By Romesh Navaratnarajah:
Singapore will get three new towns – Bidadari, Tampines North and Tengah – which are expected to provide 90,000 homes over the next few years, reportedThe Straits Times.
The areas of Bukit Brown and Keppel could also be developed in the future, according to the Land Use Plan released by the Ministry of National Development (MND) last week.
Tengah which is located in western Singapore is currently being used as a training ground by the military, but some areas will be allocated for 55,000 housing units in the next three to five years.
At the same time, Tampines North will be developed further to yield 21,000 homes as there are many open spaces still left, while Bidadari, a former cemetery whose graves were exhumed in 2001 will provide 11,000 units in the next three years.
To enable more residents to live closer to their workplace, homes could also be built around Bukit Brown, Bukit Timah Turf Club, Kallang Riverside and Keppel, said an MND spokesperson, adding that these areas could be developed by 2030 provided there is ample demand.
Of the new towns, Bidadari and Tampines North are expected to see high housing demand, noted analysts.
Tampines North forms part of Singapore’s largest residential area while Bidadari is only a short drive to the city.
“People have seen how a former cemetery like Bishan has been converted into a bustling town. They might expect the same for Bidadari,” said Eugene Lim, spokesman for ERA Realty.
Moreover, new estates like Kallang Riverside and Keppel could get high-rise buildings while the former Bukit Timah Turf Club and Bukit Brown could support lower-density units, he added.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor of PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact him about this or other stories [email protected]
source: http://www.propertyguru.com.sg/property-management-news/2013/2/35148/90000-housing-units-over-next-few-years