SUHE Bay, one of the city’s largest remaining shantytowns, is being razed under a redevelopment project to create a modern cultural, residential and commercial quarter.

The slum, situated along 4.7 kilometers on the north bank of Suzhou Creek, is called xiazhijiao, or “inferior corner,” by locals. It has become a community of shacks and makeshift shelters, mainly populated by low-income migrants.

The merger of the old Zhabei District into Jing’an District last year has facilitated coordinated work that originally started separately on opposing creeksides.

The area’s facelift comes under the “one axis, three belts” policy for urban development. A mixed-used plan calls for retail, residential, business and education facilities. The area will also boast a 320-meter-high building, the highest in Jing’an.

“We want to retain the rich cultural heritage of Suzhou Creek in the redevelopment,” according to the Jing’an Planning and Land Resources Bureau. “We want an integrated plan that encompasses urban functions, public space, the traffic network and the general eco-system.”

Demolition and relocation

By early December last year, 920,000 square meters of Suhe Bay had been razed and 260,000 families relocated.

The last group of about 4,710 families and 143 shops began moving out in early April.

For the nostalgic willing to turn a blind eye to shabby living conditions, the disappearance of what was once a close-knit community, where neighbors chatted in narrow alleyways, played mahjong and sat outside fanning themselves in the summer heat, is another sad farewell to a piece of the past.

But for many residents who have had to endure three generations living in cramped, dilapidated conditions with shared kitchens and toilets, relocation to more modern apartments comes as a godsend.

For half a century, retiree Zhu Lingfang lived in little more than a shack, always dreaming of the day when her family could move to more comfortable surroundings.

“We had a 12-square-meter space for my family,” she said. “We cooked there, slept there, peed in chamber pots, hung clothes on the exposed wiring and never had any privacy. Our new home has sunshine and modern conveniences. My dream has finally come true.”

Ling Bin, who worked with urban renewal authorities in Jing’an, said more than 45 percent of families have already moved out.

“New history is being written,” he said proudly.

The new look

Plans for Suhe Bay call for 2.5 million square meters of commercial and residential development.

Developers include the state-owned OCT group, privately owned BM Holdings and Kerry Properties.

Cofco Corp plans a 160,000-square-meter shopping center at the site. Capital Land will build a 127-meter-high business building atop the new station of Metro Line 3.

OCT group plans three commercial and residential buildings, including one for the world’s fourth Bulgari Hotels & Resorts. The luxury brand will also open a Chinese restaurant in the restored former site of the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, which dates back to 1900.

Last November, WPP, the world’s largest communications services group, made its biggest move ever, relocating 26 group companies and more than 3,000 employees to 20 floors of a premium office building in Suhe Bay.

“The opening of the WPP campus in Shanghai marks a significant step toward our goal of promoting the group,” WPP Chief Executive Martin Sorrell said. “We want the site to encourage fresh approaches to creativity, innovation and collaboration among our group companies.”

This January, DyStar Group set up its Chinese regional headquarters in Suhe Bay.

Heritage buildings

The Suhe Bay area includes some 30 structures built by Chinese and foreign capitalists from the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) through the Republic of China (1912-1949).

Seventeen former banks and warehouses were once the cradle of finance and commerce in Shanghai in the 1920s and 30s. Today, some of the historic buildings have been preserved and renovated to their original looks.

The decades-old Sihang Warehouse, which served as military headquarters for the Japanese during their occupation of Shanghai during World War II, has been converted into a museum. Around the warehouse, Chinese and Japanese soldiers engaged in a fierce four-day battle in 1937.

The warehouse is now part of the Sihang Tiandi Industrial Park, which houses studios, workshops and galleries.

Another old warehouse in the area was the storage depot of the Bank of China, designed by Luke Him Sau in the 1930s.

The turn-of-the-century Ewo Packing Factory warehouse has been transformed into a project showroom by OCT. Later, it will be part of a riverside commercial space showcasing international brands. The space will also house the studios of two of China’s foremost contemporary artists, Yan Peiming and Liu Xiaodong.

The Ewo Factory was built in 1931 by what was then Shanghai’s largest company, to pack cotton and food for export. Later it was converted into a furniture mall and an industrial goods retail market.

The former residence of Wu Changshuo will be rebuilt as an art museum, and the former residence of the Yu family will become serviced apartments.

Restoration work on the south bank of Suzhou Creek involves Dongsiwenli, one of the largest and oldest downtown shikumen communities in Shanghai. Twenty-eight of the iconic structures will be retained and could possible serve as a tourist site.

A green environment

Suzhou Creek used to be a murky, stinky waterway in Shanghai. The battle to clean up the pollution in the creek actually began in 1998, when some of the stench and filth were removed and greenery was planted along the banks.

Butterfly Bay Park, on the south bank, is a model of a modern green eco-zone. It was built above a municipal drainage pumping station and rainwater storage reservoir. The park abounds in lush plants, landscaped walls, pergolas, waterfalls and waterfront platforms.

On the north bank, the Suhe Bay Greenbelt is planned. Work on the site is expected to start by the end of this year and be completed in two or three years.

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning US architect Thom Mayne, it will encompass about 100,000 square meters, almost twice the size of Xujiahui Park, and will interweave parkland with stately houses, workshops and public amenities.

Xintai Warehouse, built in 1920 by Wing On, will be retained. Restoration of the site has been contracted to Zhejiang Lonsen Group, which plans to invest about 500 million yuan (US$763,360) to create a mixed-use area that will include company headquarters and a fashion and recreation center.

Some historical structures that have been destroyed will be rebuilt with original materials saved from demolition work. They include a major shikumen neighborhood called Shenyuli, where shops and cultural centers will be housed. A yacht dock will be built nearby.

Tianhou Gong, or the Goddess Palace, will also be rebuilt. Once Shanghai’s biggest temple to Mazu, goddess of the sea, its main hall was relocated to Songjiang District in the 1970s and the remains demolished in 2006. But original materials from the 120-year-old opera performance stage in the temple were all saved and will be used in the reconstruction.

The park will have an underground parking deck for 2,000 vehicles and will connect to Metro lines 8, 10 and 12. Skywalks will link spots within the park to nearby business and commercial buildings.

Promoting innovation

Heeding the government’s call for innovation in the workplace, the south bank of the Suzhou Creek redevelopment zone will focus on developing sites for creative thinkers.

The area used to house a complex of warehouses, workshops and factories amid dense residential lanes. Today, startup incubators and co-working hubs are taking their place.

About 100 meters from the waterway, Jing’an Modern Industrial Building sits in a rebuilt old radio factory. It houses more than 30 innovative companies operated by Chinese, European, American and East Asian entrepreneurs.

Nearby is U-Cube, a creative space focused on building a social platform. It provides entrepreneurs with information on government policies and also serves as a platform for the exchange of ideas.

U-Cube houses 17 companies, including Thinky Game, which is working with Electronic Arts to develop a Chinese version of “Plants vs Zombies.”

“This is a stimulating environment,” said Thinky Game executive Li Wei. “It inspires ideas and offers excellent support services.”