Pearl’s Hill to get about 6,000 new homes including new HDB flats: URA

MORE homes are being planned in Singapore’s Central Region, with about 6,000 new homes to be progressively developed over the next 10 years in Pearl’s Hill, including new Housing and Development Board (HDB) flats. This marks the first time in more than 40 years that new public housing is being introduced in the area.

“These flats are almost 100 per cent going to be Prime flats, given the location,” said Lee Sze Teck, Huttons Asia’s senior director of data analytics.

Lee noted that Pearl’s Hill is the highest point in the area, and flats are likely to have unblocked views of the city and the sea towards the south. Residents of the new Pearl’s Hill housing estate will have easy access to Outram MRT interchange, making travel to different areas of the island very convenient, he added.

Prime flats refer to those in most choice locations under the new HDB classification of Build-to-Order (BTO) projects as Standard, Plus and Prime. Tight restrictions apply to Plus and Prime flats such as a minimum occupation period of 10 years.

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) unveiled plans for Pearl’s Hill and several other areas on Friday (Nov 3), at the My City, My Home exhibition, which was launched by Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development and Minister-in-Charge of Social Services Integration.

The plans, under Draft Master Plan 2025, are part of the “Shape a Happy Healthy City” theme, and include new neighbourhoods such as Pearl’s Hill and Marina South. URA also showcased conceptual ideas for areas in the former Bukit Timah Turf City, the former Keppel golf course and Mount Pleasant sites.

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Minister Lee said that the impetus for putting housing in central locations is to “meet the growing aspirations of Singaporeans who want to live closer to their workplaces in the city and be nearer to amenities such as transport nodes”.

“Or they want to stay close to their parents,” he added.

To cater for different housing needs, URA will introduce a variety of housing types, both private as well as public, for households of different sizes, budgets and needs, said Minister Lee. “These neighbourhoods will have pedestrian-friendly streets and cycling connections which promote active lifestyles, by providing residents with additional ways to get to work and for recreation. (And) each neighbourhood will have unique identities, capitalising on nature and heritage”, he explained.

Pearl’s Hill is set to “undergo development as an inclusive and community-centric neighbourhood”. It will offer a mix of public housing, including BTO flats and rental flats.

For private housing, URA plans to include condominiums and serviced apartments to cater to the diverse needs and preferences of residents. There will be a proposed mixed-use development to be integrated with Outram Park MRT station, with access to four MRT lines.

Pearl’s Hill will be gazetted as a car-light district, supported by an active mobility network that encourages cycling and pedestrian walking, said the agency. The former police barracks will serve as a community node that offers adaptive reuse with a new mix of lifestyle offerings.

Lim Eng Hwee, chief executive officer of URA, said that the authority will plan for a greater variety of housing options across different parts of the island, and prioritise development on brownfield sites such as Pearl’s Hill. “While doing so, we will take care of the ecological and heritage significance of these areas by developing sensitively and sustainably.”

Apart from Pearl’s Hill, the former Bukit Timah Turf City is also envisioned as car-light and will stand to gain from two MRT stations nearby. Safeguarded for future residential development since Master Plan 1998, detailed plans are still being studied to provide both public and private housing in the area.

The concept plans for the former Bukit Timah Turf City site will take into account the existing heritage and greenery, while selected clusters of former racecourse buildings will be retained and repurposed to create a unique sense of place and identity, URA added.

Huttons’ Lee expects homes in Turf City estate to draw interest from families who want to live near the top schools located in the vicinity.

The new Marina South neighbourhood will comprise a mix of residential, retail, office and hotel developments.

Two sale sites at Marina Gardens Lane and Marina Gardens Crescent have been launched so far, which could potentially provide more than 1,500 private homes in the area.

Asked if there will be public housing in Marina South, Chou Mei, URA’s group director of conservation and urban design, said that specific housing options are still being studied. When fully developed, there will be more than 10,000 new homes in the Marina South waterfront precinct.

The first land parcel launch within the next five years will be at the Greater Southern Waterfront precinct, said URA. The 48 ha former Keppel golf course site is part of this precinct and will house 9,000 new homes, including about 6,000 HDB flats. Future residential estates will be near 10 ha of green recreational spaces, as well as enjoy good connectivity with Telok Blangah and Labrador Park MRT stations.

As these new housing developments at the Central Region are located near MRT stations, Mogul.sg’s chief research officer Nicholas Mak expects their land values to be “relatively high, possibly exceeding S$1,200 per square foot per plot ratio” for private residential developments on a 99-year lease.

Also, there will be about 5,000 new homes in the Mount Pleasant area, with the development of a 33 ha public housing estate over the next 10 years. The first BTO project in the area is expected to be launched in 2025.

The new estate will include “rich tapestry of heritage in the area”, with selected heritage buildings of the Old Police Academy conserved, integrated and adapted with new uses within the estate.

Huttons’ Lee added: “As there are no other newer public housing options with no restrictions on resale in the area, buyers have to accept the restrictions placed on the Prime flats at Pearl Hill, Marina South, Turf Club and Mount Pleasant.” He noted this may give a boost to the BTO application rates.