Portsdown memory lane...

SINGAPORE (ST Kinetics at Portsdown Road.) : It used to be where Singapore's military vehicles were produced but come September, the building that houses defence company ST Kinetics at Portsdown Road will be demolished to make way for Singapore's new digital media hub - Mediapolis.

Some of the buildings along Portsdown Road have been around since the colonial days.

But together with other buildings that make up ST Kinetics, they will all soon just be a memory.

For those with the company since it started in 1971, the site speaks volumes of how they toiled to ensure Singapore's defence.

Mr Alex Teo, who's been with the company for 27 years, recalls one of the company's milestones.

"When I joined the company in 1983 as a young engineer, I have been dreaming of the day we produce our own armoured fighting vehicles," Mr Teo said.

"In those days, we were just doing maintenance, some upgrading and retrofitting -- but we have progressed. 

"And when we finally, designed, developed and manufactured the first indigenous armoured fighting vehicle Bionix in 1997, to me, it was a dream come true. In fact, I was the one who organised the roll-out ceremony."

Today, the engineering workshop is empty. The workshop was said to be one of the most secretive places in Portsdown. 

That's because this was where engineers worked on prototypes of infantry fighting vehicles like the Bionix -- with the latest in line being the Terrex -- behind closed doors. 

ST Kinetics was also where the Warthog -- specially customised for the British forces for use in Afghanistan -- was manufactured.

The area is making way for Mediapolis @One North that will occupy an area the size of some 20 football fields. 

Some 1,000 staff of ST Kinetics have been relocated to new premises at Jalan Boon Lay and Chin Bee Road.

-CNA/wk

[ By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid | Posted: 27 February 2011 1634 hrs ]

Marine Parade renewal plan under way

SINGAPORE: A second five-year town renewal plan has been launched to turn the Marine Parade division into a gracious, warm and cohesive community.

Members of Parliament (MP) from the Marine Parade Group Representation Constituency (GRC) led by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong launched the town renewal plan aimed at bringing quality living in the town.

This is the second five-year renewal plan for the Marine Parade area.

The first one was launched in February 2006.

Since then, 95 per cent of eligible blocks in Marine Parade town have been selected or upgraded under the Lift Upgrading Programme while 11 precincts have undergone main and interim upgrading.

Speaking at the event, MP and Chairman of the Marine Parade Town Council, Mr Lim Biow Chuan, said more improvement projects such as covered linkways, playgrounds, fitness corners and games courts have been planned.

He said these have been carefully developed, based on feedback from residents and the unique demography of each estate.

Turning to the Marine Parade division, Senior Minister Goh said in the next five years, the town centre will get repairs as well as re-decoration programmes.

Shop owners in Marine Parade Central will be given the option to revitalise their shops.

-CNA/wk

[ By S Ramesh | Posted: 27 February 2011 1916 hrs ] 

HDB launches three BTO projects in Sengkang, Bukit Panjang

SINGAPORE: The Housing & Development Board (HDB) has launched three Build-To-Order (BTO) projects comprising 1,593 standard flats.

Two of the projects - Fernvale Flora and Fernvale Gardens - are located in Sengkang.

The third, Segar Vale, is in Bukit Panjang.

Units in Segar Vale cost between S$83,000 and S$354,000 while the units at the two Sengkang BTO projects cost between S$88,000 and S$378,000.

Ninety-five per cent of the flat supply will be set aside for First-Timer households.

First-time flat buyers are estimated to use 16 per cent to 24 per cent of their monthly household income to meet their monthly loan payments for flats in Fernvale Flora, Fernvale Gardens and Segar Vale.

HDB said it has ramped up its new flat supply significantly to meet the demand from first-timer households.

This year, it plans to offer up to 22,000 new flats under BTO, if demand is sustained.

In the first six months of 2011, flat buyers can look forward to about 11,000 new BTO flats.

These projects will have a good geographical spread in towns/estates such as Bukit Panjang, Jurong West, Punggol, Sengkang and Sembawang.

The next BTO launch in March 2011 will offer about 1,500 flats in Jurong West and Sengkang.

- CNA/fa

[ article extracted from channelnewsasia.com ]

Esparina Executive Condo – The Launch

What a day what a launch…  8th Oct 2010, official launch date for The Esparina Residences Executive Condo.

The balloting started promptly at 9am. Throngs of eager buyers were there much earlier to get a ‘good’ seat. By 9am, the holding area was already full with buyers and agents. It was a good thing that it didn’t rain.

