PropNex estimates that the average selling price of the new private condo could be around $2,000 psf if the Tengah Gardens Avenue site is awarded to the top bidder. This is a 0.73% increase from the second-placed bid of $815 psf ppr from Chinese developer Kingsford Group. The third and final bid was submitted by local developer Sim Lian Group at $812 psf ppr.
The tender for the GLS site at Tengah Gardens Avenue closed on January 14th with three bids received. Leading the pack was a consortium led by Hong Leong, which includes GuocoLand Singapore and CSC Land Group, with the highest bid of $675 million, or $821 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr).
The 99-year leasehold site, measuring approximately 273,906 sq ft, is zoned for “Residential with Commercial at 1st storey” and has a maximum gross floor area of 821,720 sq ft. The Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) estimates that the site could yield up to 860 residential units.
Should the site be awarded to the Hong Leong-led consortium, their plans include the development of an 860-unit condominium, capitalizing on the enhanced connectivity from the upcoming Jurong Region Line (JRL), which is in close proximity. Loke Kee Yeu, the general manager (Projects) at Hong Leong Holdings Limited, believes that the JRL will contribute to the continued growth of the new Tengah estate.
The Tengah Gardens Avenue site is strategically situated near the upcoming Hong Kah MRT Station on the JRL, offering convenient access to the future Tengah Town Centre and a direct route to the second Central Business District at Jurong Lake District.
Although it was a tight race, the top bid of $821 psf ppr for the Tengah Gardens Avenue site was only 0.73% higher than the second-place bid of $815 psf ppr, submitted by Chinese developer Kingsford Group. The third and final bid of $812 psf ppr was made by local developer Sim Lian Group.
Despite the recent surge in homebuyer activity towards the end of 2024, developers have remained cautious in their approach, says Leonard Tay, the head of research at Knight Frank Singapore. This could be seen in the limited interest for another GLS site at Dairy Farm Walk, which only received two bids.
Tay suggests that developers may have chosen to focus on existing sites that are already slated for launch in 2025. He also points out that the close range of bid prices between the three bids (less than 1%) indicates that developers are adopting a more conservative approach in their bids.
According to Mark Yip, the CEO of Huttons Asia, developers are mindful of keeping their land bids reasonable, in order to maintain an attractive selling price for potential buyers. He also predicts that, in an effort to diversify risk, more developers may submit joint bids for GLS sites this year. This could possibly explain the consistently low number of bids for GLS tenders, which has remained around three.
Another factor contributing to the limited interest may be the current availability of GLS sites, suggests Marcus Chu, the CEO of ERA. With seven sites still open for tender and another six scheduled to be launched in the first half of 2025, developers are taking a more measured approach, weighing their options amid moderated interest rates.
Chu also points out that the nearby GLS site along Lakeside Drive and Lakeside MRT may also have affected the level of interest in the Tengah Gardens Avenue site. Developers may be considering bidding on that particular site, which is scheduled for tender in April 2025, instead.
Should the site be awarded at the top bid of $821 psf ppr, it will be the first private residential site (excluding Executive Condominiums) in the Tengah HDB township. The first EC, Copen Grand, was launched for sale in 2022 and saw all 639 units sold in just one month. The joint developers, City Developments Ltd (CDL) and MCL Land, had secured the site with a winning bid of $400.32 million, or $603 psf ppr, in 2021.
The opportunity to launch the first private condominium in the new Tengah estate may have been a key factor in attracting the Hong Leong-led consortium, says Chu of ERA. He believes that, having already made a name for themselves with developments in Lentor, Upper Thomson, and Bugis, this project presents a great opportunity for them to do the same in Tengah.
As the first private condominium, the development could also potentially attract a wider range of buyers than Executive Condominiums, which are subject to HDB eligibility criteria and restrictions such as a five-year minimum occupation period (MOP) and a monthly household income ceiling of $16,000. Mohan Sandrasegeran, the head of research & data analytics at SRI, agrees that the site’s proximity to the future Anglo-Chinese School (Primary) within 2km could be a huge draw for families with school-aged children.
If the site is awarded at the top bid of $821 psf ppr, PropNex estimates that the average selling price of the new private condominium could be around $2,000 psf. This is a slight 0.73% increase from the second-placed bid of $815 psf ppr from Chinese developer Kingsford Group. The third and final bid of $812 psf ppr was submitted by local developer Sim Lian Group.
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