About 1,000 HDB units added to upcoming Berlayar estate, with first BTO launch in October
Located at the site of the former Keppel Club, the new estate will kickstart the transformation of the Greater Southern Waterfront.
An artist's impression of the upcoming Berlayar housing estate. (Image: HDB)
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SINGAPORE: The new Berlayar housing estate being built on the former Keppel Club golf course site will have about 7,000 public flats, up from the 6,000 previously announced.
This came after detailed planning studies of the 48-hectare site in Bukit Merah, which will also include 3,000 private units, said Singapore's Housing and Development Board (HDB) on Tuesday (Sep 23).
In total, about 10,000 new public and private homes are planned for the new estate, which will mark the start of development plans for the Greater Southern Waterfront. This is an initiative to transform Singapore’s southern coastline – stretching 30km from Marina East to Pasir Panjang – into a new district for living, working and playing.
Berlayar estate’s first Build-to-Order (BTO) project, named Berlayar Residences, is scheduled for sale in October.
It will offer 870 two-room flexi, three-room and four-room flats across four blocks from 19 to 46 storeys high. The project, located between the Telok Blangah and Labrador Park MRT stations, will also have 200 public rental flats.
HDB said more details, including on the BTO project's classification, will be announced at the upcoming sales exercise.
Property analysts have said it could fall under the Prime category given its location on the city fringe. Prime as well as Plus flats are those with superior location-based attributes under HDB’s new flat classification framework. They come with stricter resale rules like subsidy clawbacks and a 10-year minimum occupation period.
Future projects in Berlayar will be launched progressively in the coming years, added HDB in a press release.
“Berlayar marks an exciting first step towards realising our vision for urban living along the Greater Southern Waterfront,” said National Development Minister Chee Hong Tat at an annual HDB awards ceremony, where he announced the masterplan for the new estate.
More than just a housing estate, Berlayar will be a “vibrant waterfront community where nature, heritage and modern living come together”, he added.
The history of Berlayar
Berlayar means sailing in Malay, and the use of the word reflects the area’s landmarks and maritime heritage.
Of particular significance is a granite rock outcrop called Batu Berlayar or sailing rock. It once stood near Berlayer Creek, and guided sailors and traders to Singapore’s shores as early as the 14th century.
It had other names too, as part of its long history. For example, it was known as the Lot’s Wife to British sailors, according to heritage portal roots.gov.sg.
It was also one of two rock outcrops known as the Dragon’s Teeth Gate, as cited in the travelogue of Chinese mariner and trader Wang Dayuan from the Yuan Dynasty in the 14th century.
The rock was blown up by the British in 1848, to widen the Keppel Straits. Today, a red-coloured 7m structure called Berlayar Beacon marks the site of Batu Berlayar.
10HA OF GREEN
HDB said it did an environmental impact assessment of the site, given its scale and proximity to nature areas like the Labrador Nature Reserve, Berlayar Creek and Southern Ridges.
There were also several rounds of engagement with different stakeholders such as nature groups, to gather feedback and suggestions on the proposed plans.
Where feasible, suggestions have been incorporated into the plans for Berlayar estate, said HDB.
For starters, it will have four green corridors ranging from 30 to 60m wide. These offer green recreational areas for residents and help facilitate ecological connectivity between the Southern Ridges and Labrador Nature Reserve.
One of the corridors, Henderson, was realigned to lead birds towards the forests at Bukit Chermin and Labrador Nature Reserve, and away from existing high-rise developments.
The Berlayar corridor will buffer a mangrove habitat at Berlayar Creek from new developments, and form part of an upcoming Berlayar Creek Nature Park.
At the intersection of the Northern and Berlayar corridors, a hill knoll with several mature trees will be retained as an important resting and landing point for birds flying over the West Coast Highway from the Southern Ridges.
Overall, the Berlayar estate will have up to 10ha, or 20 per cent of the area, set aside for green spaces. This is equivalent to about 18 football fields.
“Beyond the park and green corridors, there will also be green spaces within the development such as roof gardens and skyrise greenery, providing residents with visual relief from urban surroundings while offering habitats for urban biodiversity,” said Mr Chee.
The design of the HDB flats in Berlayar estate also draws inspiration from the vicinity.
For instance, blocks are set to be built at staggered heights influenced by the sloping hills of Bukit Merah. They will also be orientated in ways to provide more residents with views of the Southern Ridges and the coast.
The HDB estate will be painted in white and blue to reflect their waterfront setting, while incorporating motifs of fauna species found in the area.
These include the long-winged tomb bat, mangrove horseshoe crab and smooth-coated otter, which will feature in community living rooms and wayfinding signage at Berlayar Residences, the first BTO project there.
HDB said there will be a mix of amenities such as preschools, supermarkets and eating houses in the area. In the nearby Telok Blangah estate, a new food centre and market is scheduled to be completed by 2027.
The Berlayar estate is also set to be gazetted as car-lite, with walking and cycling networks.
The agency added that sustainability will be part of the estate's design, including through the use of cool coatings and HDB blocks being arranged in the north-south direction, where possible, to reduce urban heat.
In addition, all BTO developments will have smart lighting systems and features like rain gardens and bioswales to improve stormwater management.