Buyers were very quick to snap up majority of the 3Br units, prices were done at an average of $750psf. Demand for 2Br units were less from buyers, who were mainly young couples. Prices start from as low as $590k – $723k.

This would leave us to ponder if we should be having more 2Br in the upcoming executive condos, as with the same budget, buyers can possibly consider getting a DBSS which has a bigger live-in space.

As there are still outstanding units available, the showflat will still be opened to interested buyers.


Just in case you weren’t there over the weekend of the launch. Here’s some pictures for you.

It was quite a busy weekend with interested parties streaming into the showflat and submitting their names for a chance to get a unit in Esparina.

Busy Agents, Busy Buyers



Below are some random pics taken of the display showflats.

On display are the 2Br, 3Br+Utility and 3Br Dual Key.

2Br Living Hall

2Br Master Bedroom. Notice that there will not be any bay windows!

The attached bathroom. Notice the huge mirror. Alot buyers who visited commented on the big and comfortable bathroom space.

The kitchen will come fully done up. With the top and bottom cabinets. Inclusive of an oven as well.

Missing out on the launch? The last day for registration will be this coming Tues, 5th Oct.
Balloting results will be out on Fri, 8th Oct, 9am sharp.

The Site Map is finally out!

Executive Condo Esparina Residences – Units Types

Unit Types for Esparina Residences Executive Condo
Unit Type No. of Units Typical Unit Approx Area (sft)
2 Bedroom 165 829
3 Bedroom Compact 127 1,001
3 Bedroom +Utility 156 1,066
3Br Dual-key 53 1,152
4 Bedroom + Utility 34 1,367
4 Br Dual-key 18 1,464
Penthouses 20 1,690 – 2,583

Esparina Executive Condo- Floor Plans (Penthouse)

Esparina Executive Condo- Floor Plans (4 Bedroom)

Esparina Executive Condo- Floor Plans (3 Bedroom)

Esparina Executive Condo- Floor Plans (2Bedroom)
The long awaited floor plans are here!!






Out of budget for Esparina but still want an Executive Condo?

Do you and your partner worry that you may be priced out of reach for buying Esparina Residences?

If location is not an issue and you still wish to enjoy the benefits of having an executive condo, you can actually consider The Canopy @ Yishun.

Estimated to be launched around the same time as Esparina Residences (perhaps 1-2 weeks after), The Canopy is being developed by MCCLAND (Singapore) Pte Ltd. Also the same company that helped completed Universal Studios, an iconic landmark at RWS, Sentosa.

Location wise, the project is situated along Yishun Ave 11, approx 3 bus-stops away from Yishun MRT.

And more importantly, it is understood that The Canopy is expected to be launched at a more attractive price than Esparina Residences.

How much lower we do not know exactly for now. While a 2Br for Esparina Residences could be in the high 600K region, a similar unit in The Canopy may probably go at lower 600k.

That’s a potentially 50-100k savings which could works out to a lot if you are cash tight.

Esparina Executive Condo – Site Visit

Decided on Sat evening to have a better look at the environment myself.

Took a leisurely drive from town via KPE to Buangkok Drive. And there I was.

The site is already being cordoned off and I suppose is going to be a temporary parking space for cars during the launch.

The showflat is right across the street but it’s currently empty. Execpt for a couple of agents standing around, there isn’t much there.

For those of you who have yet to go there, trust me. The MRT is literary just a stone’s throw away. Probably only about 200 metres from where Esparina is going to be.

24hrs Kopitiam is just right above the MRT exit. In fact there are 2 coffee shops around. So makan is definitely not a problem

There you go. The all important NTUC supermarket. For all your family’s groceries and daily needs. It’s not 24 hrs though. But there’s a 7-11 nearby as well. Very convenient.

And also not forgetting the many other shops. There’s laundry service, photocopying, hardware, tuition centre, etc etc

Oh and did I mention that Hougang Mall is less than 5min drive away?

[ article is extracted from executivecondosg.com ]

AEROPAK - Fuel Cell Propulsion System for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles

The AEROPAKTM is a game-changing fuel cell power system that increases the flight endurance of smaller and stealthier electric Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), making them more effective in persistent Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, a main focus area for leading defense and security organizations around the world.

