Hudson Place Residences And One-North Property Transformation: Is One-North Becoming Singapore’s Next Residential Hotspot?

Over the long May Day weekend, starting from May 1, the newest condominium in the one-north precinct will be open for public preview. This will be a much-watched condo launch given the steady transformation of the mixed-use precinct, which is starting to reveal more of its residential profile.

The 327-unit Hudson Place Residences is located on Media Circle, and the 99-year leasehold project will be the fifth new condo to break ground in the greater one-north precinct. The new condo is developed by a consortium of Chinese developers, Qingjian Realty, Forsea Holdings, CYZ Land, and Jianan Capital.

This is not the first time most of these developers are working on a new condo in Media Circle. In April 2025, the neighbouring Bloomsbury Residences hit the market, and the project is jointly developed by Qingjian Realty, Forsea Holdings, Jianan Capital, and ZACD.

We’ve seen a slew of new residential projects launch across the greater one-north precinct over the past six years, starting with the 165-unit One-North Eden which was jointly developed by Hong Leong Group and Mitsui Fudosan in 2021, followed by the 275-unit Blossoms By The Park by EL Development in 2023.

The new launch pipeline continued the following year when The Hill @ One North launched for sale in 2024, the 142-unit condo was developed by Kingsford Development. We then saw development ramp up around the Media Circle area with the launch of Bloomsbury Residences.

Media Circle is part of the Mediapolis district, one of the eight districts that JTC, the master planner behind one-north, has identified. Other districts include the life sciences district Biopolis, the Infocomm and Media district Fusionopolis, LaunchPad for start-ups and incubator companies, and the Wessex district which is characterised for the heritage residences.

Just beyond one-north, we’ve also seen landmark new condos that have shifted more attention to this region. The launch of Normanton Park in 2021 – a mega-sized development with 1,862 units – helped to solidify the catchment of buyers in this region.

This long line up of new projects that have entered in and around one-north is not simply developers chasing a trend. The emergence of a number of new condos in one-north reflects the conclusion of the years long-development of one-north into a new live-work-play enclave.

With more residential sites due to be released and upcoming developments in the wings, more buyers and investors are taking a more serious look at the progress of this precinct, and how they should evaluate some of the new and upcoming projects here. This is what you need to know about one-north today.

Understanding the evolving one-north precinct

The transformation of the one-north precinct is an interesting puzzle in the urban transformation of this region, since it is adjacent to established and mature residential towns like Queenstown, Holland Village, and Buona Vista.

Historically, one-north hasn’t been perceived as a desirable, or all that much liveable, residential area, especially given the more appealing towns and estates nearby.

Most of the initial development focus in one-north by JTC focused on providing real estate for high-tech manufacturing, biomedical, and pharmaceutical companies. This saw the emergence of business parks and commercial buildings in Fusionopolis, Biopolis, and Mediapolis from 2003 to about 2010.

It was followed by the JTC LaunchPad, which started in 2014 and was mostly completed by 2017. Besides being a technology and media hub, the area was known for higher educational institutions such as INSEAD and ESSEC.

This created the perception that one-north was a dedicated area for these high-tech companies, pharmaceuticals, and tertiary education. Back then, the most notable residential development was the 405-unit One-North Residences.

But one-north also can’t be described as an ‘ulu’ area. To support the growing population of professionals working in the various media, life sciences, manufacturing, and start-up businesses, several amenities have taken root.

For example, Fusionopolis has a food court, a pharmacy, and a supermarket, while several restaurants dot the area. The One-North MRT station on the Circle Line is one stop away from Buona Vista Interchange – which connects to the East-West Line – and is linked to The Star Vista mall. Holland Village, with its cluster of lifestyle and retails shops, is also two stops away from one-north.

However, despite these offerings, we think that one-north still lacks the lifestyle, retail and family-orientated service offerings that characterise established neighbouring locales like Queenstown, Holland V, and Buona Vista.

This isn’t due to the lack of day-to-day amenities, but rather the lack of entertainment, retail, and an identity-lock; we suspect that many Singaporeans still perceive one-north as a place for start-ups and businesses, rather than a growing mixed-use residential precinct.

This puts One-North in an odd position. The availability of parks and green spaces, coupled with day-to-day amenities, means that it could be a good residential area. But it needs a core catchment of residents before this potential can be fully tapped into and capitalised.

But with several new condos set to be completed in the coming years, perhaps this is the most opportune time for one-north to kick start this phase in its development, and the fulfilment of its master plan.

If the residential character of one-north is finally emerging, how have its previous residential projects contributed to its transformation?

In general, the residential market in one-north is challenging to examine since the housing market is relatively untested and new. This is a precinct that has moved from boutique, rental-focused developments to condos targeting owner-occupiers and home buyers.

