. ▁Bal est ier ▁Market ▁bought ▁over ▁by ▁Ban quet ▁Hold ings . ▁Under w ent ▁major ▁development ▁work ▁and ▁was ▁converted ▁into ▁a ▁food ▁centre . ▁ ▁History ▁of ▁Bal est ier ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁mid - 1 9 th ▁century , ▁Bal est ier ▁referred ▁to ▁the ▁area ▁along ▁Bal est ier ▁Road ▁that ▁connected ▁from ▁Thom son ▁Road ▁to ▁Ser ango on ▁Road . ▁The ▁area ▁was ▁first ▁established ▁as ▁a ▁sugar c ane ▁plant ation ▁by ▁American ▁Joseph ▁Bal est ier ▁( b . ▁circa ▁ 1 7 8 8 , ▁France ? – d . ▁ 1 8 5 8 , ▁York , ▁Pennsylvania , ▁United ▁States ), ▁situated ▁around ▁three ▁kilometres ▁away ▁from ▁the ▁main ▁settlement ▁of ▁Singapore , ▁consisting ▁of ▁ 1 0 0 0 ▁acres ▁of ▁land , ▁of ▁which ▁one - fif th ▁was ▁plant ed ▁with ▁sugar can es . ▁His ▁contributions ▁significantly ▁assist ed ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁Singapore , ▁especially ▁in ▁the ▁Bal est ier ▁region . ▁As ▁mentioned ▁by ▁Sh aron ▁Ah mat ▁( Fig . ▁ 1 5 ), ▁Joseph ▁Bal est ier ' s ▁role ▁as ▁the ▁first ▁United ▁States ▁cons ular ▁in ▁Singapore ▁was ▁mainly ▁to ▁fost er ▁trad ing ▁relations ▁with ▁America . ▁He ▁later ▁left ▁Singapore ▁to ▁recuper ate ▁as ▁he ▁had ▁suffered ▁from ▁a ▁health ▁break down ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁both ▁his ▁son ▁and ▁his ▁wife ▁in ▁ 1 8 4 4 ▁and ▁ 1 8 4 7 ▁respectively . ▁Prior ▁to ▁his