WHEN safety regulations appeared to pose a potential problem for doing business, a pro-active approach made quite a difference.
'We were in discussions to have the first flagship store for American clothing brand Gap opened at Wisma Atria,' said Kevin Chee, senior vice-president of asset management for Macquarie Pacific Star Prime Reit Management, which manages Wisma Atria Shopping Centre.
But a structural, immovable flood barrier between the Orchard Road pedestrian mall and properties linked to the Orchard MRT station was required to prevent flooding in the event of an extreme storm.
The barrier meant shoppers along the Orchard Road pedestrian mall would be unable to directly enter the Gap store, which would undoubtedly affect sales.
Having consulted technical experts, Mr Chee believed a sliding mechanical floodgate system - similar to one at Lucky Plaza - could be a viable alternative. The floodgate would be activated only if there was a flood.
'We submitted a formal proposal to the Pro-Enterprise Panel (PEP) to allow a sliding mechanical floodgate system instead (of a flood barrier),' said Mr Chee. 'The swift response from PEP was very heartening and demonstrated its pro-business approach in getting the various government agencies to work together in reviewing our suggestion.'
Lim Meng Check, deputy director of catchment and waterways for national water agency PUB, said: 'The flood protection barrier at Wisma Atria protects its basements and the connecting Orchard MRT Station against the entry of floodwater during extreme storms. While we take flood prevention seriously in Singapore, we were open to their suggestion and worked with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) to turn the idea into reality.'
The system, which will be commissioned by September this year, will include a sensor to detect high water level in the nearby Stamford Canal. 'PUB and LTA have since been working closely with Macquarie's engineering consultants on the technical design of the movable gate barrier system,' Mr Lim said.
Mr Chee is thrilled with the outcome - and the benefits of the new system. The improvement has 'facilitated better shopper flow into Wisma Atria and the Gap store which fronts Orchard Road,' he said.
This article was first published in The Business Times on Jun 3, 2008
