Orchid Country Club, Science Park sites among plots rezoned for housing
[SINGAPORE] Three sprawling golf club sites and five Buona Vista business park plots are among parcels of land that have been rezoned for housing in the new Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025).
Unveiled on Wednesday (Jun 25), the DMP2025 charts Singapore's development in the next 10 to 15 years, with a review done every five years. Key planning priorities outlined in the blueprint's latest iteration include carving out new residential neighbourhoods to meet demand, as well as retooling the city-state's regional hubs and industrial estates for an evolving economy.
Analysts highlighted the rezoning of existing golf courses Orchid Country Club in Yishun and Warren Golf & Country Club in Choa Chu Kang, where leases end in 2030. Marina Bay Golf Course, which closed its doors in July 2024 after its lease expired, has also been earmarked for residential use.
' More than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir. '
—
Lee Sze Teck, Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics
Several plots in the research and development and technology clusters in Media Circle and Science Park, previously zoned for business parks, are also being prepped for residential development.
Catherine He, head of research at Colliers Singapore, said these plans align with the government's goal to meet Singapore's housing needs and make 'the highest use of land to benefit the most number of residents, as opposed to just select groups'.
'Land scarcity means underutilised sites, like golf courses or low-density areas, are prime candidates for rezoning,' she said.
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Being plum sites near work hubs such as the Central Business District (CBD), one-north, Buona Vista and the National University of Singapore, and with the potential for waterfront living, these 'would probably be in high demand by homebuyers'.
Rezoning business park land is also ideal for Singapore's bifurcated market, said He. Business parks that are older and farther out have not performed as well as newer ones, and those in the city fringe have underutilised space.
Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Lee Sze Teck reckons that more than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir.
The Marina Bay Golf Course site – sitting beside the Founders' Memorial – could yield an iconic public housing precinct similar to Pinnacle @ Duxton and another 10,000 homes in a prime area.
In Buona Vista, three business park sites in the Media Circle location along Ayer Rajah Crescent have been rezoned from business park use to residential with commercial on the first floor.
These are on top of the four land parcels that were rezoned from business park use to housing in May last year. One was a plot of land opposite Infinite Studios in one-north, that was proposed for residential with commercial use on the first floor, with a plot ratio of 3.7.
Another two Dover area sites at Portsdown Road and Portsdown Avenue were proposed for residential with commercial use, with one subject to detailed planning and the other with a plot ratio of 4.3. A fourth parcel in the vicinity was also proposed for pure residential use.
PropNex chief executive Ismail Gafoor pointed out that the provision of more commercial space in the Media Circle location in the DMP2025 will offer more amenities to future residents.
Not far from Media Circle, two sites in Singapore Science Park 2 that were reserved for business parks have also been rezoned to residential use. One is a large parcel along South Buona Vista Road, opposite Kent Ridge Park. The other smaller plot is just across Zehnder Road.
Gafoor said this was in line with the ongoing rejuvenation of Singapore Science Park, and follows the launch of CapitaLand Development's (CLD) 99-year leasehold LyndenWoods condominium – the area's first residential project.
In an interview with The Business Times on Wednesday, CLD (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay said LyndenWood's launch over the weekend kick-starts the second phase of Singapore Science Park's rejuvenation. The aim is to create a 50,000-strong vibrant work-live-play community, with another one or two residential projects in the pipeline.
'When the whole (estate) is fully rejuvenated, it will be around 75 per cent business park, about 20 per cent residential and the rest commercial retail,' said Tay. Previously, the area was fully zoned for business park use.
He added that such residential and commercial opportunities could emerge beyond Singapore Science Park, given CapitaLand's ecosystem and CLD's expertise in building integrated developments. 'There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank.'
Turning underutilised business parks to residential use will help to optimise land use while making the area more lively, said Colliers' He, especially in the evenings and weekends.
