Latest news with #DMP2025
Business Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Business Times
Orchid Country Club, Science Park sites among plots rezoned for housing
[SINGAPORE] Three sprawling golf club sites and five Buona Vista business park plots are among parcels of land that have been rezoned for housing in the new Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025). Unveiled on Wednesday (Jun 25), the DMP2025 charts Singapore's development in the next 10 to 15 years, with a review done every five years. Key planning priorities outlined in the blueprint's latest iteration include carving out new residential neighbourhoods to meet demand, as well as retooling the city-state's regional hubs and industrial estates for an evolving economy. Analysts highlighted the rezoning of existing golf courses Orchid Country Club in Yishun and Warren Golf & Country Club in Choa Chu Kang, where leases end in 2030. Marina Bay Golf Course, which closed its doors in July 2024 after its lease expired, has also been earmarked for residential use. ' More than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir. ' — Lee Sze Teck, Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Several plots in the research and development and technology clusters in Media Circle and Science Park, previously zoned for business parks, are also being prepped for residential development. Catherine He, head of research at Colliers Singapore, said these plans align with the government's goal to meet Singapore's housing needs and make 'the highest use of land to benefit the most number of residents, as opposed to just select groups'. 'Land scarcity means underutilised sites, like golf courses or low-density areas, are prime candidates for rezoning,' she said. 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 Being plum sites near work hubs such as the Central Business District (CBD), one-north, Buona Vista and the National University of Singapore, and with the potential for waterfront living, these 'would probably be in high demand by homebuyers'. Rezoning business park land is also ideal for Singapore's bifurcated market, said He. Business parks that are older and farther out have not performed as well as newer ones, and those in the city fringe have underutilised space. Huttons Asia senior director of data analytics Lee Sze Teck reckons that more than 10,000 private and public homes could be built at the Orchid Country Club location, which overlooks the Seletar Reservoir. The Marina Bay Golf Course site – sitting beside the Founders' Memorial – could yield an iconic public housing precinct similar to Pinnacle @ Duxton and another 10,000 homes in a prime area. In Buona Vista, three business park sites in the Media Circle location along Ayer Rajah Crescent have been rezoned from business park use to residential with commercial on the first floor. These are on top of the four land parcels that were rezoned from business park use to housing in May last year. One was a plot of land opposite Infinite Studios in one-north, that was proposed for residential with commercial use on the first floor, with a plot ratio of 3.7. Another two Dover area sites at Portsdown Road and Portsdown Avenue were proposed for residential with commercial use, with one subject to detailed planning and the other with a plot ratio of 4.3. A fourth parcel in the vicinity was also proposed for pure residential use. PropNex chief executive Ismail Gafoor pointed out that the provision of more commercial space in the Media Circle location in the DMP2025 will offer more amenities to future residents. Not far from Media Circle, two sites in Singapore Science Park 2 that were reserved for business parks have also been rezoned to residential use. One is a large parcel along South Buona Vista Road, opposite Kent Ridge Park. The other smaller plot is just across Zehnder Road. Gafoor said this was in line with the ongoing rejuvenation of Singapore Science Park, and follows the launch of CapitaLand Development's (CLD) 99-year leasehold LyndenWoods condominium – the area's first residential project. In an interview with The Business Times on Wednesday, CLD (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay said LyndenWood's launch over the weekend kick-starts the second phase of Singapore Science Park's rejuvenation. The aim is to create a 50,000-strong vibrant work-live-play community, with another one or two residential projects in the pipeline. 'When the whole (estate) is fully rejuvenated, it will be around 75 per cent business park, about 20 per cent residential and the rest commercial retail,' said Tay. Previously, the area was fully zoned for business park use. He added that such residential and commercial opportunities could emerge beyond Singapore Science Park, given CapitaLand's ecosystem and CLD's expertise in building integrated developments. 'There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank.' Turning underutilised business parks to residential use will help to optimise land use while making the area more lively, said Colliers' He, especially in the evenings and weekends. ' There are potential opportunities in places such as Changi as well, which is also a business park. A lot of them also need serious rejuvenation... and they are already in our land bank. ' — CapitaLand Development (Singapore) CEO Ronald Tay Alan Cheong, Savills Singapore executive director for research and consultancy, pointed out that since business parks had limited uses, only a few industries would qualify for it, posing a concentration risk for this type of real estate. 'A sudden blowout in the funding for certain tech sectors, the contraction in technology cycles and/or the rapid emergence of foreign competition for certain uses (could lead) to greater demand volatility than, say, office or residential uses,' said Cheong. This can already be seen in business parks throughout the island, with many having heightened vacancies. 'The insertion of residential and white sites into such (business park) zones would reduce that risk,' he said. Cheong noted that some companies may relocate to the area if more high-quality offices are developed there, with rents being significantly lower than those in the CBD. 'The provision of more residential developments would enhance the attractiveness of locating there for multinational tenants, who have a sizable workforce on Employment Passes.' Catering to demand In the south, a massive site in Bukit Merah has been rezoned to residential use, from being a reserve site with undetermined use. The parcel, bounded by Telok Blangah Road and Alexandra Road, includes the art enclave Gillman Barracks and the Academy of Singapore Teachers campus. In March 2024, then minister for national development Desmond Lee had said at his ministry's Committee of Supply debate that the Gillman Barracks area may be turned into a residential neighbourhood after 2030. Industry experts predicted that demand for homes will likely be robust. The last Build-To-Order sales exercise in the Telok Blangah area was in May 2021, and saw an application rate of 23.3. Further south, part of Keppel Distripark has been rezoned for residential use. It was previously a reserve site. The plot, which sits next to the upcoming Keppel MRT station, is likely part of the government's Greater Southern Waterfront initiative, said PropNex's Gafoor. In his 2019 National Day Rally, then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong said the mega waterfront development would be double the size of Punggol town, with private and public housing. With Keppel Distripark closing by 2027 and Keppel MRT station opening in 2026, Lee from Huttons Asia predicts that the first plot to be released for redevelopment will be as early as 2028. More than 20,000 new homes may be built on the site, he added.
