▁Road . ▁However , ▁there ▁were ▁several ▁critic isms ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁app reh ensions ▁regarding ▁the ▁building ▁of ▁Fort ▁Full erton . ▁Mer ch ants ▁thought ▁that ▁it ▁was ▁a ▁waste ▁to ▁use ▁the ▁prime ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁city ▁for ▁military ▁instead ▁of ▁trad ing ▁purpose , ▁which ▁would ▁have ▁prevent ed ▁Singapore ▁from ▁generating ▁more ▁re venue ▁and ▁boost ing ▁its ▁trad ing ▁business . ▁They ▁were ▁also ▁wor ried ▁that ▁they ▁would ▁be ▁in ▁the ▁direct ▁line ▁of ▁fire ▁if ▁there ▁were ▁any ▁attacks ▁on ▁the ▁fort ▁because ▁the ▁offices ▁along ▁the ▁Singapore ▁River ▁were ▁situated ▁in ▁close ▁proxim ity ▁to ▁the ▁fort . ▁The ▁fort ▁was ▁also ▁said ▁to ▁be ▁in cap able ▁of ▁d eter ring ▁any ▁potential ▁attacks ▁from ▁the ▁sea , ▁and ▁had ▁very ▁low ▁effic acy . ▁Following ▁these ▁critic isms , ▁the ▁fort ▁was ▁finally ▁demol ished ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 3 . ▁The ▁fort ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁the ▁first ▁General ▁Post ▁Office ▁and ▁the ▁Exchange ▁Building ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 4 . ▁Pl ans ▁to ▁ere ct ▁Full erton ▁Building ▁were ▁drawn ▁up ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁However , ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁lack ▁of ▁funds , ▁construction ▁only ▁began ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 2 4 . ▁During ▁the ▁initial ▁ground work , ▁exc av ations ▁revealed ▁the ▁gun ▁cas ements ▁of ▁the ▁old ▁Fort ▁Full erton . ▁In ▁fact , ▁the ▁Full erton ▁Building ▁was ▁built ▁over ▁rec laimed ▁land . ▁Bu ilt ▁at ▁a ▁cost ▁of