The government is making a second attempt to propel the development of the Jurong Lake District (JLD) by the private sector by releasing a 3.7ha white site on Town Hall Link to the Reserve List of the 1H2026 Government Land Sale (GLS) programme.
This does not mean that the site is up for sale. Instead, developers may submit applications to the government to trigger the site for sale by public tender, if a developer has indicated a minimum price that the government deems acceptable.
Located off Jurong Town Hall Road, the site could be developed into a mixed-use project with about 1,200 private residential units, office space spanning a total of 430,400 sq ft, and 473,440 sq ft set aside for other complementary uses such as retail, serviced apartments, hotel, sports, recreation, community spaces, and medical clinics.
This is not the first time this site has been offered for development. It was originally one of three sites that combined as a 6.5ha Master Developer site that the government launched for sale in June 2023. Bids were shortlisted based on their proposed concept first, before being evaluated on their bid price.
The intention back then was for the successful Master Developer to “comprehensively master plan the entire site to integrate the various uses”, while also coordinating the development of district-level urban solutions.
Even back then, many market watchers and developers approached the size cautiously given the relatively untested nature of the area as a prime commercial hub, the size and complexity of the master sites on offer, and the potentially high land cost that the government might deem acceptable.
As a result, only two bids were submitted when the public tender for the Master Developer site closed in March 2024. Both were submitted by the same consortium of five established developers, namely CapitaLand Group, City Developments (CDL), Frasers Property, Mitsubishi Estate Co., and Mitsui Fudosan Co.
Only one of the concept proposals was shortlisted but it was ultimately rejected by the government, which deemed that the tendered price of $640 psf per plot ratio (ppr) was assessed to be too low.
Ongoing transformation in Jurong East
In a statement announcing that the 3.7ha white site is available for application, the government was also looking to reassure developers that the development of the JLD has continued to progress.
URA pointed out that the area around Jurong East MRT interchange, which is close to the white site, has established a critical mass of approximately 1.99 million sq ft of office space and about 2,000 new homes.
Some of the new residential units and commercial space stems from the ongoing development of J’den, a mixed-use project on Jurong East Central. Set to be completed in 2028, the 40-storey development comprises a two-storey retail podium with condo units on the top floors.
Developed by CapitaLand, the 368-unit J’den sold 323 units (88%) when it launched for sale in November 2023, and set an average selling price of $2,451 psf. The project is nearly sold out and has sold 356 units (96%) to date, at an average price of $2,475 psf, based on caveats.
New infrastructure developments have also been launched as part of the wider development of JLD. These include the completion of the new Science Centre and Jurong Gateway Hub – an integrated transport hub next to Jurong East MRT interchange, incorporating a bus interchange, library, community club, sports facilities, offices, and shops.
“In tandem with JLD’s ongoing developments, the release of the 3.7ha White site at Town Hall Link presents a strategic opportunity for developers to partner the Government in shaping JLD’s transformation as a choice location for businesses, quality housing and recreational facilities,” says URA.
It points out that the latest white site is about half the GFA of the previous Master Developer site. The hope is that offering a more palatable size development site will entail lower development risk and allow more developers to undertake it with greater confidence.
But the site remains sizable to significantly catalyse the next phase of development for JLD as well as support medium term growth in demand for housing and offices, the government says.
White site may cost at least $1.8 billion
“That being said, the Town Hall Link plot is still a sizable one with a potential yield of about 2 million sq ft in maximum GFA, which may potentially put the land cost upwards of $1.8 billion. We expect developers who are keen on the plot to likely partner up in view of the significant financial outlay,” says Wong Siew Ying, head of research and content at PropNex.
She adds that developers could potentially be interested in the Town Hall Link plot but they may not trigger it anytime soon. “Some might wait for greater clarity on the unfolding conflict in the Middle East and its implications for global economy and market sentiment,” she says.
The white site will attract some interest, especially considering benchmark land costs in the city-fringe (Rest of Central Region) and suburbs (Outside Central Region) have increased over the past two to three years, says Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore.
He points to the bid prices and land rates at recent GLS sites that have closed recently, as well as the average number of bidders they have attracted so far, as an indicator of developer interest in building up their land bank.
“This future development can help restore the dwindling stock of new homes in Jurong East. As of 16 March 2026, there are just over 250 unsold units. The new development will revitalise the area, in line with rejuvenation efforts to drive the next phase of growth,” says Chu.
Recent developments and ongoing plans to revitalise Jurong East into Singapore’s second major business district will likely boost confidence that the precinct is progressively being developed.
Several factors today underpin the site’s appeal, such as its proximity to Jurong East MRT interchange and Jurong Gateway Hub offering strong locational attributes. Some developers will also see the appeal of getting an early foothold in the JLD and potentially benefitting from the precinct’s growth.
The limited new private housing supply also supports pent-up demand for new private homes in the locale, and the growing interest in the suburban office segment amid the government’s decentralisation push elevates the long-term prospects of the JLD, says Wong.
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