Potong Pasir is among the smallest housing estates in Singapore, but it is not without its charm or potential. In recent years, a good number of condos have sprung up around the area, with the latest being right beside its MRT station. What can we expect from this little town?
Cheryl Marie Tay
Considered a mature estate in northeast Singapore under the Toa Payoh planning area, Potong Pasir is perhaps best known for being home to the St Andrew’s family of schools: St Andrew’s Junior School, St Andrew’s Secondary School and St Andrew’s Junior College.
It is also a stone’s throw from the now hotly contested Bidadari estate, which has been in the news of late thanks to its recent Build-to-Order (BTO) launches.
Furthermore, Potong Pasir’s relatively central location and well developed transport infrastructure allow quick and easy commute to the CBD and Orchard Road, with the PIE and CTE just a short drive away.
Over the years
Populated by numerous sand quarries and ponds between 1910 and 1937, Potong Pasir later became one of Singapore’s most prominent and successful vegetable-producing areas in the 1950s.
Still, it was a rural area with government-leased farmland, as well as low-quality roads; flooding was also a regular occurrence. But thanks to rapid development in the decades following the 1950s, it improved tremendously.
From bridges across the ponds and a village community centre where children could be educated in the 1950s to electricity and piped water in the 1960s, Potong Pasir underwent a massive transformation.
In the 1970s, government took over the land for redevelopment purposes, necessitating the relocation of the villagers. This eventually led to the public housing estate of Potong Pasir to be formed in the 1980s, resulting in the now iconic sloping rooftops of several of the HDB blocks there.
Despite all this development, however, Potong Pasir has managed to maintain the quaint, peaceful charm of a small neighbourhood, whose shops are mostly locally owned businesses that meet the needs of its residents.
A homely affair
More recently, after some controversy, The Poiz Residences and The Poiz Centre were finally launched. Initially named The Andrew Residences and The Andrew Village, complaints from some of the St Andrew’s alumni that the original names would detract from the schools’ rich history led the developer, MCC Land, to rename both the condominium project and its commercial building.
Though Potong Pasir consists mainly of HDB flats, there are a variety of private residential and mixed-use developments in and around the area. One of them is The Venue, a 99-year leasehold residential and commercial project at Tai Thong Crescent.
Wong Xian Yang, Senior Manager of Research & Consultancy at OrangeTee.com, says one of the selling points of The Venue is that it is “surrounded by good schools such as Cedar Primary (School), the St Andrew clusters and Maris Stella High School, which is a draw for parents with (school-going) kids”.
He adds: “Essentially, the most attractive selling point for mixed developments such as The Poiz Residences and The Venue is the convenience it brings. Their city fringe location and close proximity to transport infrastructures such as Potong Pasir MRT station and the PIE allow commuters to reach the CBD and Orchard Road without much hassle. This is particularly true for The Poiz Residences, as it is connected to the MRT station.”
The Poiz Residences is recently launched 99-year leasehold mixed-use development connected to Potong Pasir MRT station, and features 731 residential units and 84 commercial units in The Poiz Centre.
Wong says, “For now, MCC Land has not decided to sell the strata retail units of The Poiz Centre, and is choosing instead to lease out the units themselves. This arrangement would lead to better control over the tenant mix, and should create more value for the residents.”
Prospects and potential
Now that The Poiz Residences has been launched to enthusiastic response, with nearly 75 percent of its released units having been sold during its first weekend of sales alone, Potong Pasir will no doubt be more densely populated.
Some long-time residents may not welcome this change, but there is no denying that this bodes well for the property market in the estate, which has been doing rather well so far. Wong predicts: “Going forward, the population in the vicinity is set to increase with the completion of The Poiz Residences, The Venue, and the BTO projects in Bidadari estate, breathing more life into the currently quiet estate.
“The retail components in some of the aforementioned developments, together with the upcoming market square in Bidadari, will provide more variety in amenities for residents. Given its city fringe location, value is expected to hold up as the developments in the area can continue to command a premium price for the convenience and host of nearby amenities.
“In the long run, the build-up of the Bidadari estate may eventually increase the demand for private residential units nearby, as upgraders often prefer moving within the estate.”
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