Mount Pleasant to get more BTO flats; first project in October will have open-concept ‘white flats’

SINGAPORE - About 6,000 Housing Board flats across four Build-To-Order (BTO) projects will be constructed in Mount Pleasant – up from the 5,000 units previously announced.

In a Sept 2 update on the 33ha estate, HDB said it increased supply after conducting detailed planning studies in the area. HDB had

previously said the estate would have six BTO projects

.

Buyers of the estate’s first BTO project, which will be launched in October, can opt for

open-concept “white flats”

without partition walls. It will be the second BTO project to offer the white flat layout, after Crawford Heights in Kallang/Whampoa.

HDB said about four in 10 home buyers had opted for the new layout for the Crawford Heights project

launched in October 2024

, with others getting the standard layout with walls.

In the upcoming Mount Pleasant Crest, there will be 1,350 two-room flexi, three- and four-room flats on a site in Thomson Road. Amenities include a pre-school, eatery and supermarket. The project, which comes under Toa Payoh town, will also have 270 public rental flats. Two blocks will be integrated with these units and one block will have only rental units.

More details on the project, including its classification, will be revealed at the launch, HDB said. The other three projects in the estate will be launched in the coming years.

Property analysts have said the Mount Pleasant project could fall under the Prime category, given its location on the city fringe.

Plus and Prime flats, which are closer to the city centre, transport nodes and amenities,

come with stricter resale conditions

, such as a 10-year minimum occupation period and a subsidy clawback.

The Mount Pleasant estate, which is around one-third the size of Bidadari, sits close to Bukit Brown and the Central Catchment Nature Reserve.

The site was home to the Old Police Academy from 1929 to 2005. It was used as police training and education grounds before its functions were relocated to the Home Team Academy in Choa Chu Kang.

When developed, the car-lite estate will be served by Mount Pleasant MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line, which will open in tandem with housing developments. New roads will also be built within the estate, including those with dedicated bus lanes, wider footpaths and cycling paths.

HDB said the

upcoming Toa Payoh Integrated Development

around Lorong 6 Toa Payoh will offer more amenities such as shops, a polyclinic, library, park and sports facilities, when completed. National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat said in June that it will be completed within the current term of government.

MacRitchie Reservoir, which has green spaces and recreational facilities, is also located nearby.

Within the estate, a path that stretches from the north to the south will connect residents to Mount Pleasant MRT station and Mount Pleasant Avenue.

Homes in Mount Pleasant will come with infrastructure to support the installation of smart home features, HDB added. Carparks will also have electric vehicle charging points to encourage green commuting.

In a video posted to Facebook on Sept 2, Mr Chee said the plans for Mount Pleasant will provide more housing options for Singaporeans and better support young families who wish to live near their parents for mutual care and support.

The public can view the plans for Mount Pleasant at the HDB Hub in Toa Payoh from Sept 24.