' There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank. '
—
CapitaLand Development (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay
Alan Cheong, Savills Singapore executive director for research and consultancy, pointed out that since business parks had limited uses, only a few industries would qualify for it, posing a concentration risk for this type of real estate.
'A sudden blowout in the funding for certain tech sectors, the contraction in technology cycles and/or the rapid emergence of foreign competition for certain uses (could lead) to greater demand volatility than, say, office or residential uses,' said Cheong. This can already be seen in business parks throughout the island, with many having heightened vacancies.
'The insertion of residential and white sites into such (business park) zones would reduce that risk,' he said.
Cheong noted that some companies may relocate to the area if more high-quality offices are developed there, with rents being significantly lower than those in the CBD.
'The provision of more residential developments would enhance the attractiveness of locating there for multinational tenants, who have a sizable workforce on Employment Passes.'
Catering to demand
In the south, a massive site in Bukit Merah has been rezoned to residential use, from being a reserve site with undetermined use.
The parcel, bounded by Telok Blangah Road and Alexandra Road, includes the art enclave Gillman Barracks and the Academy of Singapore Teachers campus.
In March 2024, then minister for national development Desmond Lee had said at his ministry's Committee of Supply debate that the Gillman Barracks area may be turned into a residential neighbourhood after 2030.
Industry experts predicted that demand for homes will likely be robust. The last Build-To-Order sales exercise in the Telok Blangah area was in May 2021, and saw an application rate of 23.3.
Further south, part of Keppel Distripark has been rezoned for residential use. It was previously a reserve site.
The plot, which sits next to the upcoming Keppel MRT station, is likely part of the government's Greater Southern Waterfront initiative, said PropNex's Gafoor.
In his 2019 National Day Rally, then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the mega waterfront development would be double the size of Punggol town, with private and public housing.
With Keppel Distripark closing by 2027 and Keppel MRT station opening in 2026, Lee from Huttons Asia predicts that the first plot to be released for redevelopment will be as early as 2028.
More than 20,000 new homes may be built on the site, he added.
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Business Times
18 hours ago
- Business Times
Orchid Country Club, Science Park sites among plots rezoned for housing
[SINGAPORE] Three sprawling golf club sites and five Buona Vista business park plots are among parcels of land that have been rezoned for housing in the new Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025). Unveiled on Wednesday (Jun 25), the DMP2025 charts Singapore's development in the next 10 to 15 years, with a review done every five years. Key planning priorities outlined in the blueprint's latest iteration include carving out new residential neighbourhoods to meet demand, as well as retooling the city-state's regional hubs and industrial estates for an evolving economy. Analysts highlighted the rezoning of existing golf courses Orchid Country Club in Yishun and Warren Golf & Country Club in Choa Chu Kang, where leases end in 2030. Marina Bay Golf Course, which closed its doors in July 2024 after its lease expired, has also been earmarked for residential use. ' More than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir. ' — Lee Sze Teck, Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Several plots in the research and development and technology clusters in Media Circle and Science Park, previously zoned for business parks, are also being prepped for residential development. Catherine He, head of research at Colliers Singapore, said these plans align with the government's goal to meet Singapore's housing needs and make 'the highest use of land to benefit the most number of residents, as opposed to just select groups'. 'Land scarcity means underutilised sites, like golf courses or low-density areas, are prime candidates for rezoning,' she said. A NEWSLETTER FOR YOU Tuesday, 12 pm Property Insights Get an exclusive analysis of real estate and property news in Singapore and beyond. Sign Up Sign Up Being plum sites near work hubs such as the Central Business District (CBD), one-north, Buona Vista and the National University of Singapore, and with the potential for waterfront living, these 'would probably be in high demand by homebuyers'. Rezoning business park land is also ideal for Singapore's bifurcated market, said He. Business parks that are older and farther out have not performed as well as newer ones, and those in the city fringe have underutilised space. Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Lee Sze Teck reckons that more than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir. The Marina Bay Golf Course site – sitting beside the Founders' Memorial – could yield an iconic public housing precinct similar to Pinnacle @ Duxton and another 10,000 homes in a prime area. In Buona Vista, three business park sites in the Media Circle location along Ayer Rajah Crescent have been rezoned from business park use to residential with commercial on the first floor. These are on top of the four land parcels that were rezoned from business park use to housing in May last year. One was a plot of land opposite Infinite Studios in one-north, that was proposed for residential with commercial use on the first floor, with a plot ratio of 3.7. Another two Dover area sites at Portsdown Road and Portsdown Avenue were proposed for residential with commercial use, with one subject to detailed planning and the other with a plot ratio of 4.3. A fourth parcel in the vicinity was also proposed for pure residential use. PropNex chief executive Ismail Gafoor pointed out that the provision of more commercial space in the Media Circle location in the DMP2025 will offer more amenities to future residents. Not far from Media Circle, two sites in Singapore Science Park 2 that were reserved for business parks have also been rezoned to residential use. One is a large parcel along South Buona Vista Road, opposite Kent Ridge Park. The other smaller plot is just across Zehnder Road. Gafoor said this was in line with the ongoing rejuvenation of Singapore Science Park, and follows the launch of CapitaLand Development's (CLD) 99-year leasehold LyndenWoods condominium – the area's first residential project. In an interview with The Business Times on Wednesday, CLD (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay said LyndenWood's launch over the weekend kick-starts the second phase of Singapore Science Park's rejuvenation. The aim is to create a 50,000-strong vibrant work-live-play community, with another one or two residential projects in the pipeline. 'When the whole (estate) is fully rejuvenated, it will be around 75 per cent business park, about 20 per cent residential and the rest commercial retail,' said Tay. Previously, the area was fully zoned for business park use. He added that such residential and commercial opportunities could emerge beyond Singapore Science Park, given CapitaLand's ecosystem and CLD's expertise in building integrated developments. 'There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank.' Turning underutilised business parks to residential use will help to optimise land use while making the area more lively, said Colliers' He, especially in the evenings and weekends. ' There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank. ' — CapitaLand Development (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay Alan Cheong, Savills Singapore executive director for research and consultancy, pointed out that since business parks had limited uses, only a few industries would qualify for it, posing a concentration risk for this type of real estate. 'A sudden blowout in the funding for certain tech sectors, the contraction in technology cycles and/or the rapid emergence of foreign competition for certain uses (could lead) to greater demand volatility than, say, office or residential uses,' said Cheong. This can already be seen in business parks throughout the island, with many having heightened vacancies. 'The insertion of residential and white sites into such (business park) zones would reduce that risk,' he said. Cheong noted that some companies may relocate to the area if more high-quality offices are developed there, with rents being significantly lower than those in the CBD. 'The provision of more residential developments would enhance the attractiveness of locating there for multinational tenants, who have a sizable workforce on Employment Passes.' Catering to demand In the south, a massive site in Bukit Merah has been rezoned to residential use, from being a reserve site with undetermined use. The parcel, bounded by Telok Blangah Road and Alexandra Road, includes the art enclave Gillman Barracks and the Academy of Singapore Teachers campus. In March 2024, then minister for national development Desmond Lee had said at his ministry's Committee of Supply debate that the Gillman Barracks area may be turned into a residential neighbourhood after 2030. Industry experts predicted that demand for homes will likely be robust. The last Build-To-Order sales exercise in the Telok Blangah area was in May 2021, and saw an application rate of 23.3. Further south, part of Keppel Distripark has been rezoned for residential use. It was previously a reserve site. The plot, which sits next to the upcoming Keppel MRT station, is likely part of the government's Greater Southern Waterfront initiative, said PropNex's Gafoor. In his 2019 National Day Rally, then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the mega waterfront development would be double the size of Punggol town, with private and public housing. With Keppel Distripark closing by 2027 and Keppel MRT station opening in 2026, Lee from Huttons Asia predicts that the first plot to be released for redevelopment will be as early as 2028. More than 20,000 new homes may be built on the site, he added.
