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Straits Times
5 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Former Middleton Hospital earmarked for lifestyle hub use
The former Communicable Disease Centre as viewed from 23 Akyab Road on Oct 10, 2024. ST PHOTO: LIM YAOHUI Former Communicable Disease Centre in Moulmein Road put up for use as lifestyle hub SINGAPORE – Once a place for the treatment of patients with infectious diseases such as smallpox, tuberculosis and Aids, the former Middleton Hospital and Communicable Disease Centre could soon house pickleball courts, cafes and art galleries. A tender for the 91,541.27 sq m site in Moulmein Road to be used as a lifestyle hub on a short-term tenancy was launched on May 28 by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA). Approved uses for the site include office spaces, serviced apartments, spa and wellness facilities and urban farming plots, among others. It is currently zoned for residential use. Of the site's 44 buildings, 23 have been safeguarded for potential conservation by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), and will be subject to addition and alteration guidelines from the authority. This is to ensure the retention of their character and key architectural elements and features. The other 21 buildings cannot be demolished, but will not be subjected to the addition and alteration guidelines. SLA said that the site 'served as a pivotal institution in Singapore's healthcare history for over a century'. It was established in 1913 as an infectious diseases hospital and named the Middleton Hospital in 1920 after Dr William Robert Colvin Middleton, a public health advocate. Of the 12,978.88 sq m of gross floor area across the site's buildings, a maximum of 3,893.66 sq m – or about 30 per cent – can be used for retail or food and beverage purposes, or both. F&B uses, including outdoor refreshment areas, can form no more than half of the allotted 3,893.66 sq m. The SLA said in a press release that it envisions 2 Moulmein Road to be 'a dynamic lifestyle hub with offerings that will cater to families and multi-generation communities'. The successful tenderer will be awarded a tenancy of five years , with the option of a four-year extension, subject to the Government's approval. Based on the URA's Master Plan 2019 – a statutory document that guides developments for the next 10 to 15 years – the site is currently zoned for residential use, subject to detailed planning. When vacant state properties are not earmarked for immediate development, SLA, as the custodian of state land, can put them up for rent in the interim period. Other state properties that have been converted for lifestyle use recently include the former Nan Chiau High School in River Valley, now New Bahru ; and the former St Andrew's Mission Hospital near Maxwell Road, now Kada . Block 807, the former hospital's mortuary, is one of 23 buildings being considered for conservation. PHOTO: ST FILE The former Bukit Timah Fire Station is also being turned into a lifestyle hub. Dr Yeo Kang Shua, vice-president of the International Council on Monuments and Sites Singapore, welcomed the announcement that 23 buildings have been earmarked for potential conservation, as future works will likely be guided by the relevant authorities to avoid adverse impact on the buildings' heritage value. 'This gives the tender more transparency and helps to moderate the expectations of potential bidders,' he said. 'Realistically, some works will be needed to make the site suitable for new programmes and functions, and the question is how intervention much is too much and how little is too little – a right balance needs to be found,' Dr Yeo added. He said the hospital's lush and spacious layout is notable, as it gave patients fresh air and daylight – elements associated with health and hygiene, even today. Block 804, the administration block of the former Middleton Hospital, is among those being considered for conservation. PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO The concept of such a cultural landscape should be retained on the site, said Dr Yeo. Ms Tricia Song, head of research for Singapore and South-east Asia at CBRE, said that the addition and alteration guidelines by URA for the 23 buildings are unlikely to affect demand for the site, as the short tenure does not justify heavy capital expenditure and redevelopment. However, Dr Chua Yang Liang, JLL's head of research and consultancy for South-east Asia, said the conservation-related requirements are a dual-edged sword for developers – they add complexity, costs and constraints to development plans, but also offer unique character and heritage value that can become distinctive selling points. Ms Song said that the site is relatively well-located – within reasonable walking distance from Novena MRT station and flanked by Novena Health City and Balestier Road, which provide a business and residential catchment. If the future hub is well-planned with ample and cheap or free parking, the location is attractive for fitness, spa and wellness and sports facilities such as pickleball courts, which she said are lacking in the area. The former hospital was home to some of Singapore's last Nightingale wards, which featured no subdivisions and were designed to be airy. PHOTO: ST FILE Ms Catherine He, head of research at Colliers Singapore, similarly said that recreational uses would be suitable for the site, as these have relatively lower fit-out costs and are in line with the site's medical legacy. 'The area is already well-served by a number of hotels, retail and offices and hence these uses are unlikely to be duplicated,' she said. Dr Chua added that pre- or postnatal care centres and spa and wellness facilities could generate strong demand by complementing the existing healthcare ecosystem in the area. He said that a critical consideration for potential bidders will be the traffic implications, as the Novena area 'already experiences considerable traffic congestion, which could pose a significant operational challenge for certain uses'. Century-long healthcare association In its 2020 book Uncommon Ground, SLA said that Middleton Hospital had its roots in a smallpox hospital and quarantine facility that began in the 1870s, and was set up at Balestier Plain. Plans to replace this facility were drawn up by the British Municipal Commission in 1905, with the infectious diseases hospital eventually opening at the 2 Moulmein Road site in June 1913. The former Middleton Hospital's iconic gatehouse, which was demolished in 1982 for road widening works. PHOTO: ST FILE In 1985, the hospital came under Tan Tock Seng Hospital as its Department of Communicable Diseases, later renamed Communicable Disease Centre. It played a role in the fight against various infectious diseases – such as the Sars outbreak in 2003 – until December 2018, when it was decommissioned and replaced by the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, located at Jalan Tan Tock Seng. SLA said that the site supported Covid-19 operations until it was returned to the state in 2023. Heritage author and blogger Jerome Lim, who edited SLA's book, said he hopes that besides the 23 buildings in the former hospital that have been earmarked for potential conservation, lesser-known aspects like its drainage system will also be retained. He said the drains were 'built by the municipality with beautiful brickwork and used to be lined with ceramic', a feature that is rare in Singapore. The former Middleton Hospital, pictured in 2009, was from 1992 to 2018 the Communicable Disease Centre. PHOTO: LIANHE WANBAO Mr Lim added that there is also evidence that a double-drain system was originally installed at the hospital, which separated contaminated discharge from the wards from the public drainage system, thus preventing the spread of diseases. He said that the site also has some portions of the hospital's original fence, which have sharp tips that were meant to prevent quarantined patients from escaping. Retaining such features would allow future visitors to better appreciate how the hospital was designed, he said. SLA's tender closes on Aug 6, and is slated to be awarded on Nov 30. Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
15-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Land plots near Marymount, Caldecott and other MRT stations being readied for new homes
Multiple sites in Upper Thomson Road, near Marymount MRT station, are among those being prepared for new homes. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Land plots near Marymount, Caldecott and other MRT stations being readied for new homes SINGAPORE – Thousands of new homes are set to be built within walking distance of MRT stations across the island, including in Marymount, Caldecott and Kallang. The authorities are also priming sites near Upper Changi, Expo, one-north and Woodlands South stations for new homes, according to proposed amendments to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Master Plan 2019 that were published on April 24 and May 7. The URA masterplan is a statutory document that guides developments in Singapore for the next 10 to 15 years. Three of the land parcels for new homes are in Upper Thomson Road, close to Marymount MRT station. The first of these has an area of about 35,000 sq m, equivalent in size to just over five football fields. This site was previously home to Lakeview Shopping Centre, which was completed by the Housing Board in the early 1970s and included a popular hawker centre. HDB told the hawker centre's 168 stallholders and 134 shop tenants to leave by end-1999, as the area was earmarked for housing, The Straits Times reported in December 1997. The site, however, has remained undeveloped for about two decades after the shopping centre was demolished in the early 2000s. Ms Christine Sun, real estate company OrangeTee Group's chief researcher and strategist, said the site can yield 1,100 to 1,200 HDB flats, or 1,600 to 1,700 condominium units, based on its size and assigned gross plot ratio of 3.9. The plot ratio determines the maximum permissible floor area of developments. Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property search portal said the site is more likely to be used for private housing, as it is surrounded by similar housing types – landed homes around Upper Thomson MRT station and Lakeview estate , a former Housing and Urban Development Company property that was privatised . The second plot earmarked for housing in the area is separated from the Shunfu Gardens HDB estate by a canal, and measures roughly 13,500 sq m. It has been assigned a plot ratio of 1.8. Ms Sun said this plot can hold 200 to 250 HDB flats, or 300 to 350 condo units. A similar number of new homes can be built on the third plot in the area – located just south of the Lakeview estate, and between Upper Thomson Road and St Theresa's Home – she added. This plot has an area of about 12,000 sq m , and has been assigned a plot ratio of 2.4 . In Toa Payoh, a site that is about 78,500 sq m in size has been earmarked for residential use, with commercial amenities on the first storey. Its allocated plot ratio is 4.7 . This site is right by Caldecott station, which is an interchange between the Circle and Thomson-East Coast MRT lines. It was formerly partially occupied by industrial properties that were demolished in 2017, after being used by technology company Philips. Analysts said the site can yield between 2,800 and 3,500 flats, or 4,000 to 4,200 condo units. A 78,500 sq m site next to Caldecott MRT station (right) has been earmarked for housing, with commercial use on the first storey. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG Given the site's size, said Ms Sun, it can hold between four and six projects by private developers, two to three public housing projects, or a combination of both. Mr Mak said that with a ground floor of developments on the site zoned for commercial use, it can serve as a town centre for residents of the Caldecott area. He added that with the assigned plot ratio of 4.7, it is possible for future housing blocks on the site to have 50 storeys or more, giving residents an unblocked view of the greenery in the central catchment. Mr Mak expects that the site will attract strong interest from private developers if it is sold for condo use, due to its development potential and proximity to Caldecott station. National Development Minister Desmond Lee said in a Facebook post on May 15 that around 740 flats located on a separate plot near Caldecott station will be launched in the Build-To-Order (BTO) exercise in July. About 500m from Kallang MRT, two plots next to the Kallang River are being prepared for new homes , with both assigned a plot ratio of 3.5, up from the current 2.8 . One of these plots, which is adjacent to Boon Keng Road , has an area of about 11,000 sq m, while the other plot that is next to Kallang Road is about 23,500 sq m in size. Mr Mak said the smaller plot can yield 350 to 400 flats or 450 to 480 condo units, while 720 to 820 flats or 950 to 1,000 condo units can be built on the larger plot. Both Mr Mak and Ms Sun said that the plots will likely be used for public housing, as they are undesirable to private developers due to the neighbouring industrial area in Kallang Avenue, as well as the noise generated by trains running along the East-West Line. They also noted that current homes in this area are largely public flats, including nearby HDB projects such as Kallang Trivista and Kallang Horizon. Mr Mak said a significant number of homes built on the two sites are likely to have waterfront views, given their proximity to Kallang River. Ms Sun added that flats built here will likely be Prime flats, as the nearby Verandah @ Kallang project was launched under the HDB's Prime Location Public Housing model. Farther east, two housing sites that are close to Upper Changi MRT station on the Downtown Line and Expo station on the East-West Line are set to get their boundaries adjusted, with portions of the sites to be rezoned for road use. Both currently have a plot ratio of 2.1, which remains unchanged in URA's proposed amendment. The larger site, which is at the intersection of Simei Road and Upper Changi Road East, has an area of about 42,000 sq m. It can yield 700 to 750 flats or 1,000 to 1,200 condo units, Ms