Category Archives: Government

Buangkok Drive site tender gets S$301m top bid

A residential site at the junction of Buangkok Drive and Sengkang Central has attracted a highest bid of S$301 million from White Haven Properties, in a public tender that closed on 12 June 2012.

This works out to around S$508 psf ppr and reflects a breakeven cost of between S$900 psf and S$950 psf.

“The top bid at S$301 million submitted by a subsidiary of City Developments Limited for the subject site, is 3.7 percent lower than the Sengkang Square/Compassvale Drive condominium site, which was sold for S$528 per sq ft per plot ratio to EL Development,” said Chia Siew Chuin, Director of Research & Advisory at Colliers International.

“This could be that the latter site is locationally more attractive, as it is within walking distance to Compass Point and the Sengkang MRT Station.”

The site, which was launched for sale on 16 April 2012, has gained a total of five bids, with the second highest bid coming from a joint bid between Opal Star Ltd and Binjai Holdings Ltd at S$290.28 million. This was followed by Flamegold Ltd at S$284.8 million, while Qingjian Realty (South Pacific) Group and Vantage Properties offered the two lowest bids at S$257 million and S$226 million, respectively.

Chia said the top three bids for the residential site came in at narrow gaps, “with the top bid being 3.7 percent and 5.7 percent above the second and third highest bids, respectively.”

She added that “a selling price of above S$1,000 psf is envisaged for a new development on the site.”

Strategically located within 10 minutes walk to Buangkok MRT Station and well connected to major transportation hubs such as Kallang- Payar Lebar Expressway and Tampines Expressway, the 99-year leasehold site has a total area of 18,340.7 sq m and has a maximum permissible gross floor area of 55,023 sq m.

Li Hiaw Ho, Executive Director at CBRE Research, said a foodcourt and some convenience shops are also located close by.

“The neighbourhood comprises newly completed HDB flats and The Quartz private condominium,” said Li, adding that “the site can be developed into a 600-unit condominium.”

The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) said a decision on the award of the tender will be made at a later date, after the bids have been evaluated.

Source : PropertyGuru – 2012 Jun 13

Second half 2012 Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme

1. The Ministry of National Development (MND) announced today that the second half 2012 (2H2012) GLS Programme will comprise 15 Confirmed List sites and 24 Reserve List sites. These sites can yield about 14,200 private residential units, including 3,100 Executive Condominium (EC) units, 388,000 sqm gross floor area (GFA) of commercial space and 3,700 hotel rooms.

2. The Confirmed List will comprise 12 private residential sites (including 6 EC sites), a commercial & residential site and 2 commercial sites. These sites can yield about 7,100 private residential units (including 3,100 EC units) and 80,000 sqm GFA of commercial space.

3. Of the 24 sites in the Reserve List, 14 are private residential sites, 2 are commercial sites, 2 are white sites and 6 are hotel sites. These sites can yield about 7,100 private residential units, 308,000 sqm GFA of commercial space and 3,700 hotel rooms.

Supply of Private Housing

4. There is a large supply of about 86,000(1) private housing units (including about 7,000 EC units) in the pipeline, of which about 38,000 units (including 1,800 EC units) are still unsold. However, demand for private housing remains strong. To continue to ensure there is adequate supply to meet demand, the Government has placed 13 sites(2) for private residential development on the Confirmed List, which can yield about 7,100 residential units. This is comparable to the supply made available in the Confirmed List in first half 2012 (1H2012).

5. Most of the private residential sites in the 2H2012 GLS Programme, including the 6 EC sites, are located in Outside Central Region or in locations in Rest of Central Region where more affordable private housing is expected to be built.

Supply of Commercial Space
6. A commercial site at Venture Avenue will be added to the 2H2012 Confirmed List to continue the momentum to develop Jurong Gateway into a vibrant commercial hub. The site, which will be sold with a minimum office GFA quantum, will also provide opportunity for the development of more affordable office space that can cater to users who do not need a CBD location.

7. In addition, the 2H2012 Reserve List will have 3 sites for office developments. The commercial site at Sims Avenue/Tanjong Katong Road and the white site at Marina View, which are already available in the 1H2012 Reserve List, will be carried over to the 2H2012 Reserve List. For the Sims Avenue/Tanjong Katong Road site, URA has revised the sale conditions for the site after taking into consideration market feedback(3).

8. A new commercial site at Cecil Street will also be added to the 2H2012 Reserve List. Together, these 3 sites will provide opportunities for the market to initiate more office space, over and above the 762,000 sqm GFA(4) of office space in the pipeline, if there is demand.

9. The commercial site at Punggol Point will be transferred from the 1H2012 Reserve List to the 2H2012 Confirmed List. It is envisioned to be developed into a rustic seaside dining destination as part of URA’s broader plans to transform Punggol Point into an attractive waterfront promenade for sports and recreation.

Supply of Hotel Rooms
10. A new hotel site at Victoria Street/Ophir Road will be added to the 2H2012 Reserve List. Together with the hotel sites carried over from the 1H2012 GLS Programme, they will provide ample opportunities for developers to initiate additional supply of hotel rooms over and above the pipeline supply of about 12,000 hotel rooms(5).

Other Government Supply to be Made Available in 2H2012
11. Apart from the GLS Programme, the Government also makes available other supply of land and properties through its various agencies to meet economic or development objectives.

12. The various Government agencies plan to initiate about 86,000 sqm GFA of commercial space outside the GLS Programme in 2H2012. This includes:

a: Leasing of vacant state properties for commercial uses (about 22,000 sqm GFA); and
b: Localised retail facilities at parks, MRT stations and community centres.

13. In addition, more retail space will come from a mixed use development by Changi Airport Group (CAG) at Changi Airport. More details on this project will be released by CAG in due course.
Issued by Ministry of National Development

1 The 86,000 units are from new development and redevelopment projects that have been granted planning approvals, i.e. either a Provisional Permission (PP) or Written Permission (WP), as at 1st Quarter 2012.

2 This includes a commercial & residential site at Yishun Ring Road/Yishun Ave 9.

3 Key changes include removal of the minimum hotel use requirement and allowing some residential use to give greater flexibility for the developer to propose the mix of uses for the site. For instance, under the new conditions the developer may choose to opt for an integrated office-retail-residential development, an office-retail-hotel development or an office-retail development. Single ownership for both the office and retail space will also be required to ensure better integration and management of this mixed use development.

4 The 762,000 sqm GFA of office space are from new development and redevelopment projects that have been granted planning approvals, i.e. either PP or WP, as at 1st Quarter 2012. More supply will also come from projects that are pending approvals such as the Choon Guan Street site and the 6 plots of land at Marina Bay and Ophir Road / Rochor Road development by M+S Pte Ltd.

5 The 12,000 hotel rooms are from new development and redevelopment projects that have been granted planning approvals, i.e. either PP or WP, as at 1st Quarter 2012.

Source : URA, – 2012 Jun 13