Conserving the heritage of Capitol Theatre

Singapore

TO those who may find themselves slightly disenchanted by the upscale transformation of Capitol Theatre, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) has this response:

Gentrification is "an inevitable process"; what is more important is how the process is mitigated.

To this end, URA and the developers have done quite a lot, director of conservation planning Tan Huey Jiun said in an interview.

Gentrification is the urban renewal process in which properties in deteriorated urban neighbourhoods are bought and upgraded by wealthier people, thus improving property values - though often changing the district's character and culture.

For instance, some may recall the kacang puteh man who used to sell nuts in paper cones along the lane in front of the old Capitol's ticket office. That lane is now The Galleria, a sheltered row of eateries under…