Bishan to see over 2 million sq ft of new office space, new integrated development
The fresh office space will be part of a massive new integrated development mapped out for Bishan, one of Singapore's more densely areas, which will see new community amenities such as a polyclinic, hawker centre and a revamped bus interchange with air-conditioned waiting areas.
Works for these new developments will start within this term, and take several years to complete, said Chee in a video shared on social media channels on Thursday morning.
It follows the unveiling of the Draft Master Plan 2025 on Wednesday, which revealed the government's plans to grow decentralised office spots with the refresh of regional business nodes across the island.
Bishan's new office spaces are expected to be on the scale of Paya Lebar Central, a relatively new commercial precinct that now houses the sprawling Paya Lebar Quarter development, completed in 2018-2019.
Market watchers had pointed to several plots of vacant land near the Bishan interchange and around the Junction 8 mall, suggesting that new developments could come up on top of the interchange.
Property developer Lendlease and the Abu Dhabi Investment Authority jointly acquired the Paya Lebar plot at a state tender in 2015 for S$1.67 billion, trumping the offers of five other bidders. The 3.9-hectare site was then developed into seven buildings: a retail mall, three office towers and three private residential blocks. Along with Paya Lebar Square, the two projects contain well over a million square feet of office space.
Some government agencies are now looking at relocating their offices to BIshan, to kick-start the business node's development, URA had said on Wednesday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
AsiaOne
4 days ago
- AsiaOne
Compensation, rehousing options crucial to flat owners from older estates selling their flats under Vers, Singapore News
The size of the compensation package and rehousing options will weigh heavily in their decision to sell their HDB flats back to the Government under the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers), elderly residents living in older estates have said. They were reacting to National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat's remarks in an interview that his ministry aims to use the current term of Parliament to develop the policy framework for the scheme. This includes identifying possible sites where the scheme will be first offered, ensuring that there are sufficient homes for those involved to relocate to, and working out a fair compensation package for residents whose flats are taken back early. Once the policy parameters are in place, Vers will be progressively offered to a 'few selected' sites likely from the first half of the next decade when the flats there are about 70 years old, Chee said. Vers was first announced by then-Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong in 2018 to allow the Government to buy back flats nearing their 99-year lease by compensating residents and redeveloping the land. It addresses the issue of lease decay and the resulting decline in value of older flats. While Chee's comments on Aug 10 mark the Government's latest update on Vers, most of the 12 residents from older estates such as Ang Mo Kio and Bedok whom AsiaOne spoke to were unaware of what the scheme entails. Ang Mo Kio resident Claire Chiam said that she will consider the implications to her retirement nest if the Government offers to buy back her flat. The 70-year-old retiree moved into the three-room flat on Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 a year ago. It was built in 1978. 'I don't know what's the arrangement, I hope it will not be like Sers (Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme) where the residents there still have to cough up cash to buy (a) similar-sized flat. And there were people not happy about it,' Chiam said. 'Unless it is for downgrading, Old people like us don't have that much cash and CPF already.' Unlike Sers, Vers is voluntary where residents will vote on whether the project goes ahead. In his interview, Chee said that the compensation terms for Vers will be less generous than those chosen under Sers, as the flats chosen will be older, and hence, less money. One Bedok resident, who wanted to be known as Tang, said she will be looking at the replacement homes offered before making a decision. 'If they are further from where I live right now, it will be at a disadvantage,' said the 63-year-old part-time retail assistant. Speaking to AsiaOne, Eugene Lim, key executive officer of ERA Singapore, said that implementing Vers is a 'significant undertaking' that requires 'sensitivity and prudence'. 'There are also concerns that compensation could be lower than under Sers. Therefore, this could lead to some older owners having to weigh the affordability of replacement homes carefully, and as a result, they may be reluctant to participate in Vers,' he said. 'This could, in turn, dampen participation and increase its complexity.' Since flats built in the 70s would have natural wear and tear that can make living conditions less attractive and comfortable, Lim said that these owners will be hoping that their blocks are identified for Vers. Chee said that several older estates were rapidly built in the 1970s and 1980s to meet the urgent housing demand. According to ERA Singapore, 356 blocks were built in Ang Mo Kio during this period, and about 39,600 new flats were sold by HDB then. In Bedok, 419 blocks were completed, with about 47,000 new flats sold. In the 1980s, 494 blocks were built in Tampines and 487 blocks in Yishun. In each town, more than 40,000 new units were sold. Lim said that offering incentives, such as giving flat owners priority in selecting a replacement home within their current location, could lead to higher take ups for Vers. But Ang Mo Kio resident Ng Kim Wan said that the decaying lease of his 40-year-old flat is not an issue, and would rather stay there until the end of his life. The 75-year-old retiree said: 'Vers is good for the younger home owners to get a flat with a longer lease. It's not for older folks whose children are not living with us. 'I will have to adapt to living in a new flat, a new environment. And where can I find the money for renovation and furniture?' [[nid:721026]] Chingshijie@
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Straits Times
The Usual Place Podcast: To Vers or not to Vers: How will this scheme affect HDB prices?
