Khatib Camp to make way for housing, with its functions moving to Amoy Quee Camp

Business Times

3 days ago

[SINGAPORE] Khatib Camp in Yishun will make way for new homes, with the camp's functions to be relocated to Amoy Quee Camp, which is currently undergoing redevelopment.
Responding to queries from The Straits Times, the Ministry of Defence said on July 23 that the redevelopment of Amoy Quee Camp and its supporting infrastructure and facilities started in April 2024, with completion targeted for 2030.
The ministry said Amoy Quee Camp, located in Ang Mo Kio, will have its land use intensified to accommodate the relocated units, assets and facilities from Khatib Camp.
The camp will also house other operational units, along with their maintenance and administrative entities, to ensure the Singapore Armed Forces' operational readiness, said Mindef, which added that Khatib Camp will be returned to the state for residential development.
Khatib Camp currently occupies about 29 ha of land and is next to the upcoming 70ha Chencharu estate that is part of Yishun town.
Reusing the camp's land for housing will add to the planned 10,000 homes that are slated for development in Chencharu by 2040.
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Based on the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025 that was released on June 25, the camp has been zoned for housing but has yet to be assigned a gross plot ratio – a figure that determines the maximum floor area of a development.
Assuming it is given a plot ratio of 2.8 – similar to that of neighbouring residential plots – property analysts said it can yield more than 6,000 public flats or more than 9,000 condominium units.
Mr Alan Cheong, executive director of research and consultancy at Savills Singapore, said the large site provides urban planners the flexibility of incorporating a housing mix that includes private homes, condominium units and commercial amenities.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion Group, added that the transport network surrounding the camp site may also need to be improved for future residents.
Currently, the end of the camp closest to Khatib MRT station is about 400 m away, while its farthest end is about 1.2 km from the station.
Ms Sun said there is a higher chance that public flats will be built on the site, which will be consistent with the neighbourhoods that currently surround it.
Built at a cost of S$90 million in 1983, Khatib Camp occupies an area that was previously used by the Royal Malaysian Navy from 1970, and handed over to Singapore in February 1982.
The camp initially housed the SAF Boys' School, the air defence unit and five other artillery units.
It has long served as the headquarters of the Singapore Artillery, and is currently one of four SAF camps where NSmen can take their Individual Physical Proficiency Test.
As for Amoy Quee Camp, it was among the properties handed over to Singapore as part of the withdrawal of British troops in 1971.
Information from the British archives shows the Royal Air Force (RAF) Amoy Quee base was established in mid-1968 and operated until July 1971. It housed the RAF's 1003 Signals Unit.
Amoy Quee Camp in 1976 had the biggest pineapple farm in Singapore, occupying 6ha, as part of efforts to grow food for soldiers and also as an experiment to see if enough fruit could be harvested and sold for profit.
Since 2001, Amoy Quee Camp has housed the headquarters of the National Cadet Corps, and the camp's size has been reduced drastically in recent years from about 89ha to 52ha to make way for new homes.
According to URA's Draft Master Plan 2025 exhibition, the area will have a new park, commercial amenities and healthcare facilities.
Its development has begun, with the ongoing construction of the 1,068-unit Pine Ville @ AMK project by the Housing Board, where replacement flats are being built for residents of an Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3
Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme project that was announced in April 2022.
To be developed next to Pine Ville @ AMK soon is a Build-To-Order project, comprising 1,420 units, which will be launched in October.
Elsewhere within the about 37 ha of land that Mindef has ceded in Amoy Quee, HDB is currently preparing the site for future developments, such as constructing new roads and sewers. These works are slated to be completed by end-2025.
According to URA's draft masterplan, at least three other housing sites are available for development in the area.
The first is about 3 ha, which is located next to a planned park. Analysts said it can hold about 1,200 condominium units, or about 800 flats.
The second is about 6.2 ha and is located across the road from Amoy Quee Camp. Analysts said it could yield about 1,400 flats, or about 2,200 condominium units.
Savills' Mr Cheong noted that it is large enough to be used for a mix of public and private homes, with some commercial amenities.
The third plot is about 5.2 ha, which has not been given a plot ratio in URA's draft masterplan. It stretches along the eastern boundary of Nanyang Polytechnic.
Ms Sun said the plot may not be attractive to developers because of its elongated shape.
Assuming it has a plot ratio of 3.5 – the nearby housing plots have plot ratios ranging from 3.0 to 3.8 – it can hold about 1,400 flats, or about 2,100 condominium units, she said.
As for the camp, a construction notice states that 48 blocks will be demolished and 35 blocks will be built, along with a football field and running track. This is slated for completion in the fourth quarter of 2029. THE STRAITS TIMES