Three residential sites under the 1H2025 Government Land Sales (GLS) programme have been launched for tender. The Confirmed List sites are located at Telok Blangah Road, Dorset Road, and Upper Thomson Road.
The Dorset Road site measures 111,934 sq ft. The 99-year leasehold residential site can yield about 425 units. The site at Telok Blangah Road spans 147,346 sq ft and is zoned for residential use. The 99-year leasehold site can yield an estimated 745 units.
Meanwhile, Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A) is a 262,875 sq ft site that is zoned for residential use with commercial use at the first storey. The 99-year leasehold plot can yield around 595 housing units, with an estimated commercial space of 21,527 sq ft. The site was first launched for sale in December 2023 but did not receive any bids when the tender closed in June 2024.
The tenders for the Dorset Road, Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A) and Telok Blangah Road sites will close on Oct 9, Oct 23 and Nov 4, respectively. Wong Siew Ying, head of research and content at PropNex, believes the Telok Bangah Road side could draw greater attention, as it is the first private housing plot on the former Keppel Golf Course site, kickstarting the transformation of the Greater Southern Waterfront. The Dorset Road site also stands out as being in the most amenity-rich area among the three sites, she adds.
However, developers are likely to be cautious, given uncertainties surrounding US tariffs and the conflict in the Middle East. “The land bids may be measured when the tenders close towards the end of this year, depending on how the aforementioned situations unfold, and the attendant risks to the global economy,” Wong remarks.
Developers may also choose to hold out for future sites, opines Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia. This includes land parcels in the Kallang and Tanjong Rhu areas, which will be offered for sale under the 2H2025 GLS programme.
Telok Blangah Road site: First private residential site in Greater Southern Waterfront
The Telok Blangah Road site marks the first private residential GLS plot launched for sale within the Greater Southern Waterfront (GSW) precinct. It is also the first GLS site in Telok Blangah after 35 years, says Huttons’ Yip. “The last GLS site sold was Harbour View Towers in 1990,” he adds.
The plot is situated on the former Keppel Golf Course site, which will be redeveloped into a new housing precinct with 9,000 public and private homes. It is within walking distance to the Telok Blangah MRT Station on the Circle Line. Amenities nearby include VivoCity mall, the Labrador Nature Reserve and Mount Faber, as well as Blangah Primary School.
A map showing the location of the Telok Blangah Road GLS site (Picture: EdgeProp LandLens)
PropNex’s Wong believes the site will draw keen interest from developers looking to secure a first-mover advantage in the area. She anticipates five or six bids, with a top bid potentially coming in between $1,250 to $1,350 psf ppr.
Justin Quek, CEO of OrangeTee & Tie, predicts the site will also see strong demand from both developers and buyers seeking to be part of the GSW transformation. With 745 units, the future Dorset Road site project already makes up around 25% of the 3,000 private homes to be built in the GSW, resulting in limited remaining opportunities for private housing in GSW, he adds.
Dorset Road site: Attractive location in established city fringe estate
The Dorset Road site is a short walk away from the Farrer Park MRT Station on the North-East Line. Nearby amenities include shopping centres such as City Square Mall and Mustafa Centre. In addition, the site is also close to schools such as Farrer Park Primary School, St Joseph’s Institution Junior and Hong Wen School.
A map showing the location of Dorset Road GLS site (centre, in blue). The site is close to Piccadilly Grand (bottom, in purple) (Picture: EdgeProp LandLens)
The future launch at the site will be the first major project in the area since the 407-unit Piccadilly Grand. “We expect the future Dorset Road project could be relatively well-received, going by buyers’ response to the launch of Piccadilly Grand in 2022,” adds PropNex’s Wong.
Developed by City Developments (CDL) and MCL Land, Piccadilly Grand features a direct link to the Farrer Park MRT Station. The project moved 77% of units over its launch weekend and subsequently sold out in 2023. CDL and MCL Land purchased the Northumberland Road site in May 2021 at $1,129 psf ppr, beating nine other bids in the GLS tender.
Wong predicts the Dorset Road site could garner four to five bids, with a top bid ranging around $1,100 to $1,200 psf per plot ratio (ppr).
Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, highlights that the Dorset Road site is also close to a 10ha brownfield site in Farrer Park that is earmarked for redevelopment. The new estate is expected to have 1,600 new HDB flats, along with sports and recreational facilities. “Just 500m or seven minutes on foot from Dorset Road, this future sports hub could become a key amenity and social hub for Farrer Park’s residential communities,” he adds.
Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A): Second tender launch with revision to SA2 component
When Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A) was first launched for tender in December 2023, it included a requirement for a new class of long-stay serviced apartments known as Serviced Apartments II (SA2), which have a minimum stay requirement of three months. The site was put up for sale along with the adjacent Upper Thomson Road (Parcel B).
Map and overview of Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A) (Picture: EdgeProp LandLens)
Parcel B was awarded in April 2024 to a GuocoLand-Hong Leong Holdings joint venture. The partners submitted the sole bid of $779.6 million, or $905 psf ppr, for the plot. The 941-unit Springleaf Residences on the site is expected to launch later this year.
The tender for Parcel A closed in June 2024 with no bids. Developers may have been deterred from bidding for the plot given uncertainty around the demand for long-stay serviced apartments in the area, comments PropNex’s Wong.
She observes that URA has provided more flexibility this time around, with the agency noting that SA2 use will not be mandated for the site but can be allowed, subject to approval from technical agencies. Wong says the flexibility could encourage more interest in the site. She anticipates up to two bids from developers, with a top bid of around $900 to $1,000 psf ppr.
ERA’s Chu also believes URA’s decision to roll back the SA2 component may boost interest in the site. “Being located beside Springleaf MRT Station, it could also appeal strongly to future buyers, as evidenced by the high take-up rates at projects in the nearby Lentor housing cluster,” he continues.
However, he notes that the Springleaf precinct currently still has a gap in amenities and school options. Additionally, competition from the launch pipeline in Lentor could also temper bidder interest.
Nonetheless, Chu points out that Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A) offers a “clear first-mover advantage” for future buyers. “Developers are also likely to look at the performance of the adjacent Springleaf Residence to guide their bidding strategy,” he adds.
OrangeTee & Tie’s Quek highlights that the sizeable commercial space at the future development on Parcel A will add more amenities to the Springleaf area, increasing its appeal. He believes the site could also draw downgrader demand from landed homeowners in the area. Furthermore, the period between the Parcel A and Parcel B tenders provides the market sufficient time to absorb the supply of new units, especially since buyers looking to purchase a private home in this part of Singapore only have a handful of choices, he says.
Quek expects two to five bidders for Upper Thomson Road (Parcel A), with the highest bid between $950 to $1,050 psf ppr.