The clock is ticking on the leases for older Housing Board flats, and an answer on what the Government plans to do about lease decay dropped earlier this week. The clock is ticking on the leases for older Housing Board flats, and an answer on what the Government plans to do about lease decay dropped earlier this week. National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat gave an update on the Voluntary Early Redevelopment Scheme (Vers) in an interview that was published on Aug 10, outlining in broad strokes the plans for flats nearing the end of their 99-year leases. The gist: Vers will let home owners of selected precincts that are aged about 70 and up choose if they want their homes to be acquired by the Government for redevelopment before their leases run out. The scheme will start in the 2030s, and will likely begin 'with a few selected sites', said Mr Chee. For many homeowners living in old flats, this announcement provides them with some direction on what happens should they choose Vers – or not. In this episode of The Usual Place, ST land use reporter Ng Keng Gene and Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion Group, join me to discuss how this announcement will affect housing prices and considerations for buying an old flat. Tune in at 12pm SGT/HKT to watch the livestream, and share your thoughts on our YouTube channel. Follow The Usual Place Podcast live at noon every Thursday and get notified for new episode drops: Channel: Apple Podcasts: Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Asia India, Singapore ministers discuss deeper tie-ups in digitalisation, skills, industrial parks Business More seniors remain employed after retirement and re-employment ages raised in 2022: MOM study Singapore askST: Will assets seized in $3b money laundering case be sold at public auctions? Asia Malaysia's ex-economy minister says his son was jabbed with syringe in planned attack Business StarHub first-half profit falls 41.7% to $47.9m; telco eyes 'more aggressive stance' amid competition Business CapitaLand Investment first-half profit falls 13.3%, appoints new CEO of private funds Life Taylor Swift's new album, The Life of a Showgirl, will release on Oct 3 Spotify:
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Straits Times
SG60: Reading between the lines of the Draft Master Plan 2025
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities. Singapore's urban and economic planning has long been pragmatic, but the Draft Master Plan 2025 signals something new: boldness. In response to shifting global and domestic fundamentals, the plan reframes land use through emerging tools such as polycentric gateway corridors, and a more agile, layered approach to decentralisation. This isn't a wholesale reinvention, but a quiet recalibration, adapting Singapore's planning ethos to meet an era of slower growth, more complex trade-offs, and heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Decentralisation under pressure The once-ambitious model of decentralising offices beyond the Central Business District (CBD) is slowing. As companies right-size and consolidate their operations, many are returning to the city core, drawn by cost-efficiency, branding visibility, and a concentration of talent and services. The traditional rental premium once commanded by the CBD has eroded, narrowing the cost differential and weakening the incentive to decentralise – unless firms are tightly woven into local supply chains or talent pools. This trend is not entirely new, but Covid-19 accelerated it. Hybrid work has reduced the average office footprint per firm. Large tenants are less willing to anchor fringe locations unless there are compelling ecosystem advantages. Meanwhile, commercial confidence has been tempered by global uncertainty, from US-China tensions to regional trade realignments. In this context, even flagship decentralisation projects are evolving. Jurong Lake District, once envisioned as a major commercial node, saw the planned commercial quantum of the white site on the reserve list reduced by 30 per cent. While the long-term vision remains, near-term market sentiment is clearly influencing land release strategies. The return – and repositioning – of industrial land Beyond the commercial office market, Singapore's industrial landscape is entering a new chapter. Since 2022, roughly 36 hectares of industrial land have been returned to the state annually, a scale not seen since the 2015-2017 wave that preceded the last Master Plan. Then, as now, this land return reflects deeper structural shifts. Manufacturing is becoming less land-hungry. As companies digitalise and relocate lower-value operations to neighbouring countries, plots once allocated for logistics, clean tech or light manufacturing are being reassessed. The Draft Master Plan 2025 aims to stay ahead of this curve. While there are no radical rezoning moves in the downtown, the government is signalling flexibility. Incentives such as the CBD Incentive Scheme and the Strategic Development Incentive Scheme make it easier for older office buildings to be converted into mixed-use formats, shrinking pure office space while boosting residential and lifestyle offerings. The shift is also evident in the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. There are no new confirmed downtown office sites, and only three white sites remain on the reserve list. This absence is likely intentional – a quiet nudge for landlords to explore