Singapore Science Park set to get 300-unit condo as first residential project
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The plot at 71 Science Park Drive, which has been identified by CapitaLand Development for a 300-unit condominium.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
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SINGAPORE – Technology and development hub Singapore Science Park is set to get its first residential project, a 300-unit condominium.
The planned condominium, on a site of about 0.7ha, will be linked to Kent Ridge MRT station via Geneo, an integrated development that will fully open in 2025, said the business park’s master developer and operator CapitaLand Development (CLD).
On May 17, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) published a proposed masterplan amendment to rezone a plot of land next to one of Geneo’s five buildings from business park use to residential use with a plot ratio of 4.1, and other ancillary uses.
The proposed amendment indicates that CLD has received in-principle approval from URA for the planned condominium at 71 Science Park Drive – a site formerly occupied by the Defence Science and Technology Agency from 2000 to 2018. The agency’s building was demolished in 2020.
CLD said the project will broaden housing options for professionals who work within the business park, and could attract potential buyers working in the vicinity at one-north, the National University of Singapore and National University Hospital.
The firm’s managing director for investment and development Chew Peet Mun said in an interview with The Straits Times that the condominium should be completed in three to four years, if development approvals are granted without hiccups.
He said inserting housing units in Science Park was a “logical step” as part of the phased rejuvenation of the business park, which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023.
In the longer term, CLD wants to make the business park more vibrant by creating a self-contained neighbourhood with homes and recreational amenities near offices, similar to the regional nodes outside the Central Business District that the Government has been developing, Mr Chew said.
He added that CLD is looking at how to intensify the use of land in the 55ha business park, citing how Geneo – which sits on a site of about 6.4ha – will increase the park’s worker capacity from 12,000 to 21,000.
The first phase of rejuvenation took place in the 2010s, with eight older buildings redeveloped into higher-density ones, such as Ascent at 2 Science Park Drive, which was opened in 2016 and includes food and beverage (F&B) outlets, in addition to office spaces.
Geneo, which comprises five buildings, represents the second phase of the business park’s rejuvenation. One building at 5 Science Park Drive opened in 2019 and currently houses Shopee, while 7 Science Park Drive opened in 2024 and has serviced apartments operated by Citadines.
The 250-room Citadines Science Park Singapore at 7 Science Park Drive opened in February.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
The remaining three buildings will open in 2025, and have 3,600 sq m set aside for retail and F&B use.
Mr Chew said introducing a residential component to the park – first through Citadines for short- and medium-term stays, and then the planned condominium for long-term stays – will allow CLD to “transform Science Park from just ‘work only’ to truly ‘work, live, play and innovate’”.
As CLD rejuvenates Science Park, Mr Chew said the developer plans to make the area “more accessible and pedestrian-friendly, rather than vehicle-centric”.
Mr Chew Peet Mun, CapitaLand Development managing director of investment and development, said inserting homes into Science Park was a “logical step” as part of the park’s phased rejuvenation.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
For instance, it is looking to build more covered walkways linking Kent Ridge MRT station to Kent Ridge Park, and create community nodes where people can gather and participate in activities.
One such node is currently under construction at Geneo – a 3,000 sq m event plaza that will have its shelter held up by 13 mass engineered timber columns up to 25m tall.
Mr Chew said programmes can be held at the upcoming event plaza, and the hope is that it will become a place where people gather and socialise over time.
Ongoing construction at the canopy above Geneo’s upcoming event plaza.
ST PHOTO: SHINTARO TAY
Mr Chew said CLD is also looking to add community nodes to other parts of Science Park, and sees the potential for more residential developments to be built in the park beyond the planned condominium.
On further intensification and rejuvenation of Science Park’s land, Mr Chew said: “This is a very, very large tract of land. Definitely, if you look at it from a modern land use perspective, intensification will make sense – which means building more.
“From a commercial perspective, we are keen to talk to the authorities. How can we intensify this over time – that’s an ongoing conversation with them.”
When completed, the event plaza will be able to host a variety of events and function as a community node for Science Park.
PHOTO: CAPITALAND
He said that as much as buildings with a larger gross floor area can be built, CLD also wants to ensure the park’s “campus-like environment” is maintained, and that mobility is prioritised should more large-scale developments be pursued.
“We don’t want a super-dense, CBD-like kind of built-up environment,” he said, adding that rejuvenation efforts should leverage Science Park’s proximity to greenery and Kent Ridge Park.
Asked about the future of 18 Science Park Drive – a plot that sits between the site earmarked for the planned condominium and Kent Ridge Park, and has a building currently being demolished – Mr Chew said: “We see it as quite a key piece that offers connectivity to Kent Ridge.
“This is one of those nodes that we think is important, so we are looking at both short term and in the longer term, how to make sure it has that community hub and buzz.”