Business Times
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- Business Times
GuocoLand's Dora Chng on condo buyer preferences.
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Straits Times
2 days ago
- Straits Times
S'pore's age is showing in its latest draft masterplan – and that's a good thing
News analysis S'pore's age is showing in its latest draft masterplan – and that's a good thing SINGAPORE – Hanging in the atrium and pasted on the glass walls of The URA Centre in Maxwell Road are portraits of people – members of the public, activists, architects and others who call Singapore home. Some of them were among nearly 220,000 people who took part in a months-long exercise to put together a new blueprint that will chart the country's development for the next 10 to 15 years. Unveiled by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) on June 25, in Singapore's 60th year of independence, the Draft Master Plan 2025 and its accompanying exhibition show Singapore's age – and that is a good thing. Initiatives under the blueprint demonstrate that Singapore is now old enough and eager to tell its story through its conservation programme or by other means of remembrance. Telling Singapore's story While Singapore's unlikely and rapid growth since independence has been well documented, the country's post-independence buildings have been under-represented in the more than 7,200 buildings and structures conserved thus far. At the launch of the draft masterplan exhibition, URA announced a thematic framework that will improve the way it assesses buildings' significance, by considering how they contributed to Singapore's history under at least one of four themes – economy, housing, social and defence. On top of the architectural, historic, traditional and aesthetic lenses through which buildings are considered for conservation, the thematic framework broadens the scope used to assess buildings, and considers what they mean in Singapore's story – and to Singaporeans. The exhibition hints at the buildings and sites that the authorities have in mind. Facade of Prima Flour Mills, which was Singapore's first flour mill when it opened in 1963. PHOTO: ST FILE URA cited Prima Flour Mill in Keppel Road, which started operations in 1963 as Singapore's first flour mill, as well as Selegie House, also completed in 1963 as the country's then tallest mixed-use development. The hope is that as Singapore turns 60, this renewed emphasis on telling the nation's story, as well as a more holistic heritage framework, will prevent another nationally loved building – like the old National Library – from being lost to redevelopment. The old National Library at Stamford Road, which was demolished after its closure in 2004. PHOTO: ST FILE Time for details With decades of work shaping the city-state and Singaporeans' basic needs largely met, the planners of today are looking beyond just quantity – the need to rapidly establish new towns – and focusing on improving the quality and variety of existing living environments. By 2030, one in four Singaporeans will be 65 or older. As the population greys, talk surrounding new homes is now not just about whether they are public or private, but also whether they are senior-friendly, with more assisted living options and senior activity centres in the pipeline. In the recreational realm, the authorities have in recent years also focused more on quality. In the last decade, large, airy 'community living rooms' have become a feature of new and refurbished malls, giving patrons a comfortable space in which to chill out and chat, read a book, or sip a coffee. Called Privately-Owned Public Spaces, or Pops, more than 30 of these spaces have sprung up, thanks to guidelines that URA rolled out in 2017. Geneo's Privately-Owned Public Space, The Canopy, which opened earlier in 2025. ST PHOTO: JASON QUAH The provision of Pops shows the detail that goes into planning – not just providing malls, but using policy levers to nudge developers towards providing meaningful and accessible public spaces. While areas where basic infrastructure is already in place may be easy to overlook, planners have continued making improvements. Upcoming efforts to upgrade the walking and cycling paths in three identity corridors – elongated stretches with identities and characters that the authorities aim to strengthen – are a case in point. A stretch of Zion Road between Ganges Avenue and River Valley Road will be repurposed to accommodate wider walking and cycling paths. The stretch of Zion Road between Havelock Road and River Valley Road will be repurposed for wider walking and cycling paths. PHOTO: NATIONAL PARKS BOARD And along a stretch of Kallang River next to St Andrew's Junior College where there already is a park connector, more public spaces and cycling paths are being planned for visitors and students to enjoy the waterfront. New cycling paths along the riverbank fronting St Andrew's Village will connect to the Kallang Park Connector. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY These plans show that planners are not just focused on creating new estates, but are continuously finding ways to improve the living environment for residents. Be that as it may, the provision of more homes remains a key priority. The upcoming redevelopment of Sembawang Shipyard, Kranji Racecourse and Paya Lebar Air Base shows that future development needs are still front and centre, while as-yet-undeveloped land plots slated for housing remain in areas such as Tagore and Clementi Road. Users as experts In many aspects of the draft masterplan, public feedback was sought . Improvements to existing areas, such as upgrades to walking and cycling infrastructure along the identity corridors, were proposed after engagements with 2,300 residents and users. Draft Master Plan 2025 marked the most extensive engagement exercise URA has conducted so far, with nearly 220,000 people engaged. It trumps the more than 15,000 engaged for the Long-Term Plan between 2021 and 2022 – during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Long-Term Plan, which informs the draft masterplan, charts the country's needs for the next 50 years and beyond. All this shows that when it comes to urban planning, regular users of spaces are the experts. URA's engagement efforts are in line with broader global trends in urban planning, which has become much less top-down or expert-led, and where citizens have a stake. To ensure Singaporeans were heard, multiple exhibitions and roadshows were organised for the draft masterplan from October 2023, which almost 186,000 people visited. More than 26,000 people participated in focus-group discussions, workshops and other conversations. About 7,000 people responded to public surveys. Some members of the public even joined planners in kayaks and paddled down Kallang River, as part of efforts to generate ideas on how to improve an identity corridor there. Participants at a kayaking expedition in Kallang River organised by the URA on July 21, 2024. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Such interactions build trust and understanding between those with differing needs and interests, and between the public and planners. The latest land-use plans show that public feedback does make a difference. In response to suggestions from a focus-group discussion for the Katong-Joo Chiat area, where participants requested more shaded public spaces and seating, URA is planning a new pedestrian mall in East Coast Road, between i12 Katong shopping centre and Katong V mall. The future pedestrian mall in Katong could include landscaping, seating and recreational spaces for community use and interactions. PHOTO: URBAN REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY Engaging widely for Draft Master Plan 2025 is a step in the right direction, and it would augur well for URA to keep up this scale of outreach efforts for future reviews of the masterplan. Only then can land-use plans closely mirror the needs of the public. A long-term endeavour While a refreshed blueprint is put out roughly once every five years, planning is an ongoing endeavour, with old plans revived and new ones in the works for years. Upcoming developments under the draft masterplan – such as turning Bishan into a business hub and the rejuvenation of Istana Park and its surrounds – were already announced in 2019, following the previous review of the masterplan. Reaching further back, plans to build new homes in Pearl's Hill were announced in June 2003. Yet much of the land there that has been zoned for residential use has not had new homes built on it for the past two decades . Outram Park Complex on the day of its official opening in 1970. The HDB-built complex was demolished in the early 2000s. PHOTO: ST FILE After works on the Thomson-East Coast Line were completed in the area , these plans were presented again in November 2023, when the authorities said 6,000 new public and private homes will be built. A 2004 photograph shows the area the Outram Park Complex once occupied (left), which has been vacant for more than two decades. PHOTO: ST FILE Notably, a plan revealed in 1991 to reclaim a 'Long Island' off East Coast Park has in recent years been revived as a coastal protection solution, in addition to meeting other needs. It may be hard to reconcile Singapore's pace of rapid urban change with the protracted, continuous nature of longer-term urban planning. Yet, as the Draft Master Plan 2025 has shown, Singapore can make development decisions that honour its past and reflect the needs of its citizens, while remaining open to change. Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage. 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