SINGAPORE - The site of the former Kebun Baru Primary School in Ang Mo Kio is set to make way for high-rise housing developments, if a proposed amendment to the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) masterplan gets the green light.
URA, which published the proposed amendment on Jan 19, said the changes mooted to the land parcels in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2 are meant to facilitate future “high-density residential developments”.
The former Kebun Baru Primary site is 1km from Mayflower MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line and spans 1.82ha, or 2½ football fields.
The proposed changes include re-zoning the educational institution and open space site for residential and road use.
Established in 1985, Kebun Baru Primary occupied the site until it merged with Ang Mo Kio Primary in January 2002. The merged school moved to 20 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 3 in May 2002.
The site of the former Kebun Baru Primary School was then used as a holding location for several schools that were being upgraded, such as the primary school section of CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School from 2010 to 2013, Anderson Primary from 2014 to 2015 as well as Mayflower Primary and the MOE Kindergarten@Mayflower from 2019 to 2022.
Demolition work on the former Kebun Baru Primary school building started from the third quarter of 2023, according to a Housing Board circular.
Property analysts said any residential developments built on the site will be attractive for home buyers, given the site’s proximity to several schools and the Mayflower MRT station.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at property firm OrangeTee Group, said the site may be popular among Singaporeans with schoolgoing children, since CHIJ St Nicholas Girls’ School, Ai Tong School and Rosyth Primary are nearby.
As there is a mix of private and public housing in the area, Ms Sun said the site could be used for either, and it can yield an estimated 750 condominium units, or 500 to 550 HDB flats.
If an HDB project is built on the site, it may be categorised under the Plus flat model, as it is within walking distance of the Mayflower MRT station, said Ms Sun. Plus flats are those in choicer locations near MRT stations and town centres.
But property portal Mogul.sg’s chief research officer Nicholas Mak said there is a good chance it would be a 99-year leasehold condominium project with an estimated 750 units. This is because it is too small for an HDB Build-To-Order project, he said.
Mr Mak added that the site will be an attractive location for new homes, as Ang Mo Kio is a popular estate with limited new housing supply.
This Ang Mo Kio plot is not the only former school site to be earmarked for housing development. The former Guangyang Primary School site in Bishan Street 12 was also proposed for rezoning to a residential site in December 2023.
Established in 1918, Guangyang Primary merged with Townsville Primary and moved to the Townsville Primary site in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 10 in January 2023.