*We’ve included Normanton Park since it is adjacent to the one-north precinct, and a short bus ride to Fusionopolis and the One-North MRT. Thus, we feel it is likely viewed as an alternative choice for some buyers.

With the exception of Normanton Park, most new projects in one-north tend to have a relatively small unit count. Smaller, boutique developments may have been fitting when the residential demand was largely tenant-driven, but home owners may feel that the smaller development plots – and subsequently, smaller-sized condos – could lead to higher maintenance fees and fewer facilities.

It is worth noting that Blossoms by the Park, Bloomsbury Residences, and Hudson Place Residences, have gone against the grain of most developments in this precinct, offering relatively larger-sized condos with a more extensive offering of facilities and amenities.

What does this mean for buyers considering a home in one-north, or some of the new project launches there?

• In our view, one-north is an area that’s in transition: not quite mature, but also not inconvenient
• For those who prefer exclusivity, one-north may still be attractive even as the number of new residences increases
• The Greater one-north precinct provides a pool of future private home upgraders
• Unit count and plot size may be the key differentiating factors between previously launched and newer projects

1. One-North is an area that’s in transition: not quite mature, but also not inconvenient

In terms of its residential market, the one-north precinct is in an unusual middle ground. It’s not sparse or inconvenient, but at the same time it’s probably still not the kind of lifestyle hub where you’re going to hang out with friends on a weekend.

The challenge facing one-north echoes the problem faced in the Central Business District, namely, there’s no “after-hours” energy.  Much of the district was planned around offices, research hubs, and institutions first, with housing arriving later.

As a result, you have a lot of useful daily necessities and decent accessibility, but the area can feel like a ghost town after office hours, or on weekends. One-North is not “ulu” in the traditional sense, because transport links and day-to-day conveniences are already there. But it hasn’t established itself as a locale with social gravity.

But there is a difference compared to the CBD. The area is closely tied to tech, media, and start-ups. Companies such as Razer have had a presence here, alongside JTC LaunchPad’s innovation-focused tenants.

One-north has a younger, more energetic profile compared to established business corridors like Shenton Way, and this could result in much faster development of its lifestyle elements. Many of the small restaurants and shops here have a novel or quirky tone, unlike the humdrum cafeterias and “practical” shops in many business parks. 

For now though, one-north is best viewed as a district in transition.

2. For those who prefer exclusivity, one-north may still be attractive even as the number of new residences increases

While one-north has seen a steady rise in new condos, the precinct still features a sense of privacy and greenery than most established RCR locations. The different districts foster a more open and campus-like environment.

The Rail Corridor is relatively nearby, accessible from the Rochester, Buona Vista, and Portsdown areas. So, from one-north, there is access to Singapore’s most prominent green corridors.

Within the precinct, the Wessex district encompassing Wessex Estate and Portsdown adds a unique twist to a business hub. This district consists of conserved black-and-white colonial bungalows and quiet, low-density pockets.

Elements like this present a compelling case that the precinct could flourish as a mixed-use business hub and residential enclave – even if the latter half of that equation is only now catching up.

3. The Greater one-north precinct provides a pool of future private home upgraders

There is a wide ranging master plan accompanying the development of one-north, and the Greater One-North is a broader transformation plan around this area. This will connect the various districts like Biopolis, Fusionopolis, Mediapolis to surrounding areas like Buona Vista, Rochester, Dover, and Kent Ridge. This also includes integration with nearby housing estates.

For the future residents at one-north, this opens up potential exit strategies, depending on the profile of the next wave of buyers in the future. In the past, one-north was a niche market that appealed to investors and a smaller catchment of people who work there.

Once it is more closely integrated with the surrounding towns and estates, it should support the development of a stronger base of private home upgraders. When more homes are built in and around the district, and whole families grow up in the area, they’ll often want to upgrade while staying within its bounds. Someone who starts in a nearby HDB housing may, at some point in future, be looking at projects like Hudson Place Residences, Bloomsbury Residences, or Blossoms by the Park, instead of moving to another town.

4. Unit count and plot size may be the key differentiating factors between previously launched and newer projects

Earlier housing options in the area tended to be smaller or boutique, and most were positioned to capitalise on the growing pool of tenants that stemmed from the companies moving into the area.

The newer tranche of condos now have a more broad appeal. Bloomsbury Residences was a major new launch positioned around unblocked Wessex views, a quieter setting, and layouts aimed at own-stay use. Hudson Place Residences, by the same consortium of developers, is clearly positioned to follow up on that success.

These newer projects also offer a more complete suite of facilities, versus older boutique condo offerings. There are now options with larger pools, better landscaping, and function rooms.