As far back as 2008, the Singapore Government unveiled a blueprint to turn Jurong Lake District - a massive 360ha area comprising Jurong Lake and the area around Jurong East MRT station, where the Jurong Country Club was - into a lakeside destination for business and leisure over the succeeding 10 to 15 years.
The scope of Jurong Lake District is enormous: comprising the International Business Park, Jurong Gateway, Lakeside East and Lakeside West.
Within the Jurong area, extending westwards till Yuan Ching Road, there are a number of upcoming developments :
26 March 2024
It comprises CapitaLand Development, City Developments, Frasers Property, Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan (Asia); analysts are not surprised there is no other contender, given risks of mega project, long timeline
A CONSORTIUM comprising CapitaLand Development, City Developments, Frasers Property, Mitsubishi Estate and Mitsui Fudosan (Asia) has submitted two bids, with different concept proposals, for the master-developer site in Jurong Lake District (JLD).
The first three parties are taking a 25 per cent stake each in the consortium, with the two Japanese companies holding a 12.5 per cent stake each.
There was no other contender for the site at a state tender that closed on Tuesday (Mar 26).
As part of the project’s first phase, minimum office and residential components have been stipulated.
Referring to the quintet consortium, Desmond Sim, chief executive officer of Edmund Tie & Co, said: “This is a site to bind them all. The consortium brings together some of the top developers in the region. Their participation in the tender will endorse the government’s push to drive Jurong as the next major business district after the CBD.”
Read More: Five-party consortium places 2 bids for Jurong Lake District site, The Business Times
As far back as 2008, the Singapore Government unveiled a blueprint to turn Jurong Lake District - a massive 360ha area comprising Jurong Lake and the area around Jurong East MRT station, where the Jurong Country Club was - into a lakeside destination for business and leisure over the succeeding 10 to 15 years.
Almost a decade later in 2017, the Urban Redevelopment Authority launched a draft masterplan, ambitious in its promises to elevate the district to a second CBD, as well as a sought-after living destination.
(See : The story of Jurong Lake District: From the boondocks to boom town - and beyond Dec 2017)
Map of Jurong Lake District in 2017
The full extent of the Jurong Lake District was massive: including International Business Park, Jurong Gateway, Lakeside East and Lakeside West.
A map showing the full extent of the massive Jurong Lake District
The initial plan of Jurong Lake District unveiled in 2017 included the High Speed Rail.
In 2013, Singapore and Malaysia had agreed to build a 350km High Speed Rail (HSR) line between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, which would have cut travelling time to 90 minutes compared to over four hours by car.
(See : Timeline of events for terminated KL-Singapore HSR project Jan 2021)
These were the key milestones marking the starts and stops in the project:
The Singapore end of the Singapore-Kuala Lumpur high-speed rail (HSR) was set to be located at the Jurong Country Club site.
The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) has gazetted the acquisition of the 67ha plot and the land was handed over by November 2016.
With the terminus expected to occupy only about 12 ha - or around 18 per cent - of the total area, the remaining land was projected to be transformed into a mixed-use development comprising offices, hotels, retail and residences.
(See : Singapore high-speed rail terminus will be at current Jurong Country Club site , May 2015)
On 24 Nov 2022, Anwar Ibrahim was sworn in as Malaysia's tenth Prime Minister, taking over from Ismail Sabri Yaakob who served for one year and 51 days.
In a statement in January 2021, Anwar called the cancellation of the HSR project a mistake “both from a current economic standpoint and in terms of future benefits”, pointing out the economic opportunities it could have opened up, in drawing tourists, businesses and foreign direct investment.
It remains to be seen if the HSR project will be revived.
(See : Commentary: Could Anwar’s government bring back Kuala Lumpur-Singapore HSR project? , Dec 2022)
Artist’s impression of the High Speed Rail station in Bandar Malaysia
In April 2019, it was announced that as part of the Jurong Lake District transformation, a new 7ha integrated tourism development will be ready from 2026.
This development is projected to feature a hotel, attractions, eateries and shops and will be located adjacent to Chinese Garden MRT station.
(See : New large-scale tourism development to be built in Jurong Lake District Apr 2019)
On March 15 2022, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) launched a request for proposals for the development, saying it would comprise high-quality accommodation as well as a mix of attractions and retail, food and beverage, and entertainment offerings.
However, a tender seeking proposals for the project did not bring in any proposals.
(See : STB receives no proposals for Jurong Lake District integrated tourism development , 15 Dec 2022)
Location of the proposed Integrated Tourism Development
Within Jurong Lake District, there will be major transformations to the existing Jurong East MRT Station, as well as the construction of 2 more MRT Stations, further enhancing the connectivity of the area.
The first is Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub, a concept that was first mentioned as early as 2009.
(See : Jurong East integrated transport hub construction to begin this year, 12 years after first mention, Feb 2021)
The Jurong East integrated transport hub, in addition to the bus interchange, will feature a 27-storey block connected by a sky bridge to another eight-storey block. The two blocks will house offices, retail spaces and other public facilities.
In announcements made in 2017, the Ministry of Transport and the LTA said a joint office for the two organisations will be located at an integrated complex at the Jurong East MRT station, which is to be completed after 2020.
The Jurong Integrated Transport Hub is set to be completed in the year 2027.
