Downtown Living at Upcoming Marina Gardens Lane Integrated Development

As far as views go, the spectacular skyline of downtown Marina Bay is pretty hard to beat. And soon, more home buyers can take in the sights and sounds of the city from the comfort of their new residential units at the upcoming Marina Gardens Lane project.

The 99-year leasehold Marina Gardens Lane site, which will be integrated with the future Marina South MRT station on the Thomson-East Coast Line (TEL) is one of the most exciting sites on the Government Land Sales (GLS) programme in the second half of 2022. It is directly across Gardens by the Bay and is near the Marina Bay Financial Centre. It spans about 1.2-ha and can potentially offer 790 residential units and 750 sq m of commercial space on the first storey.

In a tender that closed on 27 June 2023, the site attracted 4 bids – generally within expectations due to the large quantum and development risk involved. The top bid of $1.034 billion was tabled by a joint venture between Kingsford Huray Development Pte. Ltd. (a subsidiary of Kingsford Development), Obsidian Development Pte. Ltd. and Polarix Cultural & Science Park Investment Private Limited. The top bid translates to a land rate of $1,401.51 psf per plot ratio (psf ppr).

First-mover in Marina South
The Marina Gardens Lane plot is the first sale site offered in Marina South, with an adjacent site (Marina Gardens Crescent) lined up in the GLS programme for 1H 2023. This site looks to kickstart the development of the 45-ha Marina South precinct, which is located next to Gardens by the Bay and overlooks the Marina Reservoir and the Straits of Singapore.

According to the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Marina South is envisioned to be a sustainable and car-lite precinct, characterised by pedestrian-friendly streets, a comprehensive cycling network, a pedestrian mall and an underground pedestrian network that will be connected to the two Thomson-East Coast Line stations at Gardens by the Bay and Marina South. It added that a series of elevated pedestrian connections are also being planned to seamlessly connect the Marina South precinct to Gardens by the Bay and the developments along the waterfront.

The URA said Marina South will be positioned as a self-sufficient neighbourhood with amenities such as parks, public space, sports and recreational facilities, shops for personal services and F&B, as well as childcare centres to meet residents’ needs.

Homes with a stunning view
Upcoming homes on the Marina Gardens Lane site will potentially command stunning views of either the city and Gardens by the Bay or the sea, depending on the units’ facing and storey. This will put some of Singapore’s most iconic structures and recognisable buildings – the Supertrees, Singapore Flyer, Marina Bay Sands, the gleaming MBFC towers - in the line of sight for its residents.

Being in downtown Singapore also means that residents are never far from where the action is at, as Marina Bay plays host to numerous events through the year, including the F1 Singapore Grand Prix, River Hongbao, the New Year’s Eve Countdown, iLight Singapore festival, and various concerts and events happening at the Marina Bay Sands and Gardens by the Bay.

City living
For those working in the city centre, living in Marina South brings much convenience – cutting commuting times, and perhaps making it possible to walk or cycle to the workplace. A common concern about city living is the lack of activity after office hours.

To this end, the government has put in place plans to rejuvenate the CBD, encouraging the development of mixed-use projects and to enlarge the live-in population in the city centre. In addition, with the commercial offerings on-site and F&B and retail options at the nearby Marina Bay Sands, Collyer Quay, and Lau Pa Sat food centre, the residents’ basic necessities will be well-catered to.

Connectivity
Being in the heart of the city, and with the development being integrated with the Marina South MRT station on the TEL, getting around should be a breeze. The TEL – when fully completed will enhance connectivity from the East to northern part of Singapore, passing various key spots in the city, including Marina Bay, Shenton Way, Maxwell, Outram Park, and Orchard Road.

Stage 3 and Stage 4 of the TEL’s development are expected to be completed in 2024 and 2025, which will take commuters to stations in the East, such as Tanjong Katong, Marine Parade, Siglap, and Sungei Bedok.

Amenities and schools
Apart from amenities in the immediate surroundings and within the development, there are many other recreation, retail and dining options a short distance away. These include the Marina Barrage (for some weekend kite flying), the Esplanade, Suntec City mall, Marina Square mall, Raffles City, and in Tanjong Pagar. Avid cyclists and runners can also make use of the extensive park connectors and make their way to the East Coast Park. Speaking of connections, in the not too distant future, Marina Bay will also be linked to the Greater Southern Waterfront via a continuous waterfront promenade.

One of the schools nearest to the site would be Cantonment Primary School, but there are also plenty of schools within easy reach of the TEL. For example, River Valley Primary near Great World MRT station, ISS international School next to Orchard station, Singapore Chinese Girls’ School near Stevens station, Mary Mount Convent School near Caldecott station, Ai Tong School near Bright Hill station, and CHIJ St. Nicholas Girls’ School near Mayflower station.

Meanwhile, on the yet-to-be completed (at the time of writing) section of the TEL, there are Dunman High School near to the Katong Park station, Canadian International School near to the Tanjong Katong station, Tao Nan School, St. Patrick’s School, CHIJ Katong Convent, and Victoria Junior College near Marine Terrace station, amongst others. Many of these schools would be a relatively short train ride from the integrated development. For instance, an MRT trip from Marina Bay station to Bright Hill station takes about 30 minutes via the TEL.

About the developer
Kingsford Development is an established local developer that was incorporated in 2011 by China-based Kingsford Group, focusing mainly on residential and commercial development. Some of its past projects include Kingsford Hillview Peak, a 512-unit condominium at Hillview Avenue, Kingsford Waterbay, a mixed-use development at Upper Serangoon View comprising 1,165-unit condominium and retail shops, and most recently, Normanton Park, a mega-condominium project comprising 1,862 units which has sold out since July 2022.

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