Up to 20,000 new homes to be built in Bukit Timah Turf City

Artist's impression of a repurposed Grandstand and central open space in front of it (Source: URA)

Bukit Timah Turf City will be transformed into a new housing estate spanning 176ha with approximately 15,000 to 20,000 new homes.

The announcement was made by Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development, on May 23 at the URA Centre. Minister Lee was there announcing the launch of an exhibition outlining conceptual plans for the new housing area.

This will be the first time in almost 40 years that public housing is planned in Bukit Timah. Current preliminary plans for the new estate at Turf City show that it is intended to be car-lite and pedestrian-friendly, with walking and cycling connections.

Four distinct neighbourhoods are proposed for the new estate: Racecourse Neighbourhood, Stables Commune, Saddle Club Knolls and Tinggi Hills. Each will feature public spaces integrated with repurposed heritage buildings and structures.

A total of 27 buildings and structures are being studied for retention and repurposing, like the North Grandstand. Completed in the 1980s, the iconic building once housed thousands of spectators and pays homage to the site’s 66-year history as one of the region’s top racecourses from 1933 to 1999.

“In a way, it shows the government wants to preserve the character of the area,” says Lee Sze Teck, senior director of data analytics at Huttons Asia.

He points out that the 15,000 to 20,000 homes planned for the 176ha site is less than half of the 42,000 homes being built in the 165ha site at Tengah. The new residential areas in Tengah are also designed to be car-lite and pedestrian-friendly.

The estate will be developed progressively, starting from the existing transport nodes along Dunearn Road, and is planned to be fully completed in 20 to 30 years.

The area to be developed is also flanked by three Good Class Bungalow (GCB) areas – Swiss Club Road to the west, and Eng Neo Avenue and Raffles Park to the east.

Therefore, high-rise developments may be built further away, closer to the new Tinggi Hills estate in the northern portion, says Huttons' Lee.

He adds that once completed, HDB flats in the area are likely to fall under the Prime classification in the current Plus housing model.

Considering current HDB resale prices at Toh Yi and other Prime Location Public Housing launches, Huttons' Lee estimates that four-room flats in the new Turf City estate may start from $600,000 when they are launched.

Similarly, he estimates that private home prices could start from $2,500 psf in the new estate.

According to URA, plans for the new estate were shaped in consultation with residents, and heritage and nature groups over the last few years. Feedback from public engagement for the upcoming draft masterplan in October 2023 was also considered.

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