Pasir Ris to get more homes next to MRT station, potential new neighbourhood
The master plan, which is expected to come into force later in 2025, will guide Singapore’s development for the next 10 to 15 years
[SINGAPORE] More homes are set to be built next to Pasir Ris MRT station, on the site of the former Pasir Ris Bus Interchange, while a new community hub for the town centre is in the works.
Based on the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025, the homes will be built on a plot about 2.9 hectares (ha) in size – equivalent to the area of four football fields – that has been zoned for housing, with commercial use on the first storey.
In addition, the government is studying plans for a new neighbourhood in the town, to be located next to Sungei Loyang on a site that is currently largely vegetated.
“An environmental study is under way to incorporate the area’s biodiversity into future development plans,” URA said of the proposed neighbourhood at its draft master plan exhibition.
The master plan, which is expected to come into force later in 2025, will guide Singapore’s development for the next 10 to 15 years. The exhibition runs until Nov 29 at The URA Centre.
Buildings can be built higher
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Demolition of the old bus interchange is expected to begin by end-2025, the Land Transport Authority told The Straits Times on Sep 26. This will be done in phases to ensure safety and minimal disruption, said the authority.
Nicholas Mak, chief research officer at Mogul.sg, noted that future developments in Pasir Ris may benefit from the recent revision of height limits of buildings near airports by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore.
For instance, the 2.9 ha plot next to Pasir Ris MRT station is located about 3.8 km from Changi Airport’s runways, which means buildings can now be up to 60 m tall. The limit was 45 m, according to the rules before the Aug 5 revision.
Mak said the plot can accommodate about 580 to 650 condominium units, with about 18,000 to 23,000 sq m of retail space.
The former Pasir Ris bus interchange had served public buses, and as a pick-up and drop-off point for Ministry of Defence and Singapore Armed Forces personnel.
Bus services for military personnel now operate from a purpose-built facility called BMT@Pasir Ris that opened on Apr 25.
The interchange, which began operations in December 1989, was notable for its appearance, which was inspired by Chinese, Malay and Indian design styles.
About half of the original interchange had been demolished to make way for the new integrated development. It is unclear if any part of the unique architecture in the remaining half will be spared the wrecking ball.
The new community hub in Pasir Ris town centre, where the MRT station is located, is pending further studies and its location will be announced at a later date, a URA spokesperson told ST on Sep 26.
A community hub typically is an integrated development that could include retail, social and recreational facilities.
Currently, some facilities typically found in such hubs are in standalone buildings in Pasir Ris.
These include Pasir Ris Central Hawker Centre, which opened in 2018, and Pasir Ris Sport Centre, which opened in 2011 and is slated for rejuvenation, according to procurement documents published by Sport Singapore in July.
Planned new neighbourhood
According to the URA exhibition, a new neighbourhood near Sungei Loyang is under study.
It could include homes, commercial and community facilities and a linear park along the river, said URA.
The URA spokesperson did not say when the environmental study of the area began, and when it will be completed.
The area earmarked for the new neighbourhood is about 18 ha in size, while a roughly 2.3 ha housing plot nearby, in Jalan Loyang Besar, has also yet to be developed.
Both areas are currently forested.
Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at Realion, said the 18 ha site can yield about 4,400 condominium units, or about 3,000 Housing & Development Board (HDB) flats.
As for the 2.3 ha plot, Mak said it can accommodate about 350 to 400 condominium units, with some offering sea views.
He said this plot is unlikely to be used for HDB flats, as its plot ratio of 1.4 is much smaller than plot ratios typically assigned to land plots developed by the board.
A plot ratio determines the maximum floor area of a development.
Elias MRT station
Two more land plots in Pasir Ris have also been set aside for housing. These are above and near the upcoming Elias MRT station on the Cross Island Line’s Punggol Extension, which is slated to be completed by 2032.
The URA exhibition did not highlight these, although the larger plot had its boundaries adjusted slightly in the 2025 draft master plan.
The bigger plot, located above the MRT station, is about 15 ha in size, while the other plot is 3.8 ha.
Sun estimated that the larger plot can yield about 3,700 private homes or about 2,500 flats, while the smaller plot can house about 900 private homes or about 650 flats.
Noting that URA’s master plan is reviewed once every five years, Mak said he expects that these plots may have their boundaries redrawn, or even be rezoned, in future reviews.
Rezoning, he said, will likely include inserting commercial uses in the area, so that residents and commuters will have more retail options, while new roads could be inserted to service the area.
Sun noted that Pasir Ris as a town has a relatively low supply of public homes.
The 601 ha town has roughly 29,000 flats, a smaller figure than towns of a similar size, such as Choa Chu Kang and Toa Payoh, which have more than 44,000 flats each.
Demand for flats in Pasir Ris will likely be high, she said, citing ongoing Build-To-Order projects Costa Riviera I and II, which were among the most popular projects by application rate in the October 2024 BTO exercise.
Further development of the town is a double-edged sword, said Mak.
“New developments will provide more homes and amenities to serve the growing population. However, there is a risk that Pasir Ris could lose its rustic charm,” he added, noting that the town offers easy beach access and is located relatively far from the city centre. THE STRAITS TIMES
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