JOURNEY TO THE EAST

We head east to Tampines North to unveil the plans to breathe new life into a mature estate.

Residents of Tampines North can also look forward to a new Tampines Town Hub that will be a five minutes’ walk away from the MRT station, which is also conveniently situated near Tampines Mall, Tampines One Mall and Century Square.

Dubbed by the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in its master plan to be “the fresh face of a well-developed area”, Tampines North – situated adjacent to Tampines Eco Green – is expected to be one fifth the size of Tampines estate when completed. With its new residences and increased number of commercial sites, Tampines is shaping up to be even livelier than before. The whopping 240ha Tampines North development will be bounded by Tampines Avenue 9, 10 and 12 and the Tampines Expressway, to the north of the estate. Perhaps due to the proximity to the expressway, tranquillity and green spaces seem to be the priority when it comes to the design philosophy for Tampines North. The various green spaces, along with the two parks in the estate, will be connected through a network of pedestrian and cycling paths. This will surely encourage residents to pick up cycling as a preferred mode of transport! The town will house 21,000 new homes, of which, 17,000 are Housing Board (HDB) flats. Housing and commercial developments in Tampines North have been grouped into four districts: Boulevard District, Green Walk District, Park West District and Park East District — each with its own distinct character. We take a look at the two HDB housing projects and a range of amenities planned for the town.

TAMPINES GREEN RIDGES

Reminiscent of mountain ridges, the buildings here will feature facades with painted green geometrical shapes. Expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2019, Green Ridges will be the first of the HDB flats to be built. The 1,496 units within 15 blocks come in a mix of three-, four-, and five-room flats and 3Gen (larger flats, with elderly-friendly features, built to house three-generation families), configurations, with one block of rental flats. Pockets of greenery will offer residents access to nature right at their doorstep, while the central green situated at the heart of the cluster will serve as a link to the planned boulevard park. Alongside perennial features such as playgrounds and fitness corners, there will be a supermarket, a food centre, a childcare centre and the Residents’ Committee Centre. These flats, along Tampines Street 61, went on sale in the November 2014 Built-To-Order sales launch.

Giant and Ikea are great for those looking for home furnishings, but also offer convenient dining options at their food court and restaurant, respectively.

The biking paths that will link to the Tampines North estate are part of URA’s plan to improve accessibility to parks and facilitate commuting around the area.

TAMPINES GREEN WEAVE

Tampines Green Ridges and Green Weave, are the two HDB projects that will form the first precinct situated within the Park West District. Here, 1,216 units will be spread across 10 residential blocks, comprising studio apartments, three-, four-, five-room, and 3Gen flats. The project gets its name from its interweaving paths, creating a network of walkways connecting all blocks at different levels. With activity plazas, green spaces, and roof gardens, residents in Tampines Green Weave can look forward to many open spaces to indulge in group-exercise activities. There are also plans for a supermarket, an eating house, a childcare centre, an education centre and a senior activity centre. Units at Tampines Green Weave first went on sale in the May 2015 sales launch, and construction will be completed in the third quarter of 2019.

With the completion of the Tampines North estate, foreign students of the UWC South East Asia East campus will have more accommodation options.

TAMPINES NORTH HUB

A mixed development situated at the heart of the estate, Tampines North Hub will be home to residential apartments, commercial buildings, as well as a bus interchange. It will also house a green arcade and a plaza square. 

QUARRY PARK

This new park references the history of Tampines, which once had many sand quarries dotting its landscape. As its name suggests, the park will feature a small quarry pond, creating an urban sandy beach landscape. The park will also feature a land bridge, and a pedestrian and cyclist pathway, which will connect the park, and Tampines North, to the rest of the estate.

BOULEVARD PARK

The linear Boulevard Park will form a green corridor, linking Sun Plaza Park and Quarry Park to Sungei Api Api. Developers are hoping to create a “blossoms walk” in the park, with seasonal flowering trees.

TAMPINES ECO GREEN

Situated in the east of the Tampines North estate is 36ha of unspoiled lush flora and fauna. Residents of the estate can look forward to walks over the demanding undulating terrains of the park, which has no dedicated pathways, just greenery and marsh segregated into three trails: the Diversity Trail, Marsh Trail and Forest Trail.

• Tampines got its name from the Tempinis tree, found commonly in this area.

• A 60ha “unofficial” bike park, complete with dirt trails and situated next to Tampines Eco Green, was cleared to make way for the development of Tampines North.

OTHER AMENITIES

As young parents are expected to make up the bulk of the new residents in Tampines North, two primary and two secondary schools, as well as a dedicated community centre, are also in the works to meet the demands of young families.

A BALANCE OF WORK AND PLAY

Residents living in this estate will also enjoy existing conveniences. Tampines is already home to four heartland malls: Tampines 1, Tampines Junction, Century Square and Tampines Mall, and the Tampines North estate is a stone’s throw from megastores Giant, Courts and Ikea. The current Tampines estate will also have a new Town Hub, to include a community club, a library, a stadium, swimming facilities and retail outlets. Reputable schools such as St Hilda’s Primary and Secondary Schools (located just off Tampines Avenue 4), Dunman Secondary School, and tertiary institutions such as Tampines Junior College, are also located within the greater Tampines estate. Tampines is also home to the UWC South East Asia East campus, which might prove to be a boon for property investors hoping to profit from foreign students seeking lodging in the estate. Current rental rates might also increase with the completion of JTC Space @ Tampines North, a development targeted at small and medium-sized enterprises dealing with manufacturing, with units measuring between 1,743sqf and over 18,200sqf, by November. All things considered, Tampines North holds much promise in breathing new life into the greater Tampines estate.