The AEROPAKTM combines Horizon's aerospace grade fuel cell system with a proprietary chemical hydride fuel based hydrogen generator system. Effectively increasing the endurance by 300% to 400% over advanced lithium batteries currently in use opens new mission capabilities not previously possible for smaller UAS.










http://www.hes.sg/products.html
http://www.hes.sg/files/AEROPAK_Technical_Data_Sheet.pdf
http://www.hes.sg/files/AeropakProductPresentation.pps#256,1,Slide 1






.

Major changes to electoral boundaries

The new electoral boundaries report revealed major changes to the borders of various constituencies that will be contested in Singapore’s next general elections.

The report, which was released and approved on Thursday, saw three new Group Representation Constituencies (GRCs) — Chua Chu Kang, Nee Soon and Moulmein-Kallang.

Constituencies are classified as single member constituency (SMC) and group representation constituency (GRC) for single-seat constituency and multiple-seat constituency, respectively. In each GRC, at least one candidate or Member of Parliament (MP) must be from a minority race — either a Malay, Indian or Other.

There will also be an increase in the number of Single Member Constituencies (SMCs) from the present nine to 12.

This comes after the redrawing of boundaries saw eight new SMCs — Hong Kah North, Mountbatten, Pioneer, Punggol East, Radin Mas, Sengkang West, Whampoa and Yuhua. Five existing SMCs have been merged into other GRCs.

Four existing SMCs remain, including opposition-held Hougang and Potong Pasir together with the PAP helmed Joo Chiat and Bukit Panjang.

However, the report also saw two GRCs of Jalan Besar and Hong Kah dissolved, as were the four SMC wards of Chua Chu Kang, MacPherson, Nee Soon Central, Nee Soon East and Yio Chu Kang.

Reappearing for the first time since 1997 are four-member GRCs. There will now be two of them: Holland-Bukit Timah GRC, and a new GRC called Moulmein-Kallang.

Meanwhile, only two six-member GRCs remain — Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong’s Ang Mo Kio GRC, and Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean’s Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC.

Both Marine Parade and Tanjong Pagar GRCs, currently helmed by Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong and Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, respectively, will be downsized from six to five members.

Last October, Mr Lee announced the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee had been convened. Its report was accepted by the Government this week.

As a result of all the changes done to reflect population shifts and housing developments, the total number of constituencies will go up from 23 to 27.

As such, the total number of Member of Parliaments (MPs) will also increase from the current 84 to 87; comprising 12 from SMCs and 75 from GRCs. The average number of MPs per GRC will be five.

Sweeping changes to the electoral boundaries had been expected after Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong announced in May 2009 the government’s intention to reduce the average size of GRCs and increase the number of single seat wards.

The measure is part of a raft of electoral reforms to introduce more diversity into the political system. It was also welcomed by the opposition parties which have traditionally found it harder to muster the resources to contest in GRCs.





[ By Faris – February 25th, 2011 ]

Property prices may soon drop

SINGAPORE: The head of Singapore's second-largest developer said property prices in the Republic could drop by three to five per cent this year.

City Development's billionaire chairman, Kwek Leng Beng, gave this assessment as his company announced a record pre-tax profit of more than S$1 billion for 2010.

Housing unit prices in Singapore could experience a small drop this year because of the government's latest property cooling measures, which include a steep stamp duty on sellers.

Mr Kwek said a price correction will be a good opportunity for buyers to re-enter the market - especially for properties on Sentosa island, home to one of Singapore's two integrated resorts (IRs).

"I believe the volume will go down to some extent. The prices will not plunge. The prices, depending on where, may be down three to five per cent," Mr Kwek said.

"But the volume will be down to some extent. But that is an opportune time for you to consider buying, in my opinion. And the best place to buy is Sentosa because there's no more land for sale.

"There are plenty of developers offering units for sale in Sentosa. And Sentosa, with the IR, is becoming more and more popular."

Mr Kwek said Singapore will continue to be an attractive market for property investments. Last year, developers sold a total of 16,292 units in Singapore.

But he said that if the economy continues to grow strongly and property prices do not drop, the government may step in with fresh cooling measures.

"I think this time, the measures introduced (by the government) are much more effective than before," Mr Kwek said.

"They are also keeping a watchful eye to make sure that the bubbles will not build up to such an extent that eventually the market will not be sustainable. It has ramification for all - especially the buyers. In many ways, we welcome the measure.

"If there is a temporary slowdown, so be it. We have to accept the fact that even real estate businesses is cyclical in nature.

