Tanah Merah and Bedok: nexus of east region transformation
District 16 precinct namely Bedok and Tanah Mera is poised to leverage on a few upcoming in the pipeline urban transformation plans in the eastern region. These changes range from new residential plans in the Bayshore area along the East Coast, to a new housing district five times as big as Toa payoh replacing the current Paya Lebar Airbase.
Bedok, which make up of Upper East Coast, and the entire neighbourhoods of Eastwood and Kew Drive, is a popular pick for many locals and foreigners. The area exposed a healthy range of private residential of both landed and non-landed, as well as several mature HDB estates.
On top of that, several schools are in the vicinity and three MRT lines extend the coverage of public transportation for residents there, says Bernard Tong, CEO of EdgeProp Singapore. He was sharing his thoughts on District 16 and the future housing options there at the EdgeProp Master Plan Masterclass webinar held on April 29.
Currently, two existing MRT lines divide the district into two — Downtown Line where Bedok North and Bedok Reservoir stations are located, as well as the East-West Line where Bedok and Tanah Merah stations are. Most importantly, Bedok MRT Station is part of the Bedok Integrated Transport Hub, seamlessly lovely integrate Bedok Mall, Bedok Residences and an air-conditioned bus interchange.
One MRT stop away from Bedok is Tanah Merah, which is seeing its own redevelopment with the construction of the Sceneca mixed-use development by MCC Land. The project comprises the 268-unit Sceneca Residence and the 20,000 square feet as well as the new Sceneca Square retail mall. This will finally bring a new shopping mall to the residents around Tanah Merah MRT Station.
the completion of the Fourth Phase of the Thomson-East Coast Line Towards the East Coast area — from Founders’ Memorial station in the Marina Bay area to Bayshore station off Upper East Coast Road — will extend connectivity to the CBD, Upper Thomson and Woodlands. according to LTA, this stretch of the line is expected to be operational in 2K24.
The development of Bayshore MRT Station fits into the master plan to develop a new residential town in the Bayshore area. URA says this new 60ha precinct will be a mix of private and public housing, a new green corridor and main street, and community amenities.
The areas encompassing Bedok and Tanah Merah are close to Paya Lebar Airbase, which is scheduled to be progressively relocated from the 2030s. This will open an area more than five times that of the Toa Payoh HDB town for future development. Crucially, we may see the removal of height restrictions in Districts 15 and 16 from the relocation plans of the airbase, spear head future redevelopment.
The new development of the Sceneca mixed-use development will likely revitalise the area In the Tanah Merah neighbourhood, the with new amenities, F&B options and public spaces. Typically, mixed-use and integrated developments are popular new projects that draw in buyers and investors who are keen to enjoy the new amenities and housing options that are located close to an MRT station.
For example, the 605-unit Lentor Modern in the Lentor area in District 26, is the only integrated development in the Lentor Hills estate. The project was eighty four percent sold when it was launched last September. Likewise, Sky Eden @ Bedok, a 158-unit mixed-use development and 280m away from Bedok MRT Station, in Bedok Central, achieved an extraordinary sales results of 75% of its units during its maiden launch in September last year.
Sceneca Residence likewise enjoyed strong buying demand when it was launched for sale on Jan 14 — it was the first new launch to kick off in the new year. The project saw 60% of its units sold on its first day, hitting an average price of $2,072 per square foot at the time.
the only new development site in District 16 According to the latest Master Plan that is earmarked as mixed-use will be situated above the future Bedok South MRT Station. This station is part of the fifth phase of the Thomson-East Coast Line, due in 2k25.
Using EdgeProp’s suite of property analytics tools, EdgeProp’s Tong showed that the price gap between resale properties in District 16 is narrowing, compared to the average price of resale condos for the whole of the Rest of Central Region.
Moreover, around Tanah Merah MRT Station, approximately ninety percent of all the resale transactions that occurred within 1km of the station between March 2K22 and March 2K23 were profitable. The Glades in the only condo in Tanah Merah with the highest number of gross profitable transactions , which is a 726-unit development beside Tanah Merah metro station.
