Chinatown’s Pearl’s Hill Will Soon Have BTO Flats as URA Redevelops the Area

Singapore’s Chinatown has been on a hot streak lately.

So, lest you’re unaware, it recently got into Time Out’s top 40 coolest neighbourhoods in the world, garnering a respectable 14th.

No small feat, considering how it was squaring off against the likes of Zhongshan and Dotonburi.

Yet, barely after it went worldwide, it has again garnered attention.

This time, it’s for an exciting project on Pearl’s Hill in Chinatown.

Chinatown’s Pearl’s Hill Will Soon Have BTO Flats as URA Redevelops the Area

Keen to BTO in one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world? You may soon get your chance to do so.

Lest you’re unaware, Pearl’s Hill is one of two remaining hills in the city vicinity and housed the former police commander’s bungalows and police barracks – historical landmarks built in the 1920s and 1930s.

Briefly termed Mount Stamford, it is set to become more vibrant with the Draft Master Plan 2025.

Over the next decade or so, around 6,000 public and private homes will be constructed on Pearl’s Hill.

This is the first time in more than 40 years that new public housing has been introduced to the Pearl’s Hill area.

Touted as “unique hillside living in the city”, the flats will entail Build-to-Order (BTO) and rental flats, condominiums and serviced apartments.

Considering how the hill offers an exciting topography of heritage and modern buildings, as well as lush greenery at the nearby park, it could indeed be phrased as “unique hillside giving in the city”.

The area will also become a car-lite district with cycling and walking routes. Street-level and elevated connections will be established to conveniently access Pearl’s Hill City Park, essential transport and amenity nodes.

While we’re at it, Pearl’s Hill City Park is due for an upgrade as well, with key enhancements such as new park facilities and health-positive contemplative landscapes.

The former police barracks will also offer opportunities for adaptive reuse, as they’re set for a new blend of lifestyle offerings and open spaces.

Draft Masterplan 2025

To meet Singaporeans’ needs, as well as the growing demand for housing, plans to incorporate more homes and neighbourhoods in central locations have emerged.

These plans are touted as aspects of the Draft Master Plan 2025, a big-picture scheme to “Shape a Happy Healthy City”.

Apart from Pearl’s Hill in Chinatown, other areas that are set to benefit are Marina South, Bukit Timah Turf City, Mount Pleasant and the Greater Southern Waterfront.

The new Marina South neighbourhood will overlook Gardens by the Bay and entail a mix of residential, retail, office and hotel developments, with a capacity of more than 10,000 homes.

The turf city area will see a car-lite neighbourhood situated close to the Sixth Avenue station.

As for Mount Pleasant, six BTO projects comprising 5,000 homes will be created over the next ten years in a 33-ha estate, with the first expected to be completed in 2025.

Exhibition

The plans will be exhibited at The URA Centre from now until 2 February 2024. The public can freely visit the exhibition and provide feedback.

Guided tours of the exhibition are also available here.

As for updates on the Draft Master Plan 2025, you can visit this link to stay updated. Apart from the Master Plan, you can also learn more about their Planning Process, as well as their Long-Term Plan Review.