Sun said. The smaller site, which is about 33,000 sq m in size, can yield 550 to 600 flats or 800 to 850 condo units, she added. In 2022, the URA said that more public housing will be built around Upper Changi MRT station, to allow for more social mixing and to improve private estate residents' access to amenities. A 380-unit BTO project next to the MRT station – the first new flats in Simei in more than a decade – is slated for launch in July. It will include amenities such as a supermarket and a pre-school. Noting that there is a lack of land in Simei for other public housing projects, Mr Mak said the larger site is an obvious choice, should the authorities decides to inject more HDB homes in the area. It is a draw for people who work in the nearby Changi Business Park, he added. In Dover Road, a portion of a former Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme site is set to be used for new homes, with commercial amenities on the ground floor. The site, which is about 13,500 sq m in size and has been assigned a plot ratio of 4.2 , sits within the area formerly occupied by Blocks 30 to 32 and 34 to 39 Dover Road , which were demolished between 2018 and 2019 . The now-demolished Block 32 Dover Road, pictured in 2013. PHOTO: ST FILE Analysts said that the site can yield about 650 condo units, or between 440 and 560 flats. Mr Mak said that given the site's relatively small size and high plot ratio, it is likely that it will be sold to a private developer to build a condominium. He noted that other sites in and around one-north nearby that have been zoned for residential use, with commercial units on the first floor, are all privately developed. This site is part of the upcoming Dover Knowledge District, which URA said in 2019 would be an extension of one-north that will offer 'vibrant integrated spaces to create exciting new jobs and learning opportunities, and support Singapore's long-term economic growth' . Up north, more homes are set to be built near Woodlands South station, next to the Woodlands Health Campus site. In a proposed amendment to its masterplan, URA rezoned the site, which is about 27,500 sq m in size, from a reserve site to housing use, and assigned it a plot ratio of 2.1 . Analysts said it can yield 450 to 570 flats, or 650 to 700 condo units. Ms Sun said public housing is more likely for the site, as its proximity to a medical campus and Sembawang Air Base will make it less attractive to private developers. Ng Keng Gene is a correspondent at The Straits Times, reporting on issues relating to land use, urban planning and heritage. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
AsiaOne
10-05-2025
- Business
- AsiaOne
5 former schools in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris set to be replaced by new homes, Singapore News
Five former schools in the east that have moved or been merged with other schools are set to be replaced by new homes. Proposed amendments to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) masterplan that were published on April 24 and May 7 showed that land occupied by the five schools have been earmarked for new homes. They are the former Bedok Town Secondary, Temasek Primary and Temasek Secondary in Bedok, Qiaonan Primary in Tampines and Siglap Secondary in Pasir Ris. The HDB is in the midst of demolishing three of the schools, and has permission from the URA to tear down the remaining two. Other proposed amendments to the URA Master Plan 2019 – a statutory document – showed that new homes are being planned in areas such as Sin Ming and Toa Payoh. One of the proposed amendments is to rezone a site near Bedok MRT station from educational to residential use. The site, at the intersection of New Upper Changi Road and Bedok South Road, was formerly occupied by Temasek Primary and Secondary schools. Both schools have moved to other sites in Bedok South and Upper East Coast. The HDB received permission from URA to demolish the two schools in February 2023, but has yet to tear them down, according to checks by The Straits Times. The site is about 31,500 sq m, and has been assigned a gross plot ratio of 2.8. Gross plot ratios determine the maximum permissible floor area of developments. Property analysts said the site can yield 1,000 to 1,100 condominium units, or 700 to 820 public flats. Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property search portal said, however, that condo developers might not be keen on a site so close to the industrial area in Bedok South Road, which potential homebuyers might not like. Temasek Primary used the site from 1980 to 2000 before moving to Bedok South Avenue 3, while Temasek Secondary was there from 1980 to 1999 before moving to 600 Upper East Coast Road. About 1km away at 232 Bedok North Street 3, the HDB is demolishing the former Bedok Town Secondary School, which merged with Ping Yi Secondary in 2016. A noticeboard at the site states that demolition works are slated for completion in the second quarter of 2025. Based on a proposed amendment to URA's masterplan, about 22,000 sq m of the school's site will be rezoned for residential use, with a plot ratio of 2.5. The remainder of the site has been earmarked for health and medical care use. Analysts said the area for residential use can yield 450 to 520 flats, or 630 to 700 condo units. Ms Christine Sun, real estate company OrangeTee Group's chief researcher and strategist, said public housing is likely to be built on the site, so that residents can have easy access to the planned medical facility next door. Mr Mak, who noted that the medical facility could be a small community hospital, hospice, or nursing home, agreed with her assessment, as 'private residential property buyers are less inclined to purchase homes near such healthcare facilities'. At 15 Tampines Street 11, the HDB recently finished demolishing Qiaonan Primary School, and is carrying out drainage and other land works at the site. Qiaonan was formed by a merger between Kiau Nam School and Pulau Tekong Primary School in 1985 – the year that it started operating in Tampines. In 2015, Qiaonan merged with Griffiths Primary School to form Angsana Primary, and the merged school took up residence at Griffiths' location in Tampines Street 22. About 14,000 sq m of the site formerly occupied by Qiaonan has been earmarked for housing, with a plot ratio of 2.0, based on a proposed masterplan amendment published by URA on May 7. The remainder of the site is set to be used for health and medical care. For reasons similar to the Bedok Town Secondary plot, Mr Mak and Ms Sun believe that this plot in Tampines will be used for public housing. Mr Mak said the site can yield 125 to 150 flats, while Ms Sun gave a higher estimate of 200 to 250 flats. Farther north, the HDB is demolishing the former Siglap Secondary School at 10 Pasir Ris Drive 10. Demolition works are slated for completion in the first quarter of 2026. Siglap Secondary School used the Pasir Ris campus from 1998 until its merger with Coral Secondary in 2017 to form Meridian Secondary at 31 Pasir Ris Street 51. A proposed amendment to the masterplan shows that Siglap Secondary's site, which is about 30,500 sq m, is slated for housing use with a plot ratio of 3.2. Analysts said that the site can yield 700 to 900 flats, or 1,000 to 1,200 condo units. Mr Mak noted that the proposed plot ratio of 3.2 is the highest among other housing plots in the vicinity. He said it indicates that the Government may be planning to build flats here, as housing sites developed by HDB are typically the most densely developed, with the highest plot ratios within residential towns. Meanwhile, analysts expect that a site in Sin Ming that is undeveloped will be used for private housing. The site, which has an area of about 4,000 sq m, is opposite Ai Tong School in Sin Ming Avenue and is around 200m from Bright Hill MRT station. A proposed amendment to URA's masterplan published on May 7 assigned the site a plot ratio of 2.8. Mr Mak said the site is too small to be developed by HDB, which will not be able to reap economies of scale, while Ms Sun noted that the site's size means ancillary facilities that typically come with public housing, such as playgrounds or childcare facilities, cannot be built. They said the site can yield 120 to 150 condo units. In Toa Payoh, the authorities are also preparing a relatively small site for housing development. The site, now an open-air carpark bounded by Lorong 4 Toa Payoh and several HDB blocks, has an area of about 7,500 sq m. In a proposed amendment published on May 7, the URA assigned it a plot ratio of 3.4, up from the current 3.0. Mr Mak said it is most probable that new flats will be built on the site, given that it is surrounded by HDB blocks – some more than five decades old. He said the site can yield 210 to 260 flats, while Ms Sun estimated that 200 to 250 flats can be built there. She said that the rezoning indicates the authorities are trying to maximise the use of land in central Toa Payoh, which is already densely populated. Besides new homes, latest proposed amendments to URA's masterplan published by the authority on May 9 showed that a new nursing home will be built in Dover, while a 'health and medical care development' is slated to be built in Eunos Avenue 5, near Paya Lebar MRT station. URA said the latter facility will serve residents in the region. It will add to other medical facilities in the area, such as Eunos Polyclinic, which opened in 2022. This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
Straits Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