Despite the likelihood of slowdown in the property market, CDL said it is confident it will remain profitable in the next six to 12 months.

For the full-year ended December 31, CDL's pre-tax profit rose 24.1 per cent to S$1.03 billion or US$804 million - a record since the company started operations in 1963.

Higher earnings were led by hotel operations and property development.

But its full-year revenue was down 4.4 per cent to S$3.1 billion.

Last year, CDL sold 1,560 units valued at S$2.1 billion or US$1.6 million. This was higher than the 1,508 units sold in 2009.

The company said it plans to launch 580 units in the first half of this year in properties such as the H2O Residences and Buckley 9 and 11.

The company's board has recommended a total dividend payout of 18 cents per share.

CNA/wk

[ By Millet Enriquez | Posted: 24 February 2011 2127 hrs ]

HDB receives 19 bids for Bishan land parcel

The Housing and Development Board (HDB) has received a total of 19 bids for the residential land parcel at Bishan Street 14 at the close of its tender on Thursday.

Bishan Residential Development submitted the highest bid of S$550.1 million for the site.

The 11,997 square metre land parcel is meant for condominium housing development and is being offered for sale on a 99-year lease.

It has a maximum gross floor area of about 58,786 square metres, which can yield an estimated 650 dwelling units.

The top bid of S$550.1 million for the land parcel translates to about S$9,358 per square metre per gross floor area or approximately S$868psf.

The next highest bid of S$432.3 million came from Keppel Land Realty, followed by a S$427.8 million bid by MCC Land (Singapore).

Other tenderers included Qingdao Construction (Singapore), MCL Land, Allgreen Properties and Sim Lian Land.

The lowest bid of S$213 million was submitted by Leng Hoe Development.

The land parcel was launched for public tender on January 21.

HDB said it would evaluate the bids and announce the final tender results within the next two weeks.



[this article is extracted from ChannelNewsAsia.com ]

Electoral Boundaries - Opposition parties, MPs react to boundaries report

 The Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report has been accepted by the government. (Photo: Yahoo!)

Residents living in Sengkang West and Punggol East could be in for some excitement when the General Election comes around as at least two opposition parties have expressed interest in the soon-to-be formed Single Member Constituencies.

The Workers’ Party (WP) and Singapore Democratic Alliance (SDA) expressed interest in these two areas on Thursday, following the release of the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee report.

WP chairman Sylvia Lim explained their interest saying, the two new SMCs are close to Aljunied GRC, which the party is familiar with.

Together with a People’s Action Party candidate, there could well be three parties contesting in the two SMCs.

MP for Pasir Ris-Punggol Michael Palmer, who was surprised to find his ward, Punggol East, carved out into a SMC, told Yahoo! Singapore he welcomes the challenge.

Given his consistent work in the area, he is confident of voters’ support should he be fielded to contest in the SMC, he said. “I’m excited and happy to run in a single man ward,” he added.

Besides the two SMCs, the SDA also plans to contest in the six-member Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC, said its secretary-general Desmond Lim. This is subject to the Supreme Executive Council’s approval.

SDA could, however, give up the Sengkang West SMC to avoid a three-cornered fight with WP, Mr Lim told media later in the day. More details will be released after the council meets next week.

According to the report, Jalan Besar and Hong Kah GRCs will be taken off the electoral map and two new GRCs, Choa Chu Kang and Moulmein-Kallang will be formed. Eight new SMCs have been created, while five current SMCs will be absorbed into other GRCs.

PAP MPs were not surprised with the changes.

MP for Jalan Besar Denise Phua said, “We knew that more single wards will be carved out and wards sitting at the edge of GRCs are more susceptible.”

She had only expected either Whampoa or Kreta Ayer Kim Sengin Jalan Besar GRC to be carved out, but says there is “good reason” for both to be taken out. Ms Phua hopes to run in the new Moulmein-Kallang GRC, where the current ward Kampong Glam in.

MP for Hong Kah GRC Amy Khor and MP for West Coast Ho Geok Choo attributed the changes to the GRCs size.

Dr Khor said, there has been a “significant increase in population” in Choa Chua Kang and Yew Tee.

“A Choa Chu Kang GRC is more appropriate,” she said. A large part of the Hong Kah GRC is, in fact, within the Choa Chu Kang area, such as Yew Tee and Keat Hong. There will be a new Hong Kah North SMC instead.

