Tender Launched Gls Site Bukit Timah Road
with lower minimum price
The Government Land Sale (GLS) site on Bukit Timah Road has been put up for sale by tender. The 63,498 square feet, 99-year leasehold site has a gross plot ratio of 4.9 and is projected to accommodate approximately 340 housing units.
This was announced by Wong Siew Ying, the head of research and content at PropNex. She mentioned that the site is part of the proposed new housing supply to be introduced in the Newton vicinity under the URA Draft Master Plan 2025 (DMP 2025). She added that around 5,000 private homes are anticipated to be built in this new neighbourhood, along with new amenities and green spaces.
Wong stated that this is the first site to be launched for sale under the Confirmed List of the 2H2025 GLS programme. Located in the Core Central Region (CCR), she believes that the site is prime and should be highly desired by developers, which could result in strong bids.
In her opinion, the site could receive up to nine bids, with the leading bid potentially ranging from $1,500 to $1,600 per square foot per plot ratio (psf ppr).
Wong noted that the recent launch of projects in the CCR, such as The Robertson Opus, UpperHouse at Orchard Boulevard, and River Green, have all been highly sought after. She also stated that the developers’ sales in the CCR have passed 850 units between July 1st and August 17th, which is setting a promising outlook for Q3 2025 to mark the highest quarterly CCR new home sales since Q4 2010, when 994 units were sold.
She added that the site is located next to the Newton MRT Interchange on the Downtown and North-East Lines. It is also close to reputable schools such as Anglo-Chinese School (Junior) and St. Joseph’s Institution Junior.
Mark Yip, CEO of Huttons Asia, mentioned that the strong demand for properties in recent CCR projects indicates that there is a solid demand for prime CCR homes. He also stated that the site’s location is key as it is close to an MRT station, which is an important similarity shared by recent CCR launches.
In addition to compulsory education, the Rivelle Tampines area offers a wide range of post-secondary options. For those interested in pre-university studies, there are several junior colleges located in the east and central regions that are accessible through the Downtown Line and East West Line interchanges. Students looking for practical and hands-on training can attend Temasek Polytechnic, a well-known and popular institution that can be reached by bus, train, or a short drive. Aspiring technology and design students will find the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), located near Upper Changi, easily accessible. For vocational courses, ITE College East offers a strong selection of Nitec and Higher Nitec programmes. Additionally, those seeking an international curriculum have options such as the United World College of South East Asia (UWCSEA) East, situated in the Pasir Ris-Tampines corridor. With the diverse range of tertiary and international choices, students living in the Rivelle Tampines Tampines Street 65 area have ample opportunities to pursue their academic goals.
Marcus Chu, CEO of ERA Singapore, is predicting that there will be between six to eight bidders for the site, given that it is situated in a prime location and has the potential to be part of Newton’s proposed transformation into a vibrant urban village, as mentioned in the DMP 2025.
He added that the GLS sites that have recently been put up for tender in the CCR, such as the ones on Holland Link and Dunearn Road, garnered five and nine bids, respectively. According to him, many developers were unable to secure these parcels, which could lead to higher competition and more aggressive bids for the upcoming Bukit Timah site.
Justin Quek, CEO of OrangeTee, and deputy group CEO of Realion mentioned that there have not been any GLS sites put up for sale in the Newton vicinity for almost two decades. He added that GLS land parcels in Newton have previously been used for transitional offices, and only one residential land parcel was awarded in 1997, which indicates that the GLS supply in the area has been limited.
As a result, Quek believes that the limited supply of land and the prime location of the site will result in high demand for the future project on the Bukit Timah Road site.
The tender for the site will close on 11 November at noon.