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Redhill site to be used for public housing; analysts divided on it being part of HDB prime location scheme

SINGAPORE — A land spanning 3.7 ha just 400m from Redhill MRT Station will be redeveloped for public housing in the future.

To meet the strong demand for public housing, the Housing and Development Board said that it is building flats on a plot of land along Alexandra Road (pictured).

To meet the strong demand for public housing, the Housing and Development Board said that it is building flats on a plot of land along Alexandra Road (pictured).

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  • The Government will redevelop a 3.7ha site near Redhill MRT Station for future public housing
  • It will yield about 1,500 flats
  • Analysts are divided over whether these flats will come under the Prime Location Public Housing scheme

SINGAPORE — A land spanning 3.7 ha just 400m from Redhill MRT Station will be redeveloped for public housing in the future.

When fully developed, the site will be able to yield about 1,500 flats, the Housing and Development Board (HDB) and the Singapore Land Authority said in a joint statement on Wednesday (Dec 15). 

When asked if the new HDB flats built here will come under the new Prime Location Public Housing (PLH) scheme, which imposes stricter buyer eligibility and resale restrictions, HDB said: "The details of future projects under the PLH model are being finalised. Projects to be offered under the PLH model will be announced before the Build-To-Order launch." 

The site, located along Prince Charles Crescent, Alexandra Canal and Alexandra Road, is largely unused, except for the Alexandra post office. 

The land that the post office sits on will be bought by the Government. 

The area was previously occupied by low-rise public rental flats, shops and a market, but these were demolished in the 1990s for redevelopment.

The site has been earmarked for residential use in the Urban Redevelopment Authority's master plan since 1998. 

"HDB will develop the site in the near term, to meet the strong demand for public housing.

"The new housing projects will add to the good geographical spread of public housing to meet the different needs of Singaporeans, including young families who want to live near their parents in the area for better mutual care and support," the authorities said in the joint media release. 

Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of research at real estate firm Huttons Asia, said that the Government's proposal for this site is very appealing, because it is not only situated near the city but is also well-connected to different parts of the island. 

For example, he noted that it is only a 10-minute drive to the Central Business District and the prime Orchard Road shopping belt. 

However, he does not think that it will come under the PLH model since it is not located in the city centre or in the Greater Southern Waterfront precinct.

The Greater Southern Waterfront refers to a 30km stretch of coastline at the south of Singapore, stretching from the Gardens by the Bay East area to Pasir Panjang, which will include public housing projects. 

Flats sold under the PLH scheme will be built in prime locations such as the Greater Southern Waterfront and the city centre and towns surrounding it. 

Mr Nicholas Mak, head of research and consultancy at property firm ERA, said there is a 60 per cent chance that public housing projects on this Alexandra Road site could come under the PLH scheme. 

Besides its prime location at the city fringe, that site is also surrounded by private condominiums, which give the area an exclusive feel. If the stricter requirements under the PLH scheme are not imposed, the subscription rate for housing at the site will be very high, and some buyers will use their flats as a form of investment, he said.

The site to be developed is next to the Alexandra Park Connector.

However, given that the Government had earlier stated that PLH flats would apply to those in the Greater Southern Waterfront, the city centre as well as the towns surrounding it, to incorporate HDB flats on this Alexandra Road site as part of the scheme will open the dam for a huge number of future public flats to also qualify.

Mr Lee noted that the distance between this site and Keppel Club, which is situated at the Greater Southern Waterfront, is 2.6km, and there are many HDB flats that could be built on empty plots of land within this area that encompasses Telok Blangah, Henderson and Bukit Merah. 

"If you already set the precedence, it means the PLH footprint will be getting bigger," he said. 

Resale prices of HDB flats at CityVue@Henderson, which is about 800m from the Alexandra Road site, are between S$620,000 and S$1.26 million. 

Mr Lee of Huttons Asia estimated that a new four-room flat at this site may start from S$630,000, assuming that the sale is launched in the present day.

Related topics

Property HDB Alexandra Road Redhill Prime Location Public Housing

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