And while she waits for the PAP to announce its candidates, Dr Khor said, she will continue to work hard to serve residents at her ward, Hong Kah North.

“We’re all quite prepared that in Jurong and West Coast, we would have two or three SMCs carved out (because of the GRC size),” said Mdm Ho. Pioneer SMC will be carved from West Coast GRC, while Yuhua SMC will come from Jurong GRC.

On the different configurations of SMC and four to six-member GRCs, Mdm Ho said, “The variety will make (the elections) very interesting.”

“The different sizes will mean that the programmes and approaches could vary a little bit, from the small to medium to large sized (constituencies),” she said.

Some opposition political parties, however, felt the review committee could have gone further in allowing for more competition.

“Overall, we believe there is gerrymandering in the ruling party’s favour,” said WP’s Ms Lim.

The party noted, Hong Kah and Jalan Besar GRCs which will be dissolved are helmed by Ministers ( Mr Yeo Cheow Tong and Dr Lee Boon Yang respectively) who have stepped down from the Cabinet and plan to retire.

Ms Lim said, “seven polling districts close to Hougang SMC (block 600+ Hougang Ave 8), where WP has significant support, has been carved out and given to Ang Mo Kio GRC (and) six new precincts in Marine Parade GRC (Bedok North) have been carved into Aljunied GRC.”

“As the number of electors under the new Aljunied GRC is not significantly different from those under Aljunied GRC in the last GE, one has to ask – why the changes?” she questioned.

She added, the two SMCs WP contested in 2006, Nee Soon Central and Nee Soon East, have been dissolved. A five-member Nee Soon GRC is formed instead.

Mrs Lina Chiam whose husband is Mr Chiam See Tong, secretary-general of the Singapore People’s Party, said that it is good news that there is no change made to Potong Pasir. She also revealed that she will contest in the constituency as she is well-informed on the area since she has always been by the side of her husband.

National Solidarity Party secretary-general Goh Meng Seng said, “Among all opposition parties, NSP is hardest hit.”He explained, areas where the party has concentrated on (Jalan Besar and some SMCs) have been dissolved.

Mr Goh, however, commended the return of the four-member GRC. It was last implemented in 1991.

He said, the party will contest in Tampines and Jurong GRC, with Mr Goh leading the Tampines team. They aim to field between 20 to 30 candidates.

Reform Party secretary-general Kenneth Jeyeratnam was disappointed the committee only recommended the minimum 12 SMC s.

The Reform Party intends to contest in Hong Kah North SMC, Pioneer SMC, Radin Mas SMC, Chua Chu Kang GRC and West Coast GRC, said Mr Jeyeratnam. He declined to confirm the number of candidates contesting.

Said Mr Lim of SDA, “I thought the number of GRCs were to be reduced. But it’s okay, we are well-prepared. We’ll still be able to take them on.”

According to the report, there will be 15 GRCs, one more than the current 14.

The Singapore Democratic Party secretary-general Chee Soon Juan has called for the Electoral Boundaries Review Committee to present its findings and explain its recommendations.

“There doesn’t seem to be any logical explanation as to the way the boundaries have been drawn. They seem to have been carved up in a haphazard way to benefit the PAP,” he said.

SDP will leverage on the Internet in the campaign and will step up its ground campaign in the coming weeks, said Dr Chee. “We will be confirming our slate of candidates in the weeks ahead and we will announce them at the appropriate time.”

[ By Alicia Wong – February 24th, 2011 ]

Turn Every Question into a Quest... No Matter how Bizarre

Singapore Property Market Sentiment Significantly Affected By New Measures

In a recent survey I carried out to Propwise.sg subscribers, 66% of the 269 respondents believe that the current fourth round of property control measures by the government are sufficiently harsh to prevent the formation (or worsening) of a property bubble in Singapore.

71% of the respondents believe that property prices will stay flat or go down in 2011 as a result of the measures, a sharp contrast to the majority of analysts who had forecasted continued property price appreciation for this year before the measures were announced. Many believe that the measures would severely restrict the buying pool to just new home buyers, making it difficult for investors, speculators and even some upgraders from buying.

Of the 29% of respondents who thought that prices would still continue to appreciate in 2011, the low interest rate environment, strong economy and low unemployment levels were cited as reasons for the continued strength of the market despite the measures.

