Turf City is a 176-hectare land plot located near some of Singapore’s most prestigious residential properties, including multi-million-dollar homes in the GCB area of Swiss Club Road or Binjai Park.
A new housing estate is planned on the Turf City land, and will include the first housing for public in Bukit Timah in over 40 years.
The new housing estate is being developed in phases over 20 to 30 year, beginning at areas nearer to the existing transport nodes on Dunearn Road.
Formerly home to South-east Asia’s premier racecourse, the 176-hectare Turf City parcel is located among Singapore’s most prime real estate. It faces multimillion-dollar homes in the Good Class Bungalows areas of Swiss Club Road (GCB), Binjai Park, and Binjai Park.
Bukit Timah Turf city is intended to be a highly accessible and inclusive estate. This is the first public housing planned in Bukit Timah in over 40 years. It is designed to accommodate the growing desire among Singaporeans for a closer proximity to their places of work in the city.
The majority of analysts believe that the four-room Build To Order flats (BTOs) in the new estate will cost between S$500,000-S$700,000.
Four-room flats in Upper Bukit Timah’s Toh Yi Drive sold on average for S$800,000.
Turf City BTO apartments could be priced as low as S$800,000. While some executive maisonette apartments in Toh Yi Drive sold for more than S$1,000,000 in the last year, this could be because of the scarcity.
Turf City’s first condominium launch could have a price range between S$3,200 to S$3,200 for each square foot.
Fourth Avenue Residences is the closest and newest 99 year leasehold condo, completed in 2020. It was sold at a median of S$2,679/sqft in 2023 and in 2024. Prices could rise between 10 and 20% by the time the first site is launched.
Turf City hosted horse races from 1933 until 1999. The Singapore Turf Club then relocated the venue to Kranji, to reduce traffic in the area. Plans were announced to close the club in 2023, to allow for more housing to be built in Kranji. The Turf Club will hold its final race in October of 2024.
Turf City, in Bukit Timah, has been zoned largely for residential purposes under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s Master Plan. This is to accommodate future housing needs. It was leased by tenants such as childcare providers and motor vehicle dealers. Food and beverage outlets and sports facilities were also included.
The plans for Bukit Timah Turf city highlight our approach to planning in Singapore’s land-scarce environment and our commitment towards realising the vision set out in the Draft Master Plan to make Singapore an attractive, inclusive and liveable home for all.
We are not going to intensify the entire site. Instead, we will try to preserve and integrate sensitively the significant heritage and nature elements into the new estate to create a unique environment based on the natural space and history of the region.
Turf City has four distinct neighbourhoods – Racecourse, Saddle Club Knolls (also known as Saddle Club Knolls), Stables Commune, and Tinggi Hills.
Each neighbourhood will reflect its unique character by integrating existing heritage buildings. Saddle club Knolls will be defined, for instance, by the undulating terrain of surrounding forests.
Turf City residents will have two MRT stations to choose from, Sixth Avenue along the Downtown Line as well as another station on upcoming Cross Island Line. Both are located within 800m of each other or about a 10 minute walk. Connectivity will also be improved by the addition of buses.
URA announced that the estate would be designed “with reduced parking to give priority to space for public amenities, gardens and housing”.
Turf City is aiming to be a pedestrian friendly, car-lite development with “10 minute neighbourhoods”, which will include shops, community and recreation facilities, parks, as well as public transport hubs, all within 10 minutes of walking distance for residents.
A third of the property will be dedicated to green areas, including parks, open space and natural greenery.
URA’s Environmental Impact Assessment of the area revealed 177 plant species, 25 animal species with conservation significance. This included the globally endangered Straw-headed bulbs and Sunda pangolin. The majority of these species are found in two forest areas, Eng Neo Avenue Forest (and Bukit Tinggi).
Most of these areas are being retained to preserve the natural capital and will be studied for their integration into the future park system.
Total of 27 buildings, structures, and artifacts that represent the history of the Turf Club are being studied to determine whether they should be retained or repurposed for other uses. This includes the North Grandstand which is a Modernist style structure from 1980s, and housed thousands upon thousands of racegoers.
A large, open space, twice as big as the Padang in front of Grandstands will pay tribute to the sporting heritage of this site. Bukit Timah Turf City’s oval-shaped space will be based on the geometrical layout of historic racetracks. It will be used for both sports and recreation.
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