AsiaOne
7 days ago
- Business
- AsiaOne
URA Draft Master Plan: Developing Bishan as business node rivalling Paya Lebar Central being studied, Singapore News
Plans to develop Bishan into a business node like Paya Lebar Central are being studied under the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) Draft Master Plan (DMP) 2025. In a video posted to Facebook on Thursday(June 26), Minister for National Development and Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC MP Chee Hong Tat stated this will make it easier for to Bishan and Marymount residents to travel to work. "This means new office spaces (in Bishan) that could match the scale of Paya Lebar Central — around 200,000sq m — bringing workplaces closer to where you live," he said. Other projects for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC under DMP 2025 include a new hawker centre, which will be integrated with the revamped Bishan bus interchange, as well as a Bishan Polyclinic. "Works for these new developments will start within this term, and will take several years to complete," said Chee. Moreover, completed cycling paths in Bishan Town Centre will allow easier access to upcoming recreational spaces like the North-South Corridor and Kallang River and a pedestrian mall linked to transport hubs and community facilities will be built at Bishan Place Road. An "active street" for residents to walk and cycle along Bishan Road to Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park is also in the works, the minister said. He concluded the video by inviting residents of the GRC to visit the DMP 2025 exhibition when it is displayed at Toa Payoh HDB Hub from Aug 9 to 17. [[nid:719436]]
Business Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
Singapore's next chapter: New models for regional hubs, industrial estates in URA's Draft Master Plan 2025
Plans to grow decentralised office spots with the refresh of regional business hubs in the north, west and east Review of industrial land use zoning guidelines to meet evolving business needs New residential neighbourhoods in Newton, Paterson, the Greater one-north area, and around Paya Lebar Airbase [SINGAPORE] To meet Singapore's changing needs, state planners are retooling the city's regional hubs and older industrial estates for an evolving economy, the new Draft Master Plan 2025 reveals. A bigger decentralised office hub in Bishan is on the cards, on the scale of Paya Lebar Central. The government also plans to open up spots with more flexible zoning in industrial estates that can cater to new business models and non-industrial use. The authorities are reviewing Singapore's industrial land use zone guidelines to 'better respond to evolving business needs', said Minister for National Development Chee Hong Tat at the launch of the blueprint on Wednesday (Jun 25). Moving away from mono-use zones to mixed-use districts will give developers greater flexibility in allowable uses on industrial land and enhance Singapore's economic competitiveness. Key planning priorities were outlined in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP2025), a statutory land use plan that guides Singapore's development in the next 10 to 15 years, and is reviewed every five years. 'As we continue to chart out long-term plans to build a brighter future for Singapore, we must also remain agile and continually refine our land use plans to deal with new challenges,' said Chee. A more uncertain global economy means 'business activities and supply chains could undergo further shifts', he said. Singapore also needs to prepare for the effects of climate change, and changes in housing demand. 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 Reworking business nodes, moving beyond the city centre The government is intensifying efforts to decentralise office spaces by growing Singapore's regional hubs. At Bishan, plans are in the works to introduce new office spaces matching the scale of Paya Lebar Central. There will also be new community amenities such as a polyclinic, hawker centre and a revamped bus interchange with air-conditioned waiting areas. Some government agencies are now looking at relocating their offices to the area, to kickstart the business node's development, said URA. In Woodlands, upcoming developments will capitalise on both the Johor-Singapore Special Economic Zone and the upcoming Johor Bahru-Singapore Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, which is expected to be ready by end-2026. A new multi-modal transport hub will connect the RTS Link to MRT and bus services, and will be part of a 7 hectare (ha) integrated development designated for 'business-white' use with office, industrial and retail spaces for businesses and the community. It is expected to be completed in the mid-2030s. Business-white zones allow industrial developments to have a greater proportion of non-industrial uses. Complementary developments such as co-working spaces can also be considered. According to the URA website, 'in future, if the disamenities from industrial uses can be managed, it can even accommodate hotels and housing'. More business-white sites will be introduced around key transport nodes in the Jurong and Tuas industrial estates, on top of existing sites in Woodlands, URA said on Wednesday. 'These sites will support the growth of new business models, provide greater flexibility for businesses, (optimise) land use, and inject amenities such as retail and food and beverage options to serve workers and nearby residents.' 