Aerial view of Ang Mo Kio town. (Photo: HDB)
Four HDB blocks in Ang Mo Kio that were built about 40 years ago are set to be demolished in February 2017 to make way for new residential projects, reported The Straits Times.
The authorities plan to tear down Blocks 246 to 249 in Ang Mo Kio Avenue 2 and Avenue 3, along with an open-air carpark within the vicinity of the 12-storey yellow and white blocks.
Under the Urban Redevelopment Authority’s (URA) 2014 Master Plan, most of the soon-to-be vacated site is zoned for housing. A small area has also been set aside as a reserve site, as its use has not yet been determined by the government.
According to a HDB spokesperson, the perimeter of the 42,584 sq m site will be cordoned off due to the upcoming demolition and for safety reasons.
Based on tender documents, the existing structures are expected to be completely torn down by September 2018 at a cost of around $800,000.
In June 2006, Blocks 246 to 249 and Blocks 250 to 252 were earmarked for the HDB’s Selective En bloc Redevelopment Scheme (SERS). Under this scheme, old HDB blocks are redeveloped and the residents are offered new replacement flats at subsidised prices and a fresh 99-year lease.
All the residents in the aforementioned blocks had moved out in end-2012, and many were moved to newly built blocks in nearby Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1.
But unlike Blocks 250 to 252, which were torn down in 2013, the demolition of Blocks 246 to 249 was deferred so that they can be used as rental homes.
The HDB is currently utilising Blocks 246 and 247 for its Interim Rental Housing Scheme, which assists households in need of temporary and affordable flats while they search for permanent homes.
As for Blocks 248 and 249, these are being used for the Parenthood Provisional Housing Scheme (PPHS), which provides interim housing to families awaiting the completion of their Build-To-Order (BTO) flats.
The Housing Board said any existing tenants in the four blocks will be relocated to other accommodation.
Romesh Navaratnarajah, Senior Editor at PropertyGuru, edited this story. To contact him about this or other stories, email romesh@propertyguru.com.sg
