5-MIN READ | Published Jan 2019
New lease on life
January 11, 2018
Planned launches for June – December 2018
January 11, 2018
Pride of the North
Exciting developments in the northern precincts of Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands make it a stylish destination
Michelle Bong
Exciting developments in the northern precincts of Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands make it a stylish destination
Prospective home owners with their eye on properties in Singapore’s northern precincts Yishun, Sembawang and Woodlands will be happy to know that they have much to look forward to.
Based on the Urban Redevelopment Authority masterplan, the north is fast becoming the place to live, thanks to the number of exciting upcoming developments there.
The launch of new homes near parks, reservoirs and the sea will extend the serenity of living across the North, redefining suburban living among Singaporeans who wish to build a home amid greenery, waterways and lifestyle hotspots.
In particular, the rejuvenation of Yishun town centre will extend Yishun’s tradition of clocking in firsts; from being home to the first suburban mall and the first cineplex with 10 movie auditoriums, it is where you find Northpoint City, the largest mall in northern Singapore with over 400 stores and eateries.
It is connected to a 920-unit North Park Residences private residential development, which is expected to be completed by year-end.
The mall’s North Wing (formerly Northpoint Shopping Centre) South Wing houses key tenants such as electronics giant Harvey Norman and supermarket FairPrice. New additions to the tenant list include Korean chain Pizza Maru and family favourite Wee Nam Kee.
It will also house a community club, a rooftop community garden and a public library.
CONNECTING PEOPLE
In these precincts, transportation changes look set to shave minutes off travel, while bringing more Singaporeans to the area.
The expected opening of an integrated transport hub in Yishun by 2019 will also improve connectivity options. A new air-conditioned bus interchange, where commuters can wait in comfort, will be seamlessly connected to Northpoint City and Yishun MRT Station.
Already home to a bus interchange and the Sembawang MRT Station on the North South Line, Sembawang is likely to experience more traffic when Canberra MRT station opens next year and the anticipated North-South Corridor is completed by 2026. Both infrastructure improvements could bring more traffic to these northern precincts from people all over the island, while giving prospective home buyers more reasons to consider living there.
MORE AMENITIES FOR BETTER LIVING
Reinforcing the north’s reputation as a star destination is the Woodlands area, which the government intends to transform through new housing, recreational and business facilities. Three new MRT stations are slated to open by next year as part of the Thomson-East Coast line.
The government also recently announced that Sembawang Hot Spring will be turned into a 1.1 hectare park complete with a cascading pool and foot bath, a floral walk and sheltered seating areas.
Come 2020, the Sembawang Sports and Community Hub is due to welcome residents to its swimming pool, multi-purpose courts, a polyclinic and childcare and eldercare centres.
Located five minutes from Sembawang MRT Station, it will also feature forest trails and community gardens to create a green and vibrant space.
These developments will complement the facilities and amenities residents currently enjoy.
Over in Sembawang, residents can find much of what they want nearby. The district is home to malls Sun Plaza and Sembawang Shopping Centre; Wellington Primary School and Canberra Primary and Secondary schools; and a wealth of F&B options. Family time can be spent at Sembawang Park, a 15ha area of greenery well-serviced by park connector pathways.
Nature lovers enjoy easy access to Lower Seletar Reservoir, Yishun Pond Park — be sure to get a panoramic view from the top of The Spiral@Yishun — and a number of smaller parks. Weekends can also be spent kayaking at Lower Seletar Reservoir and bouncing at Katapult Trampoline Park.
And over at Admiralty Park, families can have hours of fun at the newly opened lifestyle destination, the biggest park in Northern Singapore. It houses 26 new slides across three urban play areas Adventure, Family and Junior, as well as greenery trails.
PROPERTY OUTLOOK
The precincts of the north are primed for more development over the next few years. Following an uptick in property transaction volumes and a pick up in the landed property market last year, new housing development projects are set to sprout. Rental yields could also rise when upcoming transport links are completed.
The government’s development of the North Coast Innovation Corridor which covers Woodlands Regional Centre, the Sembawang Shipyard and Punggol Creative Cluster — and improved transport infrastructure such as the upcoming North-South Corridor and Thomson-East Coast Line could also lead to property price appreciation there.
Mr Tan Tee Khoon, executive director and head of residential (project marketing) at Knight Frank Singapore, agrees.
He says: “The Yishun area will enjoy opportunities which will arise from the spillover effect of these developments.”