31% of respondents were putting off any further property investments for the time being due to the measures, suggesting that the near term pool of buyers and thus strength of demand would be weaker going forward. On the selling side, only 7% of respondents were looking to sell their property soon before the market got worse, possibly a result of the strong balance sheet of the sellers. With buyers holding back and sellers not desperate to sell, transaction volumes are likely to plummet, making the life of a property agent difficult indeed.

The measures were also criticized by some respondents for preventing genuine buyers and upgraders from making their purchases. The high amount of cash required to buy the second property would present a significant stumbling block for the average Singaporean.

Investors would also be forced to think hard about keeping their property for the long term as they cannot expect to flip it for a profit upon TOP as they did in the past – their focus will have to shift from capital appreciation to rental yield. Also, with the higher downpayment requirement for a second and greater mortgage, the return on capital will have declined, making property a less attractive investment for some.

There was also some feedback about how the measures have not differentiated between locals and foreigners. In fact, some believe the measures actually tilt the playing field in favour of cash-rich foreigners who could then take advantage of any weakness in the market to pick up more properties at bargain prices.

Interestingly, long term investors have not been deterred by the measures – 55% of the respondents were keen on making a property investment if prices fell. The main issue was on how severe the fall in prices would be. Unless there was an external crisis of some sort, the situation was not likely to be as bad as during the Asian Crisis post-1998 due to the ample liquidity in the system. Some respondents thought a fall in prices of 10% to 15% would be sufficient to lure them back into the market.

Some interesting comments from respondents

“As long as Singapore economy is still doing well and the low interest rate environment is still there, property will continue to do well too. Unemployment is very low plus incremental wages are all good factors. Don’t forget, stock market will continue to do well this year as Asia is still booming.”

“Buyers of shoe-box units (cubicles) of 350 to 500 sq ft (Mickey Mouse units) are another significant culprit contributing to rising property prices. Though the quantum payment is small and hence affordable, in terms of $psf, it is a quantum leap. This gives the developers the boldness to keep raising their prices to well beyond $1,000 psf even in far-flung places as Choa Chu Kang and Yishun on 99-year leasehold land. The government should therefore forbid the building of homes below a certain built-in area. Having said all this, I am more than convinced that current prices are highly inflated and not sustainable.”

“I think it is not so much of preventing a property bubble as we are already in a bubble. It should be more of how to downsize/deflate the bubble gradually without bursting it.”

“Now that I can no longer make money investing on properties in Singapore, I will be looking more actively on overseas properties (ie. UK).”

“Speculators’ sentiments will be dampened but hopefully first-time buyers and cash-rich upgraders will benefit from this move. ”

“Unlike 96 and 07, the market today is flooded with cash. There is enough liquidity now to see prices going up for a while, at least for this year. After that, anyway, it’s 2012. We need not worry about property prices when the world is coming to an end, do we?”

[ extracted from Propwise.sg ]

My Manhattan: Site Recce and Price

My Manhattan, situated not in the heart of New York, USA but in the heart of Simei, Singapore. This 99-year condo by CEL Developments sitting right beside Simei MRT and Eastpoint Mall seems to be a winner on paper already. 

When we paid them a visit today, they were selling rather well, but not as well as we thought they would. Perhaps it was the price that was the key stumbling block. More on this later, but first...

Here's a recap of My Manhattan - My Manhattan is Simei's latest

Here's the location

Image: Onemap.sg

Here's a site overlay

Site overlay is approximate. Image: Onemap.sg

Here's a view of Eastpoint Mall

Folks eating at the upper floor restaurants will get a great view of your living room. We know a nice curtain and screen specialist.

Here's a view of Blk 253

Only a 4-lane road separates your bedroom with your prying neighbour. Again, curtain-specialists, take note.

Here's a view of the MRT line

Don't worry about the tracks. There will be a huge 6-storey multistorey carpark built blocking noise from the trains. More on this later. That is Modena you see in the background.

Here's a view of the landed units to the south-east

According to the agent that spoke to us, only the 5th floor and above gets an unblocked view. Those lower units - I don't think you'd like a view of green slope or red-tile when you wake up in the mornings.

Price
Okay, here's the thing - we did say it will hit the 1,000 psf mark - we were wrong! Prices for 5 storey and above units for 2 and 3 bedders range from $1,150 to $1,250psf! That's really high for a place like Simei. I know what you're thinking - "Lakefront Residences also doing around this price range, so why not My Manhattan?". Well if you put it that way, then the price is fair, in this current context and climate, why not? The developers have done their homework.

