Commentary 3 Interesting Upcoming Residential Sites To Watch Out For (Orto Yishun, Jalan Tiga Ratus, Teban Gardens)

Now that we’ve seen the impact of limited land plots, perhaps there’ll be more Government Land Sales next year. A lot of developers still face depleted land banks, and this brings the threat of higher home prices. In recent news, however, three sites are going to be cleared for residential housing; and some of these, like the beloved Orto Leisure Park, will be interesting to look forward to:

What are the three new land sites? 

• Orto Leisure Park 
• Jalan Tiga Ratus (former Changkat Changi Primary and Secondary)
• Teban Gardens (Former Pandan Primary)

1. Orto Leisure Park 

It’s quite sad to see Orto Leisure Park go, as this was one of the places that added colour to Yishun. For those of you who don’t know it, Orto is Singapore’s first and only 24-hour Leisure Park. 

When Orto opened in 2014, it was a major win for Yishun. The 24-hour park has a lot of supper spots, a trampoline park, prawning, fishing, and a live turtle museum. Bear in mind, that this part of Yishun – near Khatib – is sorely lacking in amenities, and this was one of the few things the residents had. It’s not just about residents of Yishun, having such open spaces to indulge in recreational activities for families are few and far between in Singapore – and Orto certainly provides for some much-needed variety.

It is even more puzzling as a location such as Yishun isn’t terribly short on options for more residential housing. For example, the argument here is that somewhere like the 107ha Orchid Country Club would make more sense given that a golf course probably serves much fewer people than somewhere like Orto. But instead, Orchid Country Club had its lease extended to 2030 (although it has been said it will not be extended again). For Orto, the original plan was actually for it to be closed in December this year; but we understand SLA has postponed it to 30 August 2023. 

This plot is a sizeable 5.14 hectares, although we don’t know exactly how much of it is given over to housing. Any residential development here might benefit from proximity to Khatib MRT station (North-South line). We’d say that’s about 50-50, as it’s probably over a 10-minute walk. 

Any development here could take advantage of the good view of Lower Seletar Reservoir Park, in the direction of The Estuary condo. Yishun Sports Hall and Stadium will also be within walking distance, right across the road from Yishun Avenue 2. 

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We’d be surprised if the development here is just pure residential; that would be a little mean, as it robs the nearby residents of a major neighbourhood amenity. It would make sense to have a mixed-use development of sorts, or just an extra something of lifestyle or retail value.

For now, though, the immediate amenities appear to be the Sheng Siong at Block 845 Yishun, and the Giant and NTUC FairPrice at Khatib Central. The mixed-use Wisteria also has an attached mall; but it’s not within walking distance. We’d estimate it to be around an eight-minute drive from here. 

2. Jalan Tiga Ratus 

This 2.8-hectare site sits right across from a landed housing enclave, and unsurprisingly, the current owners may not be too happy about HDB blocks springing up next door. Nonetheless, URA has specified that part of the goal is to have more social mixing; most of the homes here are private.

Another group of people who may be affected are landlords around the Upper Changi stretch. To date, they’ve had a monopoly on SUDT students, or foreign workers in the airport, SIA Training Centre, and Changi Business City. HDB flats here may provide a more affordable alternative to tenants; albeit many years down the road. 

This site was actually zoned for education in the 2019 Master Plan, but during the long-term plan review exhibition in June, the URA decided it as one for public housing and amenities instead.

One of the key benefits to this area would be access to the Upper Changi MRT station (Downtown Line). This will be within easy walking distance, for the homes closer to the junction of Jalan Tiga Ratus and Upper Changi Road East. 

A major issue in this area, however, is the lack of amenities. HDB development here may fix this: the appearance of public housing is almost always accompanied by coffee shops, minimarts, and other conveniences that even private homeowners may appreciate. 

That said, note that one often overlooked amenity is the proximity of the Singapore Expo. Opinions are divided on how much of an amenity this is – some residents love it, others say it’s irrelevant. But if you’re the sort who thinks having the Singapore PC Expo or other tech conventions nearby is great, you’ll like living here. 

3. Teban Gardens 

This 1.8-hectare plot has stood empty for quite some time. For those of you who live in Teban Gardens, you’ll know it as the big grass field at the junction of West Coast Road and Jurong Town Hall Road (opposite Commonwealth Secondary School).

This plot will benefit from the upcoming Pandan Reservoir MRT (Jurong Region Line) in 2028. We’re quite confident this will be within walking distance, as the main intent is to provide a transport node for all of Teban Gardens. 

Note that Pandan Reservoir MRT will be a mere three stops to Jurong East Interchange, which is within Singapore’s “second CBD”. So while this area isn’t very accessible right now, the new station will be a game changer. 

The rest of Teban Gardens is already quite well-developed, as an enclave of its own. There’s an NTUC FairPrice and a Sheng Siong near the plot, and the current Teban Gardens Food Centre. All of this will be within easy walking distance. 

Residential properties here will probably take advantage of the view of the Pandan Reservoir; and as an added advantage, this plot may be closer to Commonwealth Secondary than many of the existing blocks.

Between the three locations, we’d say Teban Gardens currently stands out the most. It’s already developed with a lot of amenities, has a good view of the reservoir, and will soon boast proximity to the key retail and commercial hub of Jurong East. 

Orto Leisure Park is the most puzzling land plot here. Yishun is not exactly crammed (at least not around Khatib), and there are plenty more areas that could be redeveloped; it’s surprising that they would pave over one of the features which lend the area its charm. 

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