Turf City’s 176 hectares of land is situated in some of Singapore’s premier residential real estate. The plot faces multi million-dollar properties on Swiss Club Road, Binjai Park and the GCB.
The first public housing to be planned in Bukit Timah after 40 years will be located on the Turf City Site.
The new housing estate, which will start with areas that are closer to Dunearn Road transport nodes in the first 20-30 years of development.
The 176-hectare Turf City land plot, formerly home to South-east Asia’s best racecourses is situated in some of Singapore’s finest residential real estate. This includes multi-million-dollar properties located on Swiss Club Road near Binjai Park and Good Class Bungalows.
Bukit Timah Turf City is designed to be a welcoming and accessible estate. For the first 40 years, Bukit Timah has had public housing. The plan is to address the desire of Singaporeans, who are increasingly wishing to live close to their jobs in the city.
Most analysts predict four-room Build To Order apartments in the new development, which will likely be classified as prime flats, could range from S$500,000 – S$700,000.
In the first three months of 2024, four-room flats on Toh Yi Drive, in Upper Bukit Timah, were selling for an average of S$800,000.
Turf City BTO flats with the highest price could begin at S$800,000. The Housing and Development Board, which has stopped building executive apartments, may have been the reason for the high price paid.
Turf City’s private housing segment could see the first condominiums priced between S$3,200 (per square foot) and S$3,200 (per square meter).
Fourth Avenue Residences in Singapore, the newest and nearest 99-year Leasehold Condominium completed in 2012, was transacted in secondary markets in 2023-2024 at S$2,679/sqft. It could be a few more year before the site opens, and by that time prices might have risen up to 20%.
Turf City served as a popular venue for horse racing between 1933 and 1998, until the Singapore Turf Club decided to relocate to Kranji. This was done to relieve the congestion of the surrounding area. Plans to shut down the club by 2023 were announced, in order to create more housing for Kranji. Turf Club’s last race will be held in October 2024.
Turf City has been zoned residentially under the Urban Redevelopment Authority master plan since 1998. The site is designed to meet future housing demands. The Turf City site in Bukit Timah was leased until 2023 to tenants like childcare providers. Motor vehicle dealers. Food and Beverage outlets. And sports facilities.
The plans to build Bukit Timah’s Turf City demonstrate the planning approach we have taken in Singapore. They also show our commitment to realising our vision of the Draft Master Plan, 2025. Our goal is to make Singapore liveable for everyone.
In spite of its size, the site will not be completely intensified. We will instead work to protect and integrate with care the nature and heritage aspects that are significant to the new estate. The goal is to create an unique environment, anchored by the history and natural areas of the area. Read more about Lakeside new launch: Sora Condocondo
Turf City’s four neighbourhoods include Racecourse (Racecourse), Saddle Club Knolls (“Saddle Club Knolls”), Stables Commune (“Stables Commune”), and Tinggi Hills (“Tinggi Hills”).
Each neighbourhood’s unique character will be expressed through the integration of heritage buildings. Saddleclub Knolls is defined by the terrain’s undulations and its surrounding forest.
Turf City has two MRT stops, Sixth Avenue Station on the Downtown Line & another station in the Cross Island Line. The residents are only 800m away or a 10 min walk. Buses are also available to enhance connectivity.
URA has stated that it will plan the estate “with less parking space in order to prioritise public amenities, landscaping and housing”, and will have a “comprehensive pedestrian and cycling” network.
Turf City should be pedestrian-friendly and car-lite, with “10 Minute neighbourhoods” that include parks, shops, community-based facilities and recreational areas, as well public transport stops.
About one-third the estate will be green spaces such as parks, open spaces and greenery.
URA carried out an Environmental Impact Assessment on the area and found 177 plants and 25 animals of conservation importance, including the globally threatened Strawheaded Bulbul and Sunda Pangolin. Many of these plants and animals were found at two forested sites – Eng Neo Avenue Forest, and Bukit Tinggi.
To protect these two forest areas and their natural capital, they will retain the majority of them. They will also be studied to determine how these areas can be integrated in the future park networks.
There are 27 buildings or structures that have a connection to the Turf Club’s past. These will be evaluated for their retention and potential repurposing. One of these is the North Grandstand. It was a Modernist building from the 1980s and it housed many racegoers.
A large space, double the size the Padang’s open area, in front will pay homage and honor the site’s sporting heritage. Bukit Timah Turf City is designed to have a central oval space which refers to the geometry of historical racetracks. The space will be used to host sports and recreational activities.