The transport hub is meant to add on to the existing Jurong East MRT Station, an already bustling interchange between the North-South and East-West lines.
First announced in 2013, the Jurong Region Line features 24 stations, serving Choa Chu Kang in the north, Jurong Pier in the south, Peng Kang Hill in the west and Pandan Reservoir in the east.
It will form an interchange with Jurong East MRT station further expanding the accessibility and significance of the station as an transport node.
Within the Jurong Lake District, the other stop along the Jurong Region Line will be Jurong Town Hall Station, adding onto the accessibility of the region.
First announced in Jan 2013, the Cross Island Line was pitched as the most ambitious MRT line, spanning 58km across the length of the Singapore island.
Station CR19, Jurong Lake District, is positioned just beside the originally planned High Speed Rail Station.
In Dec 2022, the government announced the list of sites to be sold under the Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme.
(See : Release of first half of 2023 Government Land Sales (GLS) Programme , 8 Dec 2022)
This list included a White Site near Jurong East MRT Station, named Jurong Lake District GLS, a massive site measuring 6.8 hectares (731,946 sqft), and can yield from 600 to up to 1,760 residential units.
It is the first significant land sale within the larger 360 hectare Jurong Lake District.
Developer Tender : Jun 2023
Land Cost: TBA
Developer TBA
99 Years Leasehold
Est Launch : Q4 2024 / Q1 2025
Jurong Lake District presents an opportunity for companies to put down roots, create a brand-new campus and scale up easily.
Jurong Lake District will be the largest business district outside of the central area.
The area around Jurong East MRT station today comprises offices, retail and institution uses. By 2028, more offices and community uses, a new Jurong Region Line station and an integrated transport hub will be built next to Jurong East MRT station.
Located at the heart of Jurong East, the Integrated Transport Hub comprises civic and community institutions, retail amenities and an office tower on top of a bus interchange.
A new 120-hectare precinct will connect seamlessly to the existing commercial centre and MRT station via elevated pedestrian linkages and lushly planted streets. It will have a mix of offices, housing and amenities in a car-lite and park setting. With more flexibility in zoning, land tenure and phasing compared to other districts, companies can experiment with new development concepts and innovative ways to integrate live, work and play.
Singapore’s first business park development to be certified Green Mark Platinum (Super Low Energy) is located in Jurong Lake District
Jurong Lake District will be the focus of new development in the next two decades, with the government prioritising the sale of sites within the district.
A new, broad planning approach will be adopted for Jurong Lake District where flexi-use sites will be interspersed with business park uses. This will allow companies to locate all their activities and teams in one place. Large sites will give developers the flexibility to create scalable campuses tailored to business needs at competitive rents.
The West Region is also home to Singapore’s top two universities, providing a deep talent pool. Tuas Port, Jurong Innovation District and one-north are close by, making Jurong Lake District the ideal location to tap on academia for cutting-edge R&D, and to provide business and professional services to the maritime and high-value industries.
As the district grows, an ecosystem of innovation, collaboration and synergy within the region will emerge. Jurong Lake District will be a base for companies with strong Environment, Social, Governance (ESG) ambitions to tap on the West Region for opportunities in sustainability businesses.
By 2040 to 2050, Jurong Lake District will have 100,000 new jobs and 20,000 new homes, adding to the 1 million residents already in the West Region.
Jurong Lake District will have excellent connectivity via two new train lines, Jurong Region Line and Cross Island Line, which will be fully completed by 2029 and in 2030s, respectively. Together with the existing East-West Line and North-South Line, these new lines will connect people to major business centres and education hubs in the West and Central regions within 30 minutes.
Jurong Region Line will link the district to academic expertise, R&D and skilled talent at Nanyang Technological University, Jurong Innovation District and Jurong Industrial Estate, where many high-value industries are located. The Cross Island Line will serve existing and future developments in the eastern, western and north-eastern corridors and connect Jurong Lake District to other major hubs such as Punggol Digital District and Changi Airport.
Amidst a fast-changing landscape, our commitment remains steadfast. Investors can be confident in the government’s commitment to focus investment and development in Jurong Lake District for the next two decades.
The current commercial core comprises mainly offices, retail and institution uses. By 2028, we can look forward to more offices and community uses, a new Jurong Region Line station and two new bus interchanges (Jurong East Integrated Transport Hub and Bus Interchange at Venture Drive) to further enhance bus connectivity.
The commercial core will extend seamlessly into a new 120-hectare precinct, which will have a balanced mix of offices, housing, and amenities in a car-lite and park setting. This precinct will be developed over the next 30 years and served by two new MRT stations. We will have the opportunity to introduce new development concepts and redesign ways to integrate live, work and play.
International Business Park is Singapore’s pioneer business park supporting R&D and knowledge-based activities since the 1990s. In the coming years, the business park will be progressively rejuvenated with more mixed uses to support the needs of new economic sectors and complement the commercial core. The area around the upcoming Jurong Town Hall MRT station will also see more mixed uses to cater to the thriving tech community.
Jurong Lake Gardens is Singapore’s third national garden and a collection of three unique gardens. A new Science Centre and tourist development will add to the attractions at Lakeside Garden, Chinese Garden and Japanese Garden. This will make Jurong Lake District a place for leisure and recreation and a destination for events and entertainment.