5 former schools in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris set to be replaced by new homes
The former Temasek Primary School and Temasek Secondary School seen on May 8. ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR 5 former schools in Bedok, Tampines and Pasir Ris set to be replaced by new homes SINGAPORE – Five former schools in the east that have moved or been merged with other schools are set to be replaced by new homes. Proposed amendments to the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) masterplan that were published on April 24 and May 7 showed that land occupied by the five schools have been earmarked for new homes. They are the former Bedok Town Secondary, Temasek Primary and Temasek Secondary in Bedok, Qiaonan Primary in Tampines and Siglap Secondary in Pasir Ris. The HDB is in the midst of demolishing three of the schools, and has permission from the URA to tear down the remaining two. Other proposed amendments to the URA Master Plan 2019 – a statutory document – showed that new homes are being planned in areas such as Sin Ming and Toa Payoh. One of the proposed amendments is to rezone a site near Bedok MRT station from educational to residential use. The site, at the intersection of New Upper Changi Road and Bedok South Road, was formerly occupied by Temasek Primary and Secondary schools. Both schools have moved to other sites in Bedok South and Upper East Coast. The HDB received permission from URA to demolish the two schools in February 2023, but has yet to tear them down, according to checks by The Straits Times. The site is about 31,500 sq m, and has been assigned a gross plot ratio of 2.8. Gross plot ratios determine the maximum permissible floor area of developments. Property analysts said the site can yield 1,000 to 1,100 condominium units, or 700 to 820 public flats. Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at property search portal said, however, that condo developers might not be keen on a site so close to the industrial area in Bedok South Road, which potential homebuyers might not like. Temasek Primary used the site from 1980 to 2000 before moving to Bedok South Avenue 3, while Temasek Secondary was there from 1980 to 1999 before moving to 600 Upper East Coast Road. About 1km away at 232 Bedok North Street 3, the HDB is demolishing the former Bedok Town Secondary School, which merged with Ping Yi Secondary in 2016. A noticeboard at the site states that demolition works are slated for completion in the second quarter of 2025. The former Bedok Town Secondary School being demolished on May 9. ST PHOTO: NG KENG GENE Based on a proposed amendment to URA's masterplan, about 22,000 sq m of the school's site will be rezoned for residential use, with a plot ratio of 2.5. The remainder of the site has been earmarked for health and medical care use. Analysts said the area for residential use can yield 450 to 520 flats, or 630 to 700 condo units. Ms Christine Sun, real estate company OrangeTee Group's chief researcher and strategist, said public housing is likely to be built on the site, so that residents can have easy access to the planned medical facility next door. Mr Mak, who noted that the medical facility could be a small community hospital, hospice, or nursing home, agreed with her assessment, as 'private residential property buyers are less inclined to purchase homes near such healthcare facilities'. At 15 Tampines Street 11, the HDB recently finished demolishing Qiaonan Primary School, and is carrying out drainage and other land works at the site. Works being done at the site formerly occupied by Qiaonan Primary School. ST PHOTO: NG KENG GENE Qiaonan was formed by a merger between Kiau Nam School and Pulau Tekong Primary School in 1985 – the year that it started operating in Tampines. In 2015, Qiaonan merged with Griffiths Primary School to form Angsana Primary, and the merged school took up residence at Griffiths' location in Tampines Street 22. About 14,000 sq m of the site formerly occupied by Qiaonan has been earmarked for housing, with a plot ratio of 2.0, based on a proposed masterplan amendment published by URA on May 7. The remainder of the site is set to be used for health and medical care. For reasons similar to the Bedok Town Secondary plot, Mr Mak and Ms Sun believe that this plot in Tampines will be used for public housing. Mr Mak said the site can yield 125 to 150 flats, while Ms Sun gave a higher estimate of 200 to 250 flats. Farther north, the HDB is demolishing the former Siglap Secondary School at 10 Pasir Ris Drive 10. Demolition works are slated for completion in the first quarter of 2026. The HDB is currently demolishing the former Siglap Secondary School in Pasir Ris. ST PHOTO: NG KENG GENE Siglap Secondary School used the Pasir Ris campus from 