July BTO launch to feature HDB’s first Simei project in 10 years
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The project in Simei will have about 380 units of two-room flexi, four- and five-room flats on a plot bounded by Simei Road and Upper Changi Road East.
ST PHOTO: BENJAMIN SEETOR
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SINGAPORE - The first Simei flats in more than a decade and a second development in the new Woodlands North Coast precinct are among eight Build-To-Order (BTO) projects that will go on sale in July.
Analysts told The Straits Times they expect strong demand for many of these projects, particularly those that are close to amenities and MRT stations. Of the eight projects, five are situated within 600m of an MRT station.
The Housing Board on Feb 10 released details on its website of projects that will be launched in July. It will offer about 5,400 flats in Bukit Merah, Bukit Panjang, Clementi, Sembawang, Tampines, Toa Payoh and Woodlands.
The project in Simei – which HDB classifies as part of Tampines – will have about 380 units of two-room flexi, four- and five-room flats on a plot bounded by Simei Road and Upper Changi Road East.
The development will also have a supermarket, shops, a restaurant and a pre-school.
The site, which used to house the former Changkat Changi primary and secondary schools, is a five-minute walk from Upper Changi MRT station.
Singapore University of Technology and Design, Singapore Expo and Changi Business Park are also in the vicinity.
The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) had previously said the Upper Changi Road East area, where most homes are private residences, would benefit from having new public housing that encourages more social mixing.
Mr Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at real estate firm Huttons Asia, said there could be pent-up demand for the Simei project as the last public housing development there – Parc Lumiere, a Design, Build and Sell Scheme project – was completed in 2011.
“Simei is desirable for buyers as it is near amenities like shopping malls, schools and employment opportunities. The airport is also a short distance away,” he said, adding that he expects the project to fall under the Standard category.
BTO projects under a new flat classification system fall into Standard, Plus and Prime categories based on their proximity to the city centre, transport connectivity and amenities.
A 1,130-unit project in Woodlands, comprising two-room flexi, three-, four- and five-room flats, will be built near Woodlands North MRT station. It is near Woodlands Checkpoint and Admiralty Park.
The development is adjacent to the Woodlands North Verge project – the first in the new precinct – which was launched on Feb 10.
The project falls under the Standard category.
Woodlands North Coast precinct, envisioned as a mixed-use waterfront development
The two projects in Bukit Merah could fall under the Prime category, given their location in the city fringe, property analysts said.
About 490 three- and four-room flats will be built on the site of the former Alexandra Post Office. The project will have a pre-school, eatery, supermarket and shops.
The site is less than 10 minutes to Redhill MRT station on foot. It is bounded by Alexandra Road, Prince Charles Crescent and Alexandra Canal, and sits by the Alexandra Park Connector.
Another 590-unit project comprising two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats will be built in Tanglin Road, adjacent to Crescent Girls’ School.
In Toa Payoh, the site bounded by Toa Payoh Rise and Braddell Rise will house 720 two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats. It is about a five-minute walk to Caldecott MRT station.
Analysts said the project could fall under either the Plus or Prime category as it is centrally located and between two MRT stations – Caldecott and Braddell.
Ms Christine Sun, chief researcher and strategist at property firm OrangeTee Group, said she expects the project to be popular as it is near schools like Raffles Girls’ School, Raffles Institution and Marymount Convent School.
About 750 two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats will be built along Clementi Avenue 9, near Clementi MRT station.
It is next to Clementi Primary School and Clementi Town Secondary School, and analysts expect it to be a Plus project.
Mr Ismail Gafoor, chief executive of real estate firm PropNex Realty, said the last BTO project in Clementi was launched in February 2017, so he expects pent-up demand for new flats in the area.
He noted that demand for resale flats in the area has been “relatively healthy”, and prospective buyers who like the location but have a tighter housing budget would try for a BTO flat in the upcoming project.
In Sembawang, HDB is set to launch a 750-unit project comprising two-room flexi, three-, four-, five-room and three-generation flats. It will be built along Admiralty Link and Admiralty Lane, and the site is about 1km away from Sembawang MRT station.
A 620-unit project with an eatery, minimart and shops will be built along Bukit Panjang Ring Road and Zhenghua Nature Park. It is near Bangkit LRT station.
Analysts said the Sembawang and Bukit Panjang projects should be Standard flats as they are not near major transport nodes and have fewer amenities.
Some 19,600 BTO flats will be launched in 2025.
On Feb 10, HDB launched 5,032 BTO flats and 5,590 balance flats
HDB said the next exercise will be held in July, instead of June, as it will need more time to process the high volume of applications expected in February’s sales exercise.
Isabelle Liew is a journalist at The Straits Times. She covers housing issues in Singapore, with a focus on public housing.