'We will also proceed with the development of Jurong Lake District (JLD) as Singapore's largest mixed-use business district outside the city centre,' Chee said. A heavyweight consortium's bid for the master developer site – one that would have kickstarted JLD's development – had been assessed as 'too low' and rejected last year. While the 6.5 ha site has been put on the reserve list in the latest H2 government land sales programme, requirements were tweaked with a reduction in its minimum office quantum – from 145,000 square metres for the entire site, to 100,000 sq m. This change will give developers more flexibility in determining the mix of uses and better pace the roll-out of office space for the site, a URA spokesperson told The Business Times. The redevelopment of the former Jurong Bird Park and Jurong Hill will support the growth of the western gateway as well, injecting jobs, amenities and recreational space into the greater Jurong area, where Singapore's first industrial estate was born. An ideas competition to re-imagine the 39 ha site, held in October last year, drew 37 proposals from the public and professionals. Plans submitted featured innovation-driven industries, such as startup incubators and agricultural research and development laboratories, combined with commercial and recreational spaces. Agencies are now reviewing the winning proposals, said URA. In the north-east, the 138 ha Seletar East Industrial Estate situated between Punggol Town and Seletar Aerospace Park is planned for high value-added industries such as a wafer fabrication park, Chee said. Meanwhile, the city centre will continue to anchor the Republic as a global financial and business hub, with plans to refresh Orchard Road and the Downtown areas. A new park will be formed in the heart of Orchard Road, which will merge Istana Park, Dhoby Ghaut Green and a 500 m stretch of Singapore's main shopping belt. Around Marina Bay, a planned wellness attraction and the expansion of Marina Bay Sands will boost capacity for conferences and events, Chee added. Efforts to optimise land use will also extend underground. The government is exploring potential caverns at sites such as Gali Batu in Woodlands for storage of construction aggregate, while identifying more possibilities for new underground developments. For instance, there is an underground electrical sub-station under an upcoming development along Alexandra Road - the first large-scale underground facility of its kind in Singapore, said Chee. 'There is scope to move more of such facilities underground, and free up valuable surface land for other uses.' Catering for changing housing demand The DMP2025 also prioritises building more homes to meet demand. Residential estates will be carved out in central locations as well as in areas now being revamped for housing. New homes are in the pipeline at Newton and Paterson near Orchard Road, and in the Greater one-north area in Dover. In the east, the Paya Lebar Airbase area will be progressively redeveloped following the relocation of the airbase in the 2030s, starting with a new neighbourhood around Defu MRT station on the upcoming Cross Island Line. Overall, some 800 ha of land will be freed up for redevelopment. At the 2022 National Day Rally, then-prime minister Lee Hsien Loong had said this could make room for 150,000 new homes, and lift some building height restrictions around the area. New towns are also in the works at the Sembawang Shipyard area, once it ceases operations in 2028, and the former Singapore Racecourse site at Kranji. The government is already seeding and growing housing estates in other central locations, such as Bukit Timah Turf City, Pearl's Hill, Marina South, Mount Pleasant and the former Keppel Golf Course site. These will give Singaporeans more opportunities to live in more central locations, said Chee. Overall, at least 80,000 public and private homes are expected to be introduced across more than 10 new housing areas islandwide in the next 10 to 15 years. URA said that the development of these new neighbourhoods will be paced out to 'allow for flexibility to review and adjust plans regularly in tandem with evolving needs and trends'. At the same time, new homes and amenities will be added to existing towns, such as Pasir Ris and Yishun. Seniors can soon look forward to more assisted living options, such as community care apartments, and active ageing centres. 'In my capacity as (a Member of Parliament) for Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC, which has a higher proportion of senior residents, I will be happy to support the implementation of these ideas within our GRC to benefit my residents,' said Chee. The 2025 roadmap also detailed plans for more greenery with more than 25 new parks and more than 50 km of park connectors over the next five years. Over 20 buildings will be proposed for conservation to safeguard Singapore's built heritage. This includes NatSteel Steel Pavilion, the first heavy industry factory established in Jurong Industrial Estate; the former Pasir Panjang English School built in the 1920s and 1930s; and 20 buildings at Bukit Timah Turf City. The former Pasir Panjang English School will be integrated into a new residential development, as will the heritage buildings at Turf City.
