The Land Transport Authority (LTA) will engage a conservation specialist to advise on how best to minimise the impact of upcoming tunnel works on the historic 1924 Ellison building.

The authorities had said in August that one of the building’s nine units would be torn down to make way for the upcoming North-South Corridor, a 21.5km expressway.

They said then that the building’s demolished corner – comprising house numbers 235, 237 and 239 – would be rebuilt once the tunnel is completed in 2026.

This was despite the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) conservation gazette of the building at the junction of Selegie and Rochor Canal roads.

It was constructed by Romanian Jew Isaac Ellison and is known for its cupolas and the Star of David on its facade.

The news led heritage lovers to express concern and appeal to the authorities to reconsider.

Yesterday, both LTA and URA told The Straits Times that implementation plans will be finalised only after the completion of the conservation specialist’s report and discussions with heritage groups.

Some observers said this appears to be a turnaround, after both agencies had earlier said it was not possible to completely avoid the building “in order to realise an important national infrastructure” as a section of it lies along the corridor’s alignment.

But LTA said yesterday the intention to hire a conservation expert had always been part of the plan.

Both LTA and URA said they had met heritage experts twice this month and had engaged the heritage groups to hear their views on possible measures to protect Ellison Building during the construction process.

ST understands these sessions were attended by representatives from the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) Singapore, the Singapore Heritage Society, the Singapore Institute of Architects and a heritage blogger.

The experts said they suggested several other possibilities at the first session.

These included: propping the structure up and strengthening the foundation while the corridor is built; providing underpinning support for the building while works are being done; and gutting out the first floor, while propping up, reinforcing and retaining the second floor.

NMP Kok Heng Leun, who was at the first meeting, urged the authorities to consult earlier before decisions are made.

He said: “The conversation should start earlier…”Conservation is never an argument against development and conservationists cannot be seen as hindering development.”

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Two e-scooters were seized by the authorities over the past week as part of a crackdown on reckless riders here, even as calls have been made by the public to ban the devices in the wake of recent incidents of riders caught on video travelling on roads.

In a Facebook post yesterday, the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said it had carried out several enforcement operations over the past few weeks on e-scooter users who had been riding recklessly and at high speeds on roads as well as footpaths.

This was in response to complaints.

An e-scooter was seized on Tuesday as part of operations carried out at Upper Aljunied Road.

The rider, who had been speeding on the road, is assisting the LTA with investigations.

Another e-scooter was also confiscated on Saturday as part of enforcement operations in Yishun.

Said the LTA: “We take this opportunity to remind all e-scooter riders that it is an offence to use their personal mobility devices on the road and we will not hesitate to take enforcement action against any rider found doing so.”

Those who use unauthorised vehicles such as e-scooters on roads face a fine of up to $2,000 or a jail term of up to three months for the first offence if convicted.

News of the clampdown comes after a number of videos depicting unsafe actions by e-scooter users went viral over the past week.

A video taken last Friday showed a man on an e-scooter, said to have been travelling at about 50kmh along Aljunied Road, riding beside a bus.

Another shows an e-scooter user riding in the middle lane of what is believed to be Serangoon Road, surrounded by traffic.

A third video shows six e-scooter users, said to be moving at about 80 or 90kmh, racing down a deserted stretch of road. It is not known when or where the video was taken.

The videos sparked calls by members of the public for stricter regulations on the devices, with some even saying that they should be banned.

Victor Lee, general manager of e-scooter distributor Falcon PEV, said banning was “too serious a call” given that most users are law-abiding.

He added that as an additional safety measure, e-scooter users could be licensed.

Chairman of e-scooter enthusiast group Big Wheel Scooter Singapore Denis Koh said it was doubtful that e-scooters would be outlawed, given the effort that had been put into coming up with the proposed regulations.

“I don’t think that there will be a reversal of any proposals because of a few black sheep,” added Mr Koh, who sat on the Active Mobility Advisory Panel that proposed regulations for the safe use of personal mobility devices.

There were 27 accidents involving e-bikes last year, five of which were fatal.

Though these raised concerns about the safety of e-bikes, they were not banned.

Instead, since December last year, e-bikes have faced stricter regulations.

These include having a maximum speed of 25kmh and a maximum weight of 20kg.

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Golden Shoe Car Park in the Raffles Place financial district is to be redeveloped into an office building as high as 280m – one of the tallest in the central business district.

For countless hungry Raffles Place workers, the 1984 building is best known as home to a favourite lunchtime spot.

But they can rest assured that lunch will still be served there, as there will be a new hawker centre owned by the Government in the redeveloped site.

The manager of CapitaLand Commercial Trust (CCT), the property owner, said yesterday it has put in redevelopment plans for the 10-storey building to the authorities.

The trust said if the necessary approvals are obtained, redevelopment will commence in the second half of 2017, and could be finished by 2021.

Alan Phua, who manages the Ah Heng Curry Chicken Bee Hoon Mee in the food centre at Golden Shoe Car Park, told The Straits Times yesterday that he had not been informed of the redevelopment.

However, he said he had been expecting the redevelopment next year as the lease will end then.

He said his stall was popular with lots of regulars and that he would definitely want to return to the redeveloped food centre.

Selva Nathan, a 61-year-old property investment executive, is sad to see the food centre go as he has been eating there a few times a week for 20 years.

“There are other places in the area but Golden Shoe has a very convenient location and we know most of the hawkers here.

I hope they will bring back the hawkers after the redevelopment of the place.”

Others such as financial adviser Ella Lim, 23, lamented the loss of Singapore’s food hawker heritage.

“It’s a waste to see it go, we should try to preserve hawker culture. I hope that they keep some of the hawkers.”

Lynette Leong, chief executive of CCT Management, said: “We are confident of the long-term demand for quality office space in Singapore, and there is no known new supply in Raffles Place beyond 2018.”

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