A commercial and residential development with a bus interchange is being planned for a large vacant site above Hougang MRT station. The Hougang development will support demand for homes in the area and allow residents to benefit from the upcoming transport node and new commercial amenities, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in a note accompanying a proposed amendment to the agency’s Master Plan 2019 that was published on Oct 28.
As part of the amendment, a site of around 4.7ha in size – equivalent to about 6½ football fields – was created for the mixed-use development and given a gross plot ratio of 2.5. This can yield up to 117,500 sq m in gross floor area if the site is used for a single development, subject to the authorities’ approval.
The site is made up of two plots. The first is a vacant area around 4ha in size that is currently zoned for commercial and residential use with a gross plot ratio of three. The second is a reserve site that houses the HDB Hougang Branch office building, next to Hougang Mall.
The 4.7ha site sits directly above Exit B of Hougang station on the North East Line and will also be connected to the Cross Island Line when the interchange station is ready in 2030. It is one of three large plots of land near Hougang MRT station that are zoned for new homes, but all three plots have yet to be developed for residential use.
On Oct 28, URA also published a proposed amendment to its masterplan for the upcoming Mount Pleasant estate, which the HDB previously said will have about 5,000 homes across six Build-To-Order (BTO) projects. The first of these projects will be launched in 2025.
Two new housing plots were carved out in the proposed amendment, which also confirmed the road alignment in the future estate, and also put forth for conservation six buildings that were part of the Old Police Academy.
Property analysts said one of the two new housing plots, which has an area of about 2.7ha and a gross plot ratio of 3.2, can yield about 900 to 1,000 flats, or about 1,300 condominium units.
Future residents of this plot are likely to have direct access to the upcoming Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, with the station set to open in tandem with surrounding developments in the estate.
The other housing plot, which is about 3.2ha and has a gross plot ratio of 4.9, is next to Thomson Road.
It can hold between 1,200 and 1,400 flats, or up to 1,800 private apartments, said analysts.
URA said Mount Pleasant’s future residents will also be served by amenities such as shops and childcare facilities within the estate.
Referencing the six buildings that have been put up for conservation, Minister of State for Home Affairs and National Development Faishal Ibrahim said in a Facebook post on Oct 28 that they will be adapted for contemporary uses, with one to be used as a new neighbourhood police post.
In Newton, the authorities are preparing a new housing plot in Newton, which isof about 0.57ha in size and will have a gross plot ratio of 4.9, according to a proposed amendment to URA’s masterplan published on Oct 29.
URA said it is preparing the plot for a “future high-density residential development”, as part of plans to introduce more homes and amenities in central locations. The site, located near both the North-South and Downtown line exits of Newton MRT station, is now partially occupied by the Prudential @ Scotts office building. The Singapore Land Authority has said that the building’s tenancy will expire on April 30, 2025, with the site to be returned to the state thereafter.
Over in the west, a site of about 1.4ha in size with a gross plot ratio of 3.6 is being prepared to house a residential development, with commercial spaces on the first storey, based on a proposed masterplan amendment published on Oct 29.
Located next to The Lakefront Residences in Lakeside Drive, the plot is a stone’s throw from Lakeside MRT station and within a short walk of Jurong Lake Gardens. URA said the upcoming development on the site will provide amenities to serve nearby residents in the Lakeside area.
The public has until Nov 12 to submit feedback on the proposed amendments for the Hougang and Mount Pleasant sites, and until Nov 27 to do likewise for the Newton and Lakeside sites.