
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