SINGAPORE – About 1,700 new homes, office spaces and recreation areas will come up on a new site in the Jurong Lake District (JLD) as part of major long-term transformation plans for the area.

The 6.5ha site, featuring three separate plots of land, was put up for sale on Thursday by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), kick-starting the development of a new precinct in the south of Jurong Lake District.

This is expected to yield about 1,700 residential units, as well as 146,000 sq m of office space. Another 73,000 sq m is slated for other purposes, like retail, food and beverage, and entertainment.

At least 600 private housing units, 70,000 sq m of office space, an early childhood development centre, a supermarket and a foodcourt have to be built under the first phase of the development, URA said in a media statement.

When completed progressively over the next 10 to 15 years, the site will be directly connected to four MRT lines – the North-South, East-West, Jurong Region and Cross Island lines. 

It will also link the existing commercial centre at Jurong East MRT interchange station to the future Jurong Lake District MRT station on the Cross Island Line via an elevated and underground pedestrian network so pedestrians will not need to cross any traffic junctions. 

The first plot of land next to Genting Hotel Jurong is vacant, while the second plot currently houses the interim Jurong East bus interchange till 2028. The third plot is being used for the construction of the Jurong Region Line until mid-2026.

URA on Thursday said the master developer approach – where one developer takes on all three plots – will allow for works to be done in phases and in tandem with market demand.

The appointed developer will plan the entire project, which includes providing the necessary infrastructure and connectivity between public spaces. It will also have to plan for a district cooling system and a pneumatic waste conveyancing system.

If sold, this will be the second master sale site to be developed in phases following a 3.55ha site in the Marina Bay Financial Centre sold in 2005. 

Part of the new site sits within a 120ha precinct bounded by Jurong Town Hall Road and the Ayer Rajah Expressway.

On Thursday, URA outlined broad plans for the area, which includes the site that was previously planned for the terminus of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail.

Future residents and visitors will be able to access facilities, green spaces and public transport nodes such as the three MRT stations within 10 minutes by walking, cycling and public transport. This will be achieved via a network of elevated, ground level and underground pedestrian links.

Three bus-only transit priority corridors between Jurong East integrated transport hub will reduce reliance on private vehicles, while cyclists can access wider 2.5m cycling paths along all streets, in both directions, in the new precinct.

The blueprint for the 410ha Jurong Lake District – about the size of 585 football fields – was first released in 2008.

Since then, shopping centres such as Jem and Westgate, Ng Teng Fong General Hospital, Genting Hotel Jurong and Vision Exchange have sprung up and new segments of Jurong Lake Gardens progressively opened.

The new Science Centre located next to Chinese Garden MRT station is expected to be completed in 2027.

These are part of the long-term decentralisation strategy to progressively shape the area to become the largest business district outside the Central Business District, and bring jobs closer to homes. 

In December, plans to build an integrated tourism development within the Jurong Lake District hit a snag after a tender seeking proposals for the project drew a blank.

Singapore Tourism Board, which launched the tender, said then that it would continue to assess market sentiments.

Mr Alan Cheong, Savills Singapore’s executive director of research and consultancy, said that while the site is very large, there is a good chance that some established developers will be interested.

“This site raises the land value of existing commercial and residential buildings in the Jurong East region and uplifts the western side of Singapore, which has typically been more overlooked than other areas,” he said.

Mr Nicholas Mak, chief research officer of Mogul.sg, noted that the plans, if successfully executed, will have a positive effect on the economy and boost the demand and value of residential properties in the area.

Mr Lam Chern Woon, head of research and consulting at Edmund Tie, does not expect more than three to four bids.

These would likely be from established developers with strong track records and financial leverage who may form consortiums or joint ventures to pool expertise and mitigate any development risks.