北部傲视四方
放眼北部房地产的潜在买家，能更加期待居住在义顺、三巴旺和兀兰一带，因为它们将发展得更加生机勃勃。
根据市区重建局总蓝图，各式令人兴奋的新发展，都趋向让北部成为一个让人向往的居住地区。
临近公园、蓄水池、海岸线的新住宅项目相继推出，让那些喜爱居住在绿意盎然、水景和时尚休闲热点的国人，寻觅到理想宁静家园，并为市区外的住宅环境写下新定义。
北部的一大亮点就是义顺新镇，在重新注入新元素后，它活力四射。当年，它创下数个第一，包括成为市区外第一拥有大型购物商场的新镇、第一个拥有10间电影剧场的戏院。现在随着新的纳福城(Northpoint City）落成，在同一个屋檐下，聚集超过400间商店和美食店，义顺更是晋升为拥有北部最大商场的新镇。
纳福城衔接私人住宅发展项目 North ParkResidences，这个拥有920单位的大型项目预计将在今年年底完工。
纳福城拥有两个零售楼，北翼（North Wing）是年前已投入服务的福坊(Northpoint Shopping Centre)，南 （South Wing）刚在去年底落成，就 来了两大主要租户——著名的大型电器商Harvey Norman，以及平价合作社(FairPrice)。此外，商场也吸引了多个新租户，如韩国连锁的披萨品牌Pizza Maru和本地著名鸡饭美食店威南记等。
不仅如此，纳福城也拥社区俱乐部、屋顶市区公园和图书馆，毗邻的义顺新镇广场更有10个篮球场这么大，让这里充满活力，添加生活素质。
四通八达 往来便利
随着这一带交通系统的发展，让往返北部更为省时、便利。
义顺的综合交通中心（Integrated Transport Hub）预计在2019年开始投入服务。这里将有全新的冷气巴士转换站，让乘客可以在舒适的环境中等候巴士，而且衔接纳福城和义顺地铁站，
通畅无阻。三巴旺现已拥有巴士转换站和三巴旺地铁站，明年南北线增建的坎贝拉（Canberra）地铁站也将投入服务， 再加上备受期待的南北交通廊道（Nor t h -South Corridor）将在2026年启用，来往三巴旺的交通和人流量将会进一步提升。
这种种的基础建设改进， 预料会吸引更多来自全岛各地的人前往北部，也增加前来这一区居住的吸引力，让潜在买主更有推动力在这里置业。
更多的设施 更好的生活
兀兰的种种新发展，进一步巩固北部做为理想家园的理由。其中，政府有意为兀兰添加各式住宅、消闲和商业设施，重新打造这个新镇。单是在明年，兀兰就有三个新地铁站预计会投入服务，它们属于汤申-东海岸地铁线的一部分。
最近，政府也宣布将把三巴旺温泉发展成一个占地达1.1公顷的温泉公园，其中将增设让访客泡脚的梯流池、煮温泉蛋的桌台，以及栽种早期甘榜里常见的花草树木，保留温泉的古早甘榜风貌。
到了2020年，距离三巴旺地铁站5分钟的地段将有一栋三巴旺体育与社区中心（Sembawang Sports and Community Hub），里头具备游泳池、多用途场地、综合诊疗所、托儿所和乐龄中心。其他设施还包括树林步道和树林运动设施、社区公园等，以营造一个更具绿意和活动的环境。
这些新设施和发展，将结合原有的设施，进一步提升居住在这里的生活素质。
居住在三巴旺的居民，住家附近的设施就一应俱全。这里有太阳广场 (Sun Plaza)和三巴旺购物中心； 伟林小学（Wellington Primary School ）、坎贝拉小学和中学（Canberra Primary and Secondary School）等学府；餐饮选择更是应有尽有。一家人也能到占地搭15公顷的三巴旺公园享受亲子时光。
大自然爱好者也能轻易到达实里达下段蓄水池（Lower Seletar Reservoir）、义顺水池公园（Yishun Pond Park)，以及周遭的较小型公园。周末也可以在到实里达下段蓄水池划皮艇，或是到Katapult Trampoline Park玩跳蹦床。
在海军部公园（Admiralty Park），一家人也能在这个北部最大的公园中，在翻新后重新开幕的园内游乐场玩乐，这里大小滑梯就有多达26个，是本地设有最多滑梯的公园。
屋价展望
北部地区在今后数年将有更多发展，备受期待。随着交易量和有地住宅市场在去年回升，这一带的新房地产发展项目蓄势待发。在各个交通衔接相继启动后，这里的租金回报率预料会升高。
政府的数个发展计划预料也会刺激这一带的屋价跃高。这些发展计划就包括跨越兀兰区域中心的北岸创新廊道（North Coast Innovation Corridor）、三巴旺造船厂、榜鹅创意产业组合园区（Punggol Creative Cluster），而南北交通廊道和汤申-东海岸地铁线，也将使得交通基础设施更趋完善。
莱坊执行董事与住宅项目行销主管陈智群同意这个看法。他说：“这些新发展的连锁效应，让义顺地区享有更多潜能。”