1998 until its merger with Coral Secondary in 2017 to form Meridian Secondary at 31 Pasir Ris Street 51. A proposed amendment to the masterplan shows that Siglap Secondary's site, which is about 30,500 sq m, is slated for housing use with a plot ratio of 3.2. Analysts said that the site can yield 700 to 900 flats, or 1,000 to 1,200 condo units. Mr Mak noted that the proposed plot ratio of 3.2 is the highest among other housing plots in the vicinity. He said it indicates that the Government may be planning to build flats here, as housing sites developed by HDB are typically the most densely developed, with the highest plot ratios within residential towns. Meanwhile, analysts expect that a site in Sin Ming that is undeveloped will be used for private housing. The site, which has an area of about 4,000 sq m, is opposite Ai Tong School in Sin Ming Avenue and is around 200m from Bright Hill MRT station. A proposed amendment to URA's masterplan published on May 7 assigned the site a plot ratio of 2.8. Mr Mak said the site is too small to be developed by HDB, which will not be able to reap economies of scale, while Ms Sun noted that the site's size means ancillary facilities that typically come with public housing , such as playgrounds or childcare facilities, cannot be built. They said the site can yield 120 to 150 condo units. In Toa Payoh, the authorities are also preparing a relatively small site for housing development. The site, now an open-air carpark bounded by Lorong 4 Toa Payoh and several HDB blocks, has an area of about 7,500 sq m. The open-air carpark in Lorong 4 Toa Payoh that has been earmarked for new homes is surrounded by HDB blocks. ST PHOTO: NG KENG GENE In a proposed amendment published on May 7, the URA assigned it a plot ratio of 3.4, up from the current 3.0. Mr Mak said it is most probable that new flats will be built on the site, given that it is surrounded by HDB blocks – some more than five decades old. He said the site can yield 210 to 260 flats, while Ms Sun estimated that 200 to 250 flats can be built there. She said that the rezoning indicates the authorities are trying to maximise the use of land in central Toa Payoh, which is already densely populated. Besides new homes, latest proposed amendments to URA's masterplan published by the authority on May 9 showed that a new nursing home will be built in Dover, while a 'health and medical care development' is slated to be built in Eunos Avenue 5, near Paya Lebar MRT station. URA said the latter facility will serve residents in the region. It will add to other medical facilities in the area, such as Eunos Polyclinic, which opened in 2022. 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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Business Times
09-05-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Some 12,000 new homes to come up on sites rezoned for housing across 11 areas
[SINGAPORE] A slew of land parcels in 11 areas across the island are set to be rezoned for housing, in a move that will give a major boost to supply in popular residential areas. These include plots of land in established regional centres such as Toa Payoh and Tampines, where previous government land sales saw strong interest from developers and where new projects were recently launched at fresh benchmark prices. Sites are also being lined up for rezoning or higher-density development in other in-demand housing areas such as Bedok and Pasir Ris, upcoming neighbourhoods such as Tengah, and fresh supply on the former Keppel Golf Course land. The planning changes, proposed in amendments to the Master Plan 2019 gazetted by the Urban Redevelopment Authority on Wednesday (May 7), could produce some 12,000 new housing units in both private and public projects in the near term. A parcel carved out of the former Keppel Golf Course site, along Telok Blangah Road, has been earmarked with a high-intensity gross plot ratio of 4.3, which analysts estimate could yield up to 1,000 public housing flats. These would add to the first 740 new homes from the Keppel site, to be built on a plot being sold in this year's Government Land Sales (GLS) programme. Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Asia, reckons the Housing and Development Board (HDB) project will be a Prime category Build-to-Order (BTO) one. 