Second phase of Jurong Lake District’s transformation revives interest in Jurong East

By Nur Hikmah Md Ali

/ EdgeProp Singapore |

November 30, 2023 5:03 PM SGT

Artist’s impression of the greenery at the Jurong Lake District, which will set aside 40% of its landscape for green spaces (Photo: URA).

SINGAPORE (EDGEPROP) - The second phase of the Master Plan to develop Jurong Lake District (JLD) into Singapore’s second CBD is underway. In June, the URA launched a 6.5ha master developer site for sale by tender to kickstart its transformation into a business node. Based on URA’s estimate, the development site could yield 1,700 residential units, at least 1.57 million sq ft of office space, and 785,480 sq ft for complementary uses, including shops, restaurants, entertainment, hotels, and community uses.

The tender comprises three plots of land which, when developed, will link the existing commercial centre at Jurong East MRT Station to the future Jurong Lake District Station on the upcoming Cross Island Line. It will also be linked to a new 120ha precinct southward of the Jurong East MRT Interchange Station. The tender for the JLD master developer site will close on March 26 next year.

Part of the excitement surrounding JLD is its future connectivity. It will be served by four MRT lines by 2030 when the first phase of the Cross Island Line opens in 2030. A new integrated transport hub will open next to the existing Jurong East MRT Station, which is already an interchange for the North-South and East-West Lines. The new Jurong Region Line is scheduled to open in 2027.

The Jurong Lake District comprises of three plots of land, and spans a total area of 410ha (Photo: EdgeProp LandLens, URA).

Jurong East is also where the terminus for the Malaysia-Singapore High-Speed Rail (HSR) was to be located. The HSR would reduce the travel time from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur to just 90 minutes. First announced in 2013, the HSR project was aborted in 2021 and revived this year with the Malaysian government’s launch of a request for proposals in July. For now, the future of the HSR is still in limbo.

At 410ha, JLD will be larger than Marina Bay, which is 360ha and an extension of the existing CBD.

The latest testament to JLD’s success was the launch of J’den on Nov 11, where 88% of 368 units were sold in one day, making it the best-selling new launch in 2023, says Bernard Tong, CEO of EdgeProp Singapore, who was speaking at the EdgeProp Jurong Lake District Master Plan Master Class series on Nov 25.

At an average of $2,451 psf, J’den has set a new benchmark price for the Jurong area. It is a redevelopment of the former JCube mall with Singapore’s only Olympic-sized ice-skating rink by CapitaLand Development.

The overwhelming interest in J’den was unsurprising given that the last launch in Jurong East was 10 years ago, namely the 738-unit J Gateway, which was also almost sold out in a day and set new price benchmarks, too.

Condo J’den in JLD saw an encouraging take-up rate of 88% of its 368 units during its launch this month (Photo: CapitaLand Development)

Besides being a business district, JLD is expected to have a “green carpet effect”, with rooftops and podium-roof levels of high-rise towers to have greenery. New buildings are expected to achieve at least 100% landscape replacement.

J’den is an example: With a generous 85,000 sq ft of landscaping, it has attained more than 100% landscape replacement. At 40 storeys, J’den is also the tallest residential tower in JLD. The condo units occupy the second to 40th storeys, while the commercial area occupies the first two floors. The J-Walk sky pedestrian walkways will link J’den to Jurong East MRT Station and the neighbouring buildings.

More than 40% of JLD will also be set aside for parks, greenery, and water bodies. This includes the 90ha Jurong Lake Gardens, which is set to be Singapore’s new national garden. It is an amalgamation of the Lakeside Garden, Chinese and Japanese Gardens.

A new Science Centre will be built next to Chinese Garden MRT Station in JLD. Designed by world-renowned Zaha Hadid Architects in collaboration with Architects 61, the new Science Centre is set to be a landmark attraction in JLD. The 592,020 sq ft building will sit on a 7.4ha site and is 25% larger than the existing Science Centre. It is slated to open at the end of 2027 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the Science Centre.

The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a request for proposals (RFP) to develop a 6.8ha integrated tourism development adjacent to the new Science Centre and Jurong Lake Gardens. There were no bids when the RFP closed in October 2022. “However, STB remains confident in the tourism potential of the site as it is adjacent to the new Science Centre and Jurong Lake Gardens,” said Low Yen Ling, Minister of State for Trade and Industry, in an update to Parliament in July.

With plans for the second phase of JLD underway, developers have also made en bloc purchases of older apartment blocks in the area. In May 2022, Wing Tai Holdings purchased the former Lakeside Apartments on Yuan Ching Road for $273.88 million. The new project, the 306-unit The LakeGarden Residences, was launched in early August. Based on caveats lodged to date, 28% of the units have been sold at an average price of $2,106 psf.

In July last year, a consortium comprising Chip Eng Seng Corp, SingHaiyi Group and KSH Holdings purchased the former Park View Mansions on Yuan Ching Road for $260 million. The consortium will launch the new development as the 440-unit Sora next year.

Sora is a redevelopment of the former Park View Mansions on Yuan Ching Road and is slated for completion by next year (Photo: EdgeProp LandLens)

The LakeGarden Residences and Sora are adjacent to each other and face Jurong Lake Gardens.

The district’s ongoing developments and future transformation are expected to attract more home buyers and rejuvenate the area, says EdgeProp’s Tong. Existing amenities in Jurong East include Westgate Mall and office tower, IMM, JEM shopping mall and office block, and the 700-bed Ng Teng Fong Hospital General Hospital and 400-bed Jurong Community Hospital.