Raffles Town Club site slated for future residential use after lease expiry in 2026

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The Singapore Land Authority (SLA) and Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) announced on Nov 20 that the lease on a plot of land in Bukit Timah currently occupied by Raffles Town Club (RTC) will not be renewed when it expires on Oct 17, 2026. Measuring approximately 132,639 sq ft, the location at 1 Plymouth Avenue in District 11 is within walking distance of the Stevens MRT Interchange.

Lee Sze Teck, senior director for data analytics at Huttons Asia, suggests that when the lease expires, the site will likely be sold for private housing and may be ascribed a plot ratio of 1.4 due to the surrounding low-rise development. This could result in the potential for a luxury project of 160 to 190 units, each with average unit size of 915 to 1,076 sq ft. He believes if the site was to launch for tender today, it could generate a winning bid of over $1,500 psf per plot ratio.

Eugene Lim, key executive officer at ERA Singapore, suggests the plot ratio could be higher due to the site’s location at the corner of Whitley Road and Dunearn Road. Lim proposes a higher plot ratio of between 1.6 and 2.1 might be granted in order to facilitate a taller development that may serve as a landmark for the junction.

The site itself is within a private residential enclave and is a five minute drive to the Singapore Botanic Gardens. It is alsonearby to reputable schools such as Singapore Chinese Girls’ School, Nanyang Primary School and St Joseph’s Institution. Recent condo resale transactions within a 500m-radius of Raffles Town Club (Source: EdgeProp LandLens) offer insight into the demand for residential property in the area.

In response to the announcement, SLA and URA issued a statement saying the redevelopment of the site for residential use will “support future housing demand and enhance the residential character of the precinct”. RTC will continue its operations at the site until the lease expires, upon which they will be required to return the land to the state.

The redevelopment of the Raffles Town Club site for residential use is set to significantly enhance the area. Evidence of the high demand for residential property in the locality, as well as the benefit of a potentially increased plot ratio and a landmark development, bodes well for the expected success of the proposed project.