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 'The response to this Prime BTO is likely to be overwhelming,' he said. The last BTO project in the area, Telok Blangah Beacon, attracted more than 30 first-timers for each four-room flat in 2021, he noted. BTO prices of the four-room flats ranged from S$602,000 to S$710,000, while three-room flats were priced from S$419,000 to S$504,000. The project is expected to be completed in 2027. In the city fringe area, Toa Payoh and Bishan may soon see new residential projects. Both locales are popular with homebuyers for their proximity to elite schools and central location. The most recent new condo launch in the area, The Orie at Toa Payoh Lorong 1, sold 86 per cent of its 777 units at S$2,704 psf on average over its launch weekend. Plots bounded by Toa Payoh Link and Toa Payoh Rise may be rezoned to residential with commercial use on the first storey. A high gross plot ratio of 4.7 has been proposed for the area, which is next to Caldecott MRT station and could yield a total of 4,000 to 5,000 dwelling units, according to Lee. Lee said the sites could turn out a mix of public and private homes. 'Toa Payoh is a very popular area among buyers, and almost all the four-room and five-room flats that fulfilled their minimum occupancy period in 2024/2025 achieved a selling price of S$1 million and above.' Another parcel along Lorong 4 Toa Payoh with a proposed gross plot ratio of 3.4 could yield some 300 to 350 condo units or 200 to 250 HDB Plus flats, estimated OrangeTee's chief researcher and strategist Christine Sun. In the Sin Ming area, a plot at Lorong Puntong spanning slightly more than 4,000 sq m is expected to be used for condo development and could see about 130 to 150 units, said chief research officer Nicholas Mak. Land plots along Upper Thomson Road are also expected to be turned into residential use, and could yield around 2,200 to 2,300 condo units, or 1,500 to 1,600 HDB flats, said Sun. In the east, a residential site with a health and medical zone is being proposed for Tampines Street 11. With a land area of about 14,433 square metres (sq m) and gross plot ratio of 2, Sun expects the site to yield 200 to 250 HDB flats. The site is near a GLS site also on Tampines Street 11, which was awarded in 2023 to UOL, Singapore Land and CapitaLand Development at S$1.21 billion, or S$885 per square foot per plot ratio. The project, Parktown Residence, was launched in February 2025 and posted strong sales. About 87 per cent of the 1,193 units in the large mixed-use development were sold within the first two days, at an average of S$2,360 per square foot (psf). In the neighbouring planning area of Pasir Ris, a parcel bound by Pasir Ris Drive 3 and Pasir Ris Drive 10 has been proposed to be rezoned as residential with a gross plot ratio of 3.2. The site is likely to be sold under the GLS programme, said Mak, and could potentially yield 1,100 to 1,180 condominium units. Pasir Ris has not seen a GLS site for private condo development since 2012, and demand in the east is strong, said Mak, pointing to the robust take-up rate of Parktown Residence. The last GLS site sold in Pasir Ris was developed into Vue 8 Residences. Also in the east, Bedok South Road will see more new homes being built. Land that housed schools is expected to be rezoned to residential use, while an adjacent parcel will have its plot ratio raised. OrangeTee's Sun said the earmarked area can yield about 1,000 to 1,100 condo units or 700 to 800 HDB Standard flats. Up in the north at Yishun, a site located near Chencharu Park is being set aside for residential use. An estimated 1,000 or more BTO Standard flats may be built on the site, said Huttons' Lee. The government had earlier announced plans to grow a new estate in Chencharu, where it sees potential for 10,000 homes. The first GLS site to be put up for sale in Chencharu is coming up for tender on May 22, with a 3-hectare parcel on offer for 875 condo units and 13,000 sq m of commercial space. Land parcels at Sunbird Avenue, Simei Road and Upper Changi Road may also be redeveloped into residential projects. The proposed amendments will inject more homes and amenities into the Upper Changi Road area and facilitate infrastructural works to serve future developments, noted URA. Lee said: 'If there are flats with shorter waiting time at Chencharu, Bedok South Road, Tampines Street 11, Sunbird Avenue/Simei Road and Pasir Ris Drive 3, they may potentially pull demand away from the resale market and help to stabilise prices.' HDB resale prices were up 1.6 per cent in the first quarter of 2025, lower than the 2.6 per cent price increase seen in the previous quarter. In the west, plans are in the pipeline to redevelop several parcels within Brickland District in Tengah Town into housing sites, parks, places of worship, health and medical care facilities, educational institution and civic and community institutions. The three parcels could yield around 1,400 flats, said OrangeTee's Sun. Apart from housing, the URA on May 9 earmarked land parcels along Eunos Avenue 5 and Dover Road to be redeveloped into health and medical care zones. A new nursing home is likely to be built in Dover to meet the anticipated demand for such services in the area, said the authority.
