Jalan Besar Takes After Hip Tiong Bahru

Gentrification is the buzz word for Jalan Besar which used to be filled with industrial buildings, hotels, shophouses and some condos. Hip cafes, boutique shops and new offices are slowly merging with the small carpentry and engineering workshops.

Jalan Besar lies within the central region. However, it is interesting to note that despite various groups having competing interest for land in this area, Jalan Besar is still able to retain its charm and character.

Some say Jalan Besar is similar to charming Tiong Bahru which in recent years have witnessed cool cafes, quirky knick knack stores, artifact shops, art galleries and yoga exercise gyms setting up shops amongst old bakeries, aged uncle barber shops and corner mee pok shops straining yesteryears mandarin pops.

Rejuvenation plans for Jalan Besar were unveiled in Aug 2015. The area will be livened up in the ensuing 5 years with some 200 improvement projects totaling an estimated amount of $20 million. This rejuvenation master plan was an election promise made by the government in year 2011 and will be fulfilled in the next 5 years.

There will be new MRT stations namely Geylang Bahru, Bencoolen, Jalan Besar and Bendemeer MRT stations by 2020. Residents can also expect to see more amenities coming up like playgrounds, fitness corners and covered walkways.

Currently, this area is served by two malls – City Square and Mustafa. City Square Mall has a gross retail space of about 700,000 square feet and this works out to be 3 times the retail size of Wisma Atria! At Mustafa, one can find almost anything under the sun here.

Of course there are also nearby stores and shops which tenants like to patronize too as these older neighbourhoods invoke a sense of nostalgia. With the rejuvenation plans taking place, the older scenes may soon become a thing of the past as they are slowly replaced by newer malls, residential towers, office buildings, spanking crisp medical towers and hotels.

In fact, one new office tower, Arc 380 by Tong Eng Brothers, is coming up in place of the Eminent Plaza and Lavender Food Court site. Recently, another freehold commercial new launch, Centrium Square, was launched by the same developer. It will replace Serangoon Plaza and become the next landmark along Serangoon Road.

Completed older private condominiums nearby include Kerrisdale, City Square Residences and Parc Somme. Rental yields are good in these developments. And tenant mix is healthy and strong consisting of Caucasians, Japanese and Koreans.

If you had missed the launches of the older developments here, it is time for you to grab a unit or two now as a new condo Singapore launch, Sturdee Residences, will take place in April 2016.

It is simply city living in the city area. A location surrounded by 3 nearby MRT stations namely Farrer Park, Lavender and upcoming Bendemeer stations. It is within an area where medical clinics are sprouting up. This gives us a reason to believe that the government has bigger plans for this area what with Connexion, Farrer Park and Centrium Square having medical clinics and facilities.

With only a limited 305 residential new condo units in Sturdee Residences from 1-bedroom to 4-bedroom and 5-bedroom single level Penthouses, it may not be a case of you wanting a unit and being able to purchase one but rather, are there enough units for you to even purchase one!