Just when you think Singapore is running out of space, there is news that a whole new town will be built in the west side of the country. Announced in Parliament earlier this week by National Development Minister Lawrence Wong, the new town nicknamed “Forest Town” – Tengah will be around the size of Bishan and bordering Choa Chu Kang, Bukit Batok and Jurong West HDB estates.
Photo credit: HDB
Apparently mooted as early as 1991, Tengah will be an industrial park that blends nature with industries from the nearby Jurong Innovation District. In the planning are 55,000 new homes. With the buzz that has been rallying around the west – new condominiums and HDB flats in Lakeside, Bukit Batok and Choa Chu Kang – and a general rejuvenation of the Jurong regional industrial and business district, new property hot spots may spark new interest in previously underrated districts while areas which are already popular may burn even brighter.
Photo credit: HDB
Across the island, part of the plans to rejuvenate Singapore include a new creative cluster in Punggol, a new waterfront Northern Growth corridor that embraces Woodlands and Sembawang and also a second regional business district at Jurong Lake. The government also has plans to rejuvenate older towns such as Toa Payoh, Pasir Ris and Woodlands.
As infrastructure and commercial opportunities expand over the next 1o to 20 years, the property market may gradually witness a more seamless flow of demand and supply over most districts.