That said, the sales have not been as good as we expected though. The showroom was not the most crowded and about 20% of the 1-BR units released are still not sold (they usually are sold out in the preview launch for hot hot condo launches). The high price could be a factor. Perhaps the cooling measures maybe? 

[ this article is extracted from H88.com ]

My Manhattan: Review

So we paid My Manhattan in Simei a visit last weekend and here's what we think of this 99-year leasehold condo by CEL Developments.

Note that the blocks facing the road are removed.

Here's a recap of the condo:

Developer: CEL Development
District: 18
Tenure: 99-years leasehold
Expected TOP: End 2014
Site area: 126,939 sqft
Blocks: 6
Storeys: 12
Units: 301

Notable Facilities
6 storey high waterfall
Cantilever gym
Aqua seats and beds
Viewing deck

Unit Breakdown and Typical Sizes (Approximate)
Studio/ 1 BR (~441 sqft - 560 sqft)
2 BR (~861 sqft - 936 sqft)
3 BR (~1,076 sqft – 1,152 sqft)
4 BR (~1,313 sqft to 1,335 sqft)
3 BR Dual Key (~1,302 sqft)
4 BR Dual Key (~1,604 sqft)

This is the view if you were looking at My Manhattan from the East Point mall.

CEL Development beat back 17 other bidders in May 2010 to win the site.  The developers - the property arm of construction-giant Chip Eng Seng - won it with a top bid pf $152.69m or $523 psfppr! That of course is the reason for the high prices we've seen for this place.

The architecture is quite unique, with full glass windows (as opposed to the more common bay windows) in most of the bedrooms. Top floor units aren't penthouses though, they are more like apartment lofts with 3m high ceilings, much like those you see in New York (hence the name My Manhattan we think).

My Manhattan is pretty well designed architecturally, the grey, black and white facade making it  look like it belongs to the Newton/Holland area than one way out in Simei.

Location

Image: Onemap.sg

With the Eastpoint Mall and Simei MRT right next door, there's not much to fault location-wise. It's also very close by Changi Business Park and Singapore Expo. Not to mention Changi Airport! It's also in a mature estate, so shops and amenties are plentiful and closeby.

Now for the bad - there's the MRT track right next door. The noise should be mitigated by the high multi-storey carpark built to block out the noise from the trains. But it probably won't completely block out the electric whine of the trains braking or accelerating when they leave or arrive at the station (watch the video to hear the noise of the trains).

The high multi-storey carpark should block out some noise. The train tracks are in the foreground, running parallel to the trees.

Then there's the close proximity to East Point Mall and the neighbouring Blk 253 - only a four lane road (which gets busy during rush hour) separates the condo from these two structures. The good thing is that the carpark will be facing directly at East Point, so the only kaypoh neighbours you have to deal with are the ones from Blk 253.

And let's not forget Changkat Changi Primary and Secondary schools just next door - those who live next to a school can testify to the amount of noise kids can make nowadays.

If you're not sure, take a look again at the video above.

Site Layout

Image: Onemap.sg

Note how close the blocks are to each other, the developers really squeezed everyone in. Which such large windows, it's a voyeur's wet dream! 

The studio units are placed facing the HDB and mall while the bigger 4 bedders face the south (to the landed property). 

Interestingly there are dual-key units which could be worth a look.

Best Units

The only unblocked views are the ones facing south-east. So obviously one should aim for units in those stacks 5-floors and above (as My Manhattan is sitting downslope). Those close to the train tracks will get the noise but need not walk to far to get to their parked cars, so it's a fair trade-off. 

Units in 17 and 18 do get the benefit having direct lift access to the carparks as well as the gyms and function rooms.

See the Site Recce for My Manhattan for clearer understanding.

Prices
A 5th floor 883 sqft 2BR unit in stack 16 was going for $1,149 psf. While a larger 1,076 sqft 8th floor 3BR in stack 11 (facing landed homes) was going for $1,224 psf.

Caveats for neighbouring condo Tropical Spring (99 yr, 2002) saw a single unit sold in January for $1.17 million, or $848 psf. Modena right next door had 5 units transacting at $766.80psf in December. Double Bay Residences (99 yr, 2013) saw an average of $878 psf, or $936,000.

Not all units have been sold out, so quickly pop-by the showflat or call your agent.

[ this article is published in H88 ]