The Mandai nature and wildlife park planned for an area near Singapore Zoo has kicked off the development phase with a “ground-seeding ceremony” and revealed fresh details about the project.

Developer Mandai Park Holdings (MPH) says the S$1bn (US$703m, €657m, £570m) project will include a bird park, a rainforest park, an indoor attraction and eco-accommodation. Aside from these attractions, there will be plenty of public park and landscaped spaces with boardwalks, walking trails, streams and a waterfall.

The plans have been in the works since September 2014, when Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong revealed plans to “transform” the zoo by 2020. The environmental impact assessment has now been cleared by the government.

The new bird park will absorb Singapore’s existing Jurong Bird Park, which is relocating after almost 50 years, and bring the attraction up to date with new innovations and technologies. A huge variety of birds will be living at the park, and it will continue to feature presentations and interaction opportunities to help educate guests about the creatures.

Aiming to be one of the foremost avian attractions in the world, MPH says the park will follow the highest welfare and ethics standards and ensure all birds are able to spread their wings and fly, with much of the attraction based around large walk-through aviaries.

Guests experience on a visceral level the sights and sounds of the Southeast Asian rainforest in Mandai’s second new zone. The rainforest park is being arranged across multiple tiers, allowing guests to journey from a subterranean caver passing upwards through ariel walkways that lead all the way to the forest canopy.

“We plan to offer highly differentiated experiences at each of our five wildlife parks, augmented by indoor displays and a variety of food and beverage offerings”, added Mike Barclay, CEO of MPH. “With the attractive public spaces and more opportunities to stay overnight, we hope to encourage families and groups of friends to spend more time enjoying and appreciating Mandai’s extraordinary wildlife offerings.”

Singapore Tourism Board working on S$1bn nature heritage precinct in Mandai