SINGAPORE - The Kallang Basin Swimming Complex and St Wilfred Sport Centre will close in the second half of 2025 when their leases expire, Sport Singapore (SportSG), HDB and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said in a joint media statement on June 13.

The swimming complex at 21 Geylang Bahru Lane will close on Sept 1, and the St Wilfred facility in Whampoa will shutter on Oct 1.

The Kallang Basin venue also houses a gym, while the other has a tennis and squash centre and a football field.

The national agencies are studying plans to redevelop both sites for public housing, said the statement.

“This is part of our ongoing efforts to address the strong and broad-based demand for housing in recent years,” said the agencies.

“As part of our long-term planning efforts, the Government will also continue to develop and enhance sports infrastructure, working closely with the community to meet Singapore’s evolving lifestyle and recreational needs.”

After the closures of both facilities, residents in Whampoa and Geylang Bahru can visit alternative options such as a new sports facility in Kolam Ayer and another venue in Whampoa which is due to be completed by end-2025.

They can also visit the ActiveSG Swimming Complexes at Serangoon, Geylang East, and Jalan Besar, squash and tennis courts at Kallang ActiveSG Squash Centre, Burghley ActiveSG Squash and Tennis Centre, and Kallang Tennis Centre. Under the Dual-use scheme, the indoor sport hall and field at Bendemeer Primary School, and the football field at Bendemeer Secondary School are also available.

As part of Government’s Sports Facilities Master Plan, SportSG continues to “develop and rejuvenate infrastructure to meet Singapore’s diverse and evolving sporting needs, interests, and aspirations”, said the statement. It also noted that the number of ActiveSG facilities across Singapore has increased by 30 per cent since 2013, with more in the pipeline including the Farrer Park Town Play Field and Punggol Regional Sport Centre.

ERA Singapore’s key executive officer Eugene Lim said that “it makes sense for the sites to pave way for better land use, especially given that they are located quite near to city centre”.

He added: “The Kallang Basin Swimming Complex, built in the 1980s, is relatively dated compared to many of the newer sports complexes developed in recent years. This is the same for the St Wilfred Sports Centre.”

Mr Lim also noted that Geylang B...