SINGAPORE - More than 2,000 Build-To-Order (BTO) Housing Board flats in Singapore's newest large estate, Bidadari, have been completed, with families progressively moving into their new homes.
These flats are spread across three projects - Alkaff Vista, Alkaff LakeView and Alkaff CourtView - which were launched for sale by the HDB in 2015.
More than 70 per cent of residents have moved into their new homes in Alkaff Vista and Alkaff LakeView, said the HDB in an update on Friday (Feb 26).
About 50 per cent of residents have done the same in Alkaff CourtView, where works on community spaces are still in progress.
All 12 public housing developments in Bidadari have been rolled out, with the final three projects - Bartley GreenRise, ParkEdge @ Bidadari and Alkaff Breeze - launched in February's BTO sales exercise.
Bartley GreenRise will be the last BTO site to be ready, and is estimated to be completed in the second quarter of 2025.
The BTO projects in the 93ha Bidadari estate were highly sought after by home seekers. The five-room flats typically drew more applicants than there were available units.
This is despite Bidadari's past as a grave site, which some have drawn similarities to the mature town of Bishan, which was also once a cemetery.
Since 2015, Bidadari has been the only centrally located mature housing estate where the HDB has launched five-room BTO flats for sale.
Most of the units in Alkaff LakeView and Alkaff CourtView have been designed with structural columns tucked to the edges to allow residents greater flexibility in configuring their home layouts.
Bidadari's connectivity is also a major draw. It is served by three MRT stations - Woodleigh, Potong Pasir and Bartley - and will house the first underground air-conditioned bus interchange, next to Woodleigh MRT station.
Most units are located within 400m of an MRT station. Residents will also be served by an extensive cycling and pedestrian network that runs within the estate.
Announced in 2013, Bidadari estate was envisioned as a "tranquil urban oasis" with a garden-like setting, and is split into four distinctive districts Alkaff, Bartley Heights, Park Edge and Woodleigh, said the HDB.
It will have the upcoming Bidadari Park as a centrepiece.
The 10ha park, that sits snugly among HDB blocks, will have a lake, heritage walk, open lawns and experiential trails, and will be connected seamlessly through the estate.
Another distinctive feature of the estate is the Bidadari Greenway, a 1.6km "green spine" co-developed with the National Parks Board. It will feature rest spots, fitness corners, social communal facilities along with pedestrian and cycling paths.
The southern stretch of the greenway is expected to be completed in the first half of this year, and residents living in Alkaff Vista, Alkaff LakeView and Alkaff CourtView will have access to these amenities.
The three completed BTO projects boast other green spaces, such as landscaped rooftop gardens at all three of their multi-storey carparks, each with its own identity.
At Alkaff Vista, there are garden-themed playgrounds, viewing decks, open lawns and trellised linkway to encourage community interaction among residents.
Seniors living in all three projects and beyond can access care facilities and services at an active ageing hub at Alkaff LakeView.
A 6m-wide verandah that runs the length of Alkaff CourtView serves not only as a sheltered pathway linking residential blocks to the precinct pavilion and bus stop, but also as a community space for future events.
Finance executive Jeffrey Chong, 28, and his wife Heather Yew, 28, who is the principal of a childcare centre, said they have got to know their neighbours quite well.
The couple moved into their three-room BTO flat in Alkaff LakeView in September 2019 and are looking forward to the upcoming amenities such as the Alkaff Lake and The Woodleigh Mall.
"We have a group chat for our block and as neighbours, we look out for each other. We update each other on different happenings in our estate and organise group buys to get better deals," he said.