adaptive reuse and a cue to the market that office decentralisation will now take a more tempered, organic form. Bishan returns to the spotlight One of the most intriguing updates is the re-designation of Bishan as a sub-regional centre, a role proposed initially in the 1991 Concept Plan. Back then, the idea was radical: decentralise Singapore's economic core and anchor new business activity in the heartlands. Today, Bishan already boasts strong transport connectivity, public agencies and community infrastructure that serve the broader Toa Payoh-Ang Mo Kio region. Its central location and direct access to Raffles Place via MRT make it an ideal candidate for polycentric growth. Together with Novena, Serangoon, and Toa Payoh, Bishan helps form a north-east arc of business activity – a 'string of pearls' that mirrors the southern belt stretching from Alexandra to one-north. Beyond convenience, this distributed model reflects a future in which live-work-play ecosystems are embedded into the islandwide urban fabric, rather than concentrated in a single hub. Vertical zoning: The next planning frontier Among the more speculative but intriguing concepts to emerge from the 2022 Long-Term Plan Review is the idea of 'vertical zoning'. The notion, layering light industry on the lower floors, offices above that, and residences at the top, was not formally proposed in the Draft Master Plan 2025. Still, it offers a glimpse of how Singapore might evolve its planning logic in response to changing economic and spatial realities. Seen in this light, vertical zoning is a conceptual provocation that asks whether future urban productivity might come not from expanding outwards, but from layering uses in smarter, more synergistic ways. If Singapore is serious about remaining spatially efficient and economically agile, this could be a frontier worth exploring further. While no specific developments have been announced, the pilot in Woodlands, which raises the allowable proportion of non-industrial uses from 40 to 70 per cent, may be an early signal of willingness to experiment. It echoes previous 'Business White' trials, which allowed greater flexibility in land use within designated business zones. If taken seriously, vertical zoning could represent a significant shift away from the traditional horizontal separation of uses that has long defined Singapore's land planning. It reflects a recognition that manufacturing today is cleaner and quieter, and that modern services are increasingly mobile and less reliant on sprawling floor plates. Sustainable and inclusive urban living In line with Singapore's push for environmental sustainability, new housing areas are being explored across the island, with a strong emphasis on reusing existing brownfield sites. Spaces such as Bukit Timah Turf Club, the old Keppel Golf Course, and the soon-to-be-vacated Paya Lebar Airbase are being considered for redevelopment into vibrant residential neighbourhoods. Besides building homes, these plans also aim to create active, socially connected communities, with shared amenities that support everyday life and bring people together. Many of these developments reflect a move towards vertical zoning, where housing is thoughtfully layered with community spaces and lifestyle facilities. A key planning principle is accessibility: Most residents will be within a 10-minute walk of parks, shops, schools, and essential services. As part of the broader 'live-work-play' vision, new opportunities for city and fringe-city living are also being introduced. Areas around Newton MRT station, Paterson Road near Orchard, and Dover-Medway near one-north have been earmarked for mixed-use development that balances inclusivity, sustainability and a strong sense of community. These well-connected neighbourhoods offer a good mix of amenities and entertainment, making them ideal for both families and working professionals. For instance, the idea of a new Village Square at Newton and a vibrant mixed-use hub at Paterson would help bridge luxury housing with the retail and activity of Orchard Road. The Draft Master Plan 2025 also puts greater emphasis on senior-friendly housing, including more assisted-living options and active-ageing centres to support older residents in living independently and meaningfully. Whether you're young or old, working or retired, the evolving urban plan seeks to make neighbourhoods more livable, connected and future-ready for everyone. Softer touch Even as it tackles hard economic questions, the Draft Master Plan 2025 doesn't lose sight of softer, human-scale priorities. Included among the proposals are plans for green connectors, heritage trails, repurposed viaducts, and playful public spaces. These aren't decorative add-ons; they are essential components of a livable, imageable city. Such spaces encourage social connection, promote mental well-being, and help Singapore remain globally competitive as a place to live, not just work. The Draft Master Plan 2025: A vision in transition More than a technical update, the Draft Master Plan 2025 reflects a society in flux, one that is learning from past successes, adapting to a slower-growth environment, and daring to imagine a more resilient, layered future. It is not a call to transform everything, but an invitation to reimagine selectively. To rethink what should be intensified, repurposed, or left open-ended. In that spirit, it strikes a balance: between continuity and change, between pragmatism and vision.
