Condo parking spaces, 2 industrial units to make way for Cross Island Line phase 2

SINGAPORE - Eighteen carpark spaces at freehold condominium Casa Esperanza in Bukit Timah Road will be relocated, as the underground space below the carpark will be acquired for the construction of the Cross Island Line (CRL).

Two industrial units in Pandan Loop owned by JTC and leased to private entities will also be acquired by the Government to build the second phase of Singapore's eighth MRT line. This phase will comprise six stations serving Bukit Timah, Clementi, West Coast and the future Jurong Lake District.

Affected land owners and lessees were informed of the acquisition on Tuesday, and the Land Transport Authority (LTA) said in a statement that it and the Singapore Land Authority (SLA) will help them with the process.

Compensation for the land and space being acquired will be based on market value as at Tuesday, in accordance with the Land Acquisition Act.

A valuation will be done to determine the compensation amount.

The underground space underneath the 322 sq m section of the carpark at Casa Esperanza will need to be handed over to LTA in early 2024, ahead of the construction of the CRL King Albert Park station, which will be located next to the condo.

The decision on where to move the 18 parking spaces to will be made at a later date.

After construction is completed, the surface land will be returned to the condo’s management corporation strata title, and affected structures will be reinstated.

LTA said the works near Casa Esperanza are expected to take about six years. 

Temporary facilities will be provided to maintain uninterrupted access to the condo, it added.

The two units at Block L Pandan Loop Industrial Estate, which span 584 sq m, will need to be handed over by September 2024.

This will facilitate construction of the planned CRL station in West Coast.

Laws were amended in 2015 to allow the Government to acquire underground spaces for the development of public projects, without having to acquire the entire column of land above it.

Underground spaces in Loyang Avenue were previously acquired for the construction of CRL phase one.

Casa Esperanza’s management declined to comment on the acquisition, when contacted on Tuesday. The Straits Times has also contacted JTC for comment.

Comprising six stations, the 15km CRL phase two is slated to open by 2032, with construction expected to start in 2023. Once completed, it is expected to benefit 40,000 households within 800m of the six stations.

Holland-Bukit Timah GRC MP Christopher de Souza, whose Ulu Pandan ward will be served by King Albert Park and Maju stations, said residents have asked for greater public transport connectivity, especially in Sunset Way and Clementi Crescent, where there are currently no MRT lines nearby.

He is also glad that LTA has agreed to install lifts at an overhead bridge to provide barrier-free access between Sunset Way and Maju station.

Asked about the acquisition of underground space at Casa Esperanza, which is in his ward, Mr de Souza said: “The immense amenity of having an interchange right along the Bukit Timah belt, in my humble view, makes up for it.”

Noting the proximity of King Albert Park station to Methodist Girls’ School, he said the CRL will help to alleviate traffic congestion in the area if parents who drive their children to school opt for public transport instead.

“If one looks at this from a longer-term perspective, it is certainly to their advantage,” he added.