Business Times
25-06-2025
- Business
- Business Times
URA's Draft Master Plan 2025: more migration and developers' participation will help make plans reality
[SINGAPORE] Population and business growth help drive economic growth. Despite its small land mass, with forward planning, Singapore can comfortably house more people and business activities. Inclusive, accessible homes and neighbourhoods as well as refreshed business nodes and vibrant workspaces. These are part of the Urban Redevelopment Authority's (URA) Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP 2025), which sets out Singapore's land use development blueprint for the next 10 to 15 years. On the housing front, we can expect new prime private homes to be built in the Newton and Paterson areas near Orchard Road. More housing will also come up in the Dover-Medway neighbourhood along Dover Road, at the former Singapore Racecourse in Kranji, the Sembawang Shipyard area and the Paya Lebar Air Base among others. On the work space front, new office buildings are planned in Bishan, while new generation, mixed-use industrial spaces are envisaged in Woodlands Gateway. Plans are also being worked on to develop the 39 hectares of the former Jurong Bird Park and Jurong Hill into a workspace of the future. Crucially, Singapore's urban plans do not just provide for sufficient physical space to house a larger population and business expansion. 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 plans also address the risks posed by climate change, as well as help steward nature and heritage – all of which can enhance the value of physical properties here. Think of how efforts to design a cooler and more comfortable urban environment can result in a Singapore that is still liveable even as the mean temperature rises, or how plans that are being advanced for 'Long Island' – an integrated urban solution along the East Coast – help address the threat of rising sea levels. A greener city with more than 25 new parks to be completed between 2025 and 2030, and the addition of over 50 km of park connector will improve the public realm and add value to homes islandwide. More efforts to conserve buildings such as the former Pasir Panjang English School and buildings at Bukit Timah Turf City will help anchor Singaporeans to home amid an ever changing cityscape. Singapore's urban planning is internationally acclaimed. Many countries seek to learn from our urban planners. Kudos to the URA for its meticulous work in coming up with DMP 2025, including engaging with close to 220,000 people whose feedback helped shape a more holistic plan. Role of developers Still, Singapore's continued urban transformation depends to a large extent on the active participation of private property developers. Property development is hardly for the faint-hearted, especially with the high land costs and generally thin projected profit margins here. A wrong call is financially painful, especially as property development projects are often largely debt-funded. As the economy here slows and the global economic outlook weakens amid trade as well as geopolitical tensions, many businesses including property developers could be heading for a rough ride. Will developers stomach the risks to build more new homes, work spaces and so forth that are planned for in DMP 2025? Perhaps, with heightened economic uncertainty, the government can be more flexible in awarding state land tender sites and minimise instances of not awarding sites because the top bid is deemed to be too low. Certainly, the Central Business District Incentive and Strategic Development Incentive schemes help encourage the redevelopment of older buildings in the city centre, which in turn strengthens Singapore's position as a global financial hub. However, there may be scope to lower land betterment charge (LBC) rates to spur redevelopment of buildings. The LBC is a tax on the increase in value of land arising from a chargeable consent such as planning permission given in relation to a development of any land. In addition, the authorities could consider giving developers greater flexibility to sell out their housing inventory before being slapped with hefty taxes. Might Additional Buyer's Stamp Duty (ABSD) on locals buying multiple homes and foreigners who are not permanent residents (PRs) buying homes be relaxed, to give developers more confidence to build condos in prime areas including Paterson? In short, policy tweaks that make life easier for property developers may be timely given heightened economic and business uncertainty. End-user demand While property developers play a crucial role in Singapore's urban transformation, they are generally led by end-user demand. With a tougher economic outlook and some countries turning more inward looking, Singapore faces a tough battle to grow as a trading hub and draw foreign investment. Also, while many pro-family policies are in place and policies may become even more generous over time, the challenge of raising the birth rate substantially remains formidable. Nonetheless, Singapore is attractive to talented migrants given the high standard of living here. Indeed, more talent may seek to come here as various developed countries turn increasingly hostile to migrants. Being open to skilled migrants will enhance Singapore's appeal to businesses. Skilled migrants may also help grow new businesses here. And having more foreign nationals become Singapore citizens or PRs will drive private housing demand, as citizens and PRs buying first homes enjoy favourable ABSD treatment versus other buyer profiles. As Singapore, a country built by migrants, turns 60, the key to continued urban transformation and ultimately economic success likely lies in continuing to attract and assimilate talent from everywhere. Should end-user demand be robust, property developers will voraciously buy land and confidently build projects with hefty price tags. The work of developers and others in the built environment will then lead to new buildings being completed that help bring to reality what is envisaged